Yelp ELITE!

So I am excited to announce that I am a Yelp ELITE!  What does this mean?  It means that I really like Yelp and write reviews about the different restaurants I go to and places I shop at (and might even get invited to a special event or two).  I would certainly recommend Yelp to anyone looking to have a fun adventure in your own backyard at a yummy eatery, pamper yourself at a spa or spend a night away from home.  If you want to check out my profile, you can go to mlkleibs.yelp.com (or go to yelp.com to check out all the other fabulous things the site has to offer)!  I still have a lot of reviews I want to write...maybe one day I will find the time to finish all of them.

I started using Yelp pretty religiously in July when I was on a road trip down the WA and OR coast to the California Redwoods with my parents to look up local eats and also smaller hotels.  Without Yelp, we would not have stayed in a hotel made entirely of a Redwood (like the one pictured below).  SO COOL!

It is great because reviews are written by real people and it is a great way to check out non-chain places before you waste time or money on lower quality services.  Even beyond travel, it is great for trying new places in your area you might not have gone to before!  Check it out!

Ellensburg Rodeo!

Dharani and I traveled across the mountains to eastern Washington for a day at the rodeo.  Our day began with the more traditional rodeo events like lassoing calves and wrestling them down (totally not the right term, but you get the idea):

 

The mid-rodeo entertainment even included a wrangler who was able to get two large bison to patiently hang out on the top of a semi.  I mean I have never tried that, but I can imagine it takes a bit of talent to do so. 

We walked around the fairgrounds for a bit, saw some of the agricultural and animal displays and of course enjoyed a delicious funnel cake.  Our visit would not have been complete without a visit to the cowboy bar, Behind the Chutes.  We stuck out like sore thumbs since we were not in cowboy hats...

Although completely commercialized and sensationalized, we both had so much fun watching the Extreme Bullriding evening extravaganza (complete with fire and fireworks).  There was even a bull that jumped over the outer fence and escaped before being caught by some of the handlers!

Kayaking the San Juans

Kathryn and I headed to the San Juan Islands for the day to go kayaking and I was amazed at how beautiful the area was! 

We both had fun out on the water...although I think we both agree that we would have enjoyed ourselves just staring out across the water to the other islands or taking pictures rather than struggling to keep up with the fast pace of the tour we were on. 

I loved that San Juan Island's coast featured awesome rockery and trees with beautiful peeling bark.  We also explored an area called Smuggler's Cove where alcohol was imported from Canada to the U.S. during the Prohibition era (who knew there was so much history to the San Juans?). 

Floating among the kelp beds, I tried a bite of the stiff seaweed like substance and learned that it is a main component of many products we use daily (like toothpaste!). 

All in all, the day was absolutely beautiful and it was fun to not only explore the  island, but also enjoy the ferry ride around the other islands. 

Talking to our guide (whose family had been San Juan Islanders since the 1800s or something like that) made me think about odd it would be to live on an island.  Granted it is a fairly populated island and is close to other cities, but it seems like such a weird concept to rely on a ferry as a lifeline to the rest of the world.  Maybe I will stick to just visiting the Islands for now. :)

SUP is what's up.

Congratulations SUP.  You win.  I would always see people stand-up paddelboarding when I was at Gas Works or at Golden Gardens and think it looked like such a calming, fun experience.  Little did I know, until I tried it with my friend Hang. 

We probably picked one of the brightest, sunniest days of the summer, which made the experience that much better. 

Hang seemed to be a natural and didn't fall in once.  I on the other hand struggled to feel comfortable just tooling around on my knees.  It was so hard to keep balanced with the waves!  It wasn't until nearly the end of our 2-hour session that I took the plunge (literally) and tried actually standing up on my paddleboard.  Once you get the feel, it was pretty fun, but I still struggled to feel super comfortable without my lower kneeling paddleboarding position.  After falling into the water about 4 times, I decided to stick to my knees to make it back to the shore.  I must say that the instructor was a pro, though, at snapping at least 1 picture where it looked like I knew what I was doing. :)

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

My parents and I headed to the shadow of Mt. Rainier to hop aboard the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad in Elbe, WA.  Although it was an early morning, it was so much fun to ride the steam-powered train (and hear the sound of the train whistle!), which took us to and from Mineral Lake.  In the past when I have visited Mt. Rainier, I have seen the area as a hiker, but it was interesting to see that area by venturing on the tracks through people's backyards (one which featured tons of metal figurines and sculptures). 

After our ride, we had lunch in an old railcar that made almost everything they served from scratch.  Although the place was a bit pricey, the food was good...and who wouldn't love eating a meal in an old train car for an experience?).   

Although I should have gotten home to study for my upcoming CPA test, we drove through Mt. Rainier National Park.  At Paradise at the top of the mountain, clouds covered our view of the mountain, but once we headed down the back side of the mountain we were able to get straight shots of Rainier in all its glory. 

The trip was not complete without a stop at Black Diamond Bakery...I think they have the best baked goods I have ever tasted.  Maybe I am exaggerating, but I don't think so.

I think my mom summed up the day nicely when she said she felt as though she had taken a weekend vacation even though we were just gone for the day.  Lesson learned: I love a good steam-powered train and the PNW is indeed a beautiful place to be.