My mom and I fancy ourselves a significantly milder (albeit equally entertaining) Y2K version of Thelma and Louise because every time we get together, a memorable adventure ensues. Case in point, our three-day winter trip to Washington. Making memories with family is extremely important to me, and I knew that I wanted to surprise my mom with something special for her upcoming milestone birthday (due to strong language and that “mom-glaring” power of determent, I have been prohibited from revealing which exact milestone in this article). Nevertheless, on February 20th, our mother-daughter escapades commenced, and I wanted to see just how Thelma and Louise we could get.
When to Go
In February, Washington, particularly the Seattle area, averages in the low 50s during the day and mid-30s at night. Rain and snow are not uncommon this time of year. In fact, we were informed that rain (and sometimes snow) is to be expected for about half of the month. No matter, we gladly welcomed any and all kinds of weather that Mother Nature wanted to bestow upon us. After all, there’s no way Thelma and Louise would let a little bit of weather put a damper on their good times!
Where to Stay
I am a B&B fan through and through. I love the intimate settings of B&Bs because they allow for better opportunities to become acquainted with the host, who often shares entertaining anecdotes that lend themselves to valuable insider tips. B&Bs also put me at ease because they often create a sense of home while on vacation. This level of comfort combined with friendly conversation sets the foundation for a perfect vacation stay. However, it’s the breakfast that puts this lodging style over the top for me. You see, the second “B” in the term always gets me because I am a hearty morning foodie, and I can always count on the breakfasts at B&Bs to be incredibly accommodating, deliciously fresh, and extremely convenient. My mom and I also have a deep appreciation for the quaint and quiet, so we knew a B&B was exactly what we were looking for.
After much research to find something that ticked all of the boxes, I stumbled upon the Greenlake Guest House, a 1920s Craftsman-style bed and breakfast nestled in a small community near the edge of Green Lake and about a ten-minute drive to downtown Seattle. Green Lake was far enough from chaotic city life that we felt at peace throughout the evening, but it was also close enough for us to easily experience said chaos if we wanted to. Not to mention, the location also offered a solid variety of nearby dining options, a beautiful winter lake view, a reasonable drive to other points of interest on our list, and a lovely, small-town atmosphere. With all of that, we knew that Greenlake Guest House was the perfect home base for the entire duration of our trip.
Day 1
Seattle
Events kicked off in downtown Seattle where parking was a bit difficult to find, but the walking around was easy to enjoy.
Fremont Troll
We knew right off the bat that coming to Seattle meant making a brief stop at the legendary Fremont Troll, a peculiar yet irresistible form of urban artwork that lives underneath the Aurora Bridge in northern Seattle. A short 8-minute drive from our B&B placed us on a narrow, single-lane road known as Troll Avenue that led up towards its namesake. The troll was designed and created in 1989 as a way to breathe new life into an area that was developing an unfavorable reputation. Now, the troll serves as a unique place for tourists to stop by, take photos, and briefly envision themselves a character within a J. R. R. Tolkien-esque fantasy realm. After all, according to Tolkien, trolls were originally made of stone.
Pike Place Market
An additional 10-minute drive south led us to what is probably one of the most easily recognized sites in Seattle, Pike Place Market. We arrived just after 9 AM and made great fun out of navigating through the many hallways and multiple stairwells to observe the setup of this massive market center. Neon signs illuminated beautifully displayed seafood spread out across mounds of crushed ice. Friendly fisherman dressed in plastic bibs and rubber boots offered us samples from their latest display of salmon, which we gladly tasted. Seattle is home to some of the best seafood thanks to the nearby waterway, Puget Sound, and we definitely found no shortage of it during our stay in Washington.
Additional shops within the marketplace include artwork and crafts from local painters and globally recognized artists, specialty teas, delectable baked goods, fresh produce stands, books and other collectible items, meat and cheese counters, and dining spots with stunning views of the bay. In all, we spent an hour thoroughly enjoying all that Pike Place had to offer and came away with some lovely art pieces we often gaze at nostalgically throughout the year.
Discovery Park
Discovery Park is the largest public park in Seattle, complete with nearly 12 miles of hiking trails surrounded by moss covered forests that lead towards a beach where the still active Discovery Park lighthouse stands. The winter season instantly presented itself upon our arrival, as the trees stood bare and their once attached leaves laid brittle and broken. In some parts, frosted tree limbs reached into the trail as if welcoming us, and the cold air clashed against our noses, highlighting them with a mild pink streak. After living in San Diego for the past twenty years, it felt nice to finally bring my mom back to a place with distinct seasons that I know she’s missed as a born and bred East Coast girl.
For nearly an hour, we happily immersed ourselves within the park’s peaceful aura and basked in the rare occasion to simply just exist in silent merriment. The trails also invited us to seize the opportunity for a quality mother-daughter heart-to-heart; you know the kind… A daughter adorably teasing her mother for her thick Jersey accent (no, Mom, moss is not pronounced m-awww-ss), and a mother lovingly giving her daughter some wicked side-eye for being so remarkably… charming? What can I say, daughter of the year right here. Sarcasm, sass, and silliness, that’s us, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The forest’s dirt trail wound its way towards a clearing where the scenery unexpectedly transformed into what looked like a scene from a Nicholas Sparks movie; you know, those iconic (but quite frankly, repetitive) southern beach settings. A weathered asphalt pathway lined with wiry beach grass introduced the stunning beach vista before us. I held my mom’s hand as we navigated our way over piled up driftwood and a gang of rather large rocks blocking the open sand. The bright whiteness of the lighthouse along with its muted red roof contrasted magnificently with the varied blue and gray tones of the sea and sky in the background. We stood on the sand for a while, taking photos and running around as free as could be. A magical moment in a magical place with my mom… I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Snoqualmie Falls Park
To finish off the day, we decided to drive 50 minutes from Discovery Park to the popular Snoqualmie Falls Park to witness its legendary 270-foot waterfall. Waterfalls make my soul happy, and upon seeing this one, I was about ready to embrace my inner Pharrell Williams and clap along because I sure do know what happiness is to me, and that is this place.
There are two viewpoints for the waterfall, an upper viewing platform and a lower observation deck. We parked at the main upper lot just off of Highway 202. A very sleek and modern charcoal-colored sign greeted us at the entrance, which we opted to try and take a few photos in front of while shivering in our puffy thermal jackets. The temperature had dropped significantly in the afternoon, and a storm seemed to be brewing. From the upper lot, we walked towards a few different lookout areas to see the waterfall in its entirety surrounded by a mass of thick trees and the grand Salish Lodge perched just behind the cliff to its left. My mom and I spent about 30 minutes messing around with my GoPro taking shots at various angles. February is not high-season for this attraction, so we practically had the whole place to ourselves.
There is an option to drive around to an alternate lower lot that would have put us closer to the lower observation deck. However, we wanted to take in as much of the park as possible, so we opted for the all-around aesthetically pleasing ten-minute stroll through the moss filled woodland wonderland. One of my most vivid memories from this entire trip took place about two minutes into this trail descent. Snow flurries began dancing through the air, as if mimicking my level of joviality. In that moment, my 5-year-old self emerged as I recalled my childhood winters in Maryland. I'd often stare out of the living room window, watching in wonder as this angelic white powder coated my entire world. As the flurries swirled playfully around us, I placed my arm over my mom's shoulder. Savoring this moment, we both stared up at the sky and smiled in the same way we had done such a long time ago.
For the last section of the trail, our previously traveled dirt path converted into a sophisticatedly designed boardwalk alongside the Snoqualmie River. At this point, we hadn’t even been guests of the Pacific-Northwest for 24 hours, and yet, I already understood the reasoning behind the phrase “PNWonderland”. The roaring sounds of the falls ahead, the rush of indigo water flowing beside us, driftwood scattered about as if with artistic intent, and the seemingly impenetrable forest encompassing it all… what a sight to behold. The boardwalk came to an end, and there it was. Though still some distance away, the power of the falls was undeniable. In true One Republic fashion, we just stopped and stared. Then, out came my GoPro and more documentation of these surreal memories followed.
A small opening at the conversion point of the boardwalk and dirt path led down to the river where I enjoyed rock-hopping and exploring all of the nooks and crannies of the riverbank. My mom, on the other hand, watched nervously from afar in the way that moms tend to do. No matter how old I get, she still worries the same as she did when I was merely single digits. In all, we spent about an hour and a half in Snoqualmie Falls State Park, and within that time, my love for this state ignited and the fire raged on, eager to see what the next two days had in store.
Day 2
Thursday dawned with 25-degree weather and white patches strewn across the landscape. A layer of snow blanketed our rental car, but my mom happily leapt at the chance to relive her youth, grabbing a snow scraper and proceeding to return the car to its former glory. Five minutes of defrosting later, and we were on the road at 8:30 AM, ready for the 90-minute drive north to Fidalgo Island.
Rosario Beach
Repeated recommendations to visit one of Washington’s many islands led us to Fidalgo Island, easily accessible via the Highway 20 bridge and then a simple, straight shot south to Rosario Beach. Located within Deception Pass State Park and along the Salish Sea, Rosario Beach offers gorgeous viewpoints and enchanting hiking trails. After a few minor hiccups trying to figure out how to pay for parking, we (well, really, mostly I) ran out of the car like wild animals, proceeding to slosh around through soggy grass and prance across tiny mounds of snow fighting against the sunlight to survive.
The beach opened wide, and we continued on with a short stroll around Rosario Head, gazing out at the Urchin Rocks resembling miniature islands just off shore. A long wooden dock, fixed to solid ground at one end, lightly floated at its opposite end. I couldn’t help but dramatically bob around, causing the dock to wobble back and forth. My actions simultaneously instigated a resurgence of repressed memories for my mom from many moons ago when I used to torture her on elevators in the same way. Again, clearly daughter of the year right here. Some more of my mom’s signature side-eye caught my attention, and I couldn’t help but snicker, wink, and skip off of the dock in that true, charming daughter fashion.
Near the dock stood snow-covered signs surrounding a skillfully carved statue. A quick brush of the powder revealed words beneath detailing the Samish legend of Ko-Kwal-alwoot, the Maiden of Deception Pass. My mom stood tall and proud next to her, creating an image of some serious female strength and power. You go, Mom.
From Rosario Head, we followed the Bowman Bay trail to Lighthouse Point where views of the famed Deception Pass Bridge came into frame. The area reminded me of a less dramatic, though still breathtaking, version of an Irish coastline. Gradual cliffsides and distant islets interrupting the horizon wowed us both. During this trek, I realized that this was the first time I ever really went hiking with my mom. In fact, this was one of the first times in all of our amusing adventures that I actually remember her wanting to be in any photographs at all since she is not one to favor portraits of herself. Oh, the power and impact of travel and the natural world… bringing out the carefree, fun-loving kid in us all.
Deception Pass Bridge
Built in 1935 as a way to connect Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island, Deception Pass Bridge is renowned for its architecture as well as convenience in a time when sea vessels were the only means of connection between the islands. The bridge is free to visit and just a five-minute drive from Rosario Beach. Powerful wind gusts challenged my efforts crossing the pedestrian walkway, but I didn’t let that stop me. A superhero grip steadied my camera as I snapped photos of the captivating landscape unfolding before my very eyes.
Thirty minutes of bridge exploration wrapped up day two. To finish out the simple driving loop, we drove to Clinton, a town at the south end of Whidbey Island, rode the ferry for 20 minutes to Mukilteo, and arrived back at the mainland with just a quick 30-minute drive left to our hotel.
Day 3
Seattle - Part 2
Space Needle
We wanted to take it easy on our last day, stay fairly local, and fully enjoy the fruits of the Seattle area (literally - wine tasting information coming later). Of course, no Seattle journey is complete without stopping by the famous Space Needle. It's a simple tourist rite of passage to stand 520 feet above ground overlooking the stunning Seattle skyline on its newly renovated viewing platform. Though the new platform was still under construction during our visit, the views were just as breathtaking. My only real criticism of the experience involves the crowded souvenir store at the base of the tower, but what else would I have expected at one of the most popular attractions in the entire city? Thirty minutes to explore the needle was all we needed, and off we went next door to the Chihuly Glass Garden.
Chihuly Glass Garden
If you are someone interested in art, glass blowing, or just drawn to creative displays of immense talent, then this is the place to go. Dale Chihuly is a master craftsman and his glass sculptures were unlike anything I had ever seen. Vibrant colors, contorted designs, surreal configurations… I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. The Glass Garden contains both an indoor and outdoor portion, with the outdoor portion also providing tutorials on glassblowing and Q & A opportunities to seek out more information. Photos don't do this place justice, but I sure tried my best to capture its beauty.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery Tour and Tasting
Wine lovers rejoice! Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington State’s oldest winery, is just a 25-minute drive from Seattle and produces a variety of delicious, award-winning wines. The main facility, resembling a luxury, Craftsman-style country home, offers exclusive tours to learn about the history of the winery, the process of its production, and the many accolades it has earned throughout the years. During the various stops of the tour, wine samples were offered to reflect what we were learning about, which I thought was a very nice touch. Since February is not high season, a reservation wasn’t needed, and our tour group was pleasantly small, consisting of only my mother, myself, and two other gentlemen. Photography was not permitted during the tour; however, I was able to snap some shots of the decorative tasting room, the gorgeous exterior, and the scenic 105-acre grounds. Sipping on chilled Riesling, looking through photos from the past couple of days, and chatting with locals about the wine, the water, and all of Washington’s beauty was the absolute perfect way to conclude our epic three-day mother-daughter adventure.
All We Have to Decide
Reliving this entire experience and turning it into a narrative has been a profoundly reflective process. Referencing Tolkien earlier reminded me of words Gandalf expressed in Lord of the Rings, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." I try, as often as possible, to decide to live it to the fullest; to make memories with people I love, to experience the world and all its beauty, and to find strength and purpose in even the most difficult times. My mom and I have been through a lot together, but at the end of the day, I can say with absolute certainty that we decided to make the most of each of the 259,200 seconds in this journey.