Weekend with the padres - wining, dining and hiking, oh my!

In January, my parents decided to make one last visit to see us in the LA area (more on that 'last visit' soon!), and the only weekend that really worked out was President's Day, so we all quickly made arrangements for their visit this past weekend.  It was a bit of a whirlwind of a trip for them since they arrived Friday afternoon (4:30 - just in time for traffic!) and left early this morning.  We packed in quite a few activities and tried to ensure that they enjoyed this visit as much as possible.  

On Saturday, we drove up to Santa Barbara wine country.  It's a bit of a haul for a one-day visit, but we had a willing driver and a beautiful day to explore the countryside, so we took advantage of those factors.  We started out in the quaint little town of Los Olivos.  The first time we went wine tasting in the Santa Barbara area with my parents was probably 7 years ago, and at that time, it seemed that if you blinked, you'd miss Los Olivos.  That isn't the case anymore, and especially not on Valentine's day (we had sort of forgotten about that detail, but, apparently, wine tasting is a very popular activity on said "holiday").  Fortunately, we were early enough that when we stopped at our first tasting room, Byron, it was still low-key.  That was a fabulous first stop, and, since it wasn't too crowded, we were really able to take our time and enjoy the wine - which was excellent!  Byron specializes in Pinots, like a lot of Santa Barbara wineries, and they were all fantastic.  

Starting out our day

Making decisions - what to drink now?

Perhaps the best thing about Byron, after the wine, was the recommendation to eat lunch in Buellton at Industrial Eats.  It's super casual but the food is fantastic - and we definitely needed something to eat after the visit to Byron.  It's also conveniently located, right next to Alma Rosa, our next stop.  We had visited Alma Rosa with my parents a few years ago when it was in an old farmhouse, which I still prefer, and Michael and I (and Gus - it's a dog-friendly tasting room!) visited Alma Rosa back in October.  So, it's a bit of an old favorite for us, I suppose, and their wine is awfully good!

Some full belly happiness

After all of the eating and drinking and driving on Saturday, we opted for a more active day on Sunday - and set out for Mt. Lowe in the Angeles National Forest.  In the end, we did not summit Mt. Lowe but we did hike San Gabriel Peak!

Looking east

The start of the trail was through a wooded area which was nice and shaded, with lots of manzanita all around!  And then we hit a fire road which led us to this area that was once part of the Nike Ajax Missile Defense Plan (according to modernhiker.com).  Kind of crazy?!  Hikes in the western part of the Angeles are always so interesting - you feel like you are 'away from it all', and then you are suddenly reminded of the fact that Los Angeles is really right there.  

Fromt his platform, we then headed up to San Gabriel peak.  The final push wasn't technical, but it was steep.  

Ah, success!

We finished off the weekend at Angelini Osteria, another favorite from a previous visit, and we shared some excellent Italian food there.  It's always hard to choose because there are so many option, but I opted for a pasta with black truffles - and then they shaved more truffles on top.  It was kind of ridiculous!

Truffles!

Buonasera!

It was a fun-filled weekend with my parents, no doubt, and even though I'm an adult, they still spoil me.  I also feel lucky that we can still do things together, like go on a moderately strenuous hike, which is a wonderful way to spend time with them. 

Overcoming the post-Ironman sloth

Or motiving the post-Ironman sloth?  How to motivate this guy?  He actually looks pretty content being a sloth.

Source

Since we returned from our road trip at the beginning of August, I planned on using the time before school started wisely and productively.  I would get my shit ready for school AND I would try to rebuild some sort of fitness 'base'.  Today being the first of September, I have to report that I accomplished neither goal.  I should be ready for classes on Wednesday, so that is progress, and last Friday, as I struggled through a very slow and hot run, I decided that I was officially sick of sucking so much - at least at running.  I can tolerate my less-than-stellar physical prowess when it comes to biking and swimming, although yesterday was a major wake-up call in the pool (this is what happens when you take 2 months off from swimming: you get slow).

The lack of schedule has been a treat in some ways, and I was determined that I'd enjoy the freedom that it brought me.  I can't complain because I committed myself to a daily nap, more or less, and a few other activities - reading some excellent books, cooking a few new dishes en casa (we made this pad thai which wasn't like restaurant pad thai but was really good), watching movies rather than TV series, and attempting some form of strength training a few times throughout the month.  

I also realized that it had been over a year since I'd explored any trails around Los Angeles, except for those on which I run, so we took advantage of our mid-week freedom and went on two very different hikes.  The first one was on the west side, just north of Santa Monica, up to Parker Mesa.  We realized, at some point, that we had done this hike years ago but had taken a different approach.  This approach, recommended by ModernHiker.com, was actually much more pleasant because there is a lot of shade at the lower part of the trail which was great for both the ascent and the return.  

Here I am at the top - made it!  It was fun to look out on the coast.

The second hike, Mt. Baden-Powell, represented more of a challenge as the second-highest peak in the Angeles National Forest.  The trailhead is 50 miles east on Angeles Crest Highway, which gave it something of an "adventurous" feel.  While 50 miles isn't technically THAT far, when you're on a windy mountain road, it requires patience.  The bonus was that when we arrived at said trailhead, I couldn't believe that Los Angeles was so close - it felt as though we had truly "gotten away" from the city and even the hamlets in the foothills seemed quite distant.  Baden-Powell is no meandering path - as soon as you step onto the trail, it ascends for about 4 miles and 2800 feet, mainly via switchbacks (someone said that there are 41, but I didn't count).  It was a steady march up for us.  Again, we felt lucky that there was so much shade - the trees offered great cover until the very end, where we finally ascended above treeline and were rewarded with some great views.  

Great views at the top!

Jen, another teacher, accompanied us.  She hiked 110 miles of the John Muir Trail, so she's a badass.

One of the rare shots with Michael and me together!

It was really great to spend some time on the trails at the end of the summer.  With triathlon taking over my life a bit, especially this past year, we've limited our hiking adventures.  These two hikes served as a good reminder that there are so many places to explore or to return to (such as Mt. Baldy!).  

I rounded out the month by finally getting back on my bike this past week.  Not that I pushed myself too much, but it was a good way to be social and active.  Also, I challenged myself to not suck entirely - to try to pass a few people at the Wednesday brick night, and I was successful!

Photo courtesy of California Triathlon - This is the 'before' photo, clearly.  

Eventually, I'd like to return to something that resembles 'training', but I have zero desire to race for the next few months.  A part of me wonders if I should sign up for a race so that I have some sort of a goal to work towards, but I have yet to pull the trigger on that.  I've realized that I am not one of those people who constantly trains - I think I can sustain about 6-7 months of focused training, and then I need a major break for physical and mental reasons.  While "not sucking" serves to motivate me a bit, I would, one of these days, like to get back to the point that running is no longer a painful endeavor and that I'm feeling less sloth-like in the pool and on the bike.  It has been interesting to see how much my strength, speed and endurance have all taken a hit during my two-month-long training hiatus.  No doubt, the more I put off training, the more I'll suffer when I finally recommit.  

So, here's to that training thing.  We started off September on a positive note, getting up early-ish and riding PCH from Malibu north.  It wasn't a long ride by any means, but it felt good to be in the saddle and was the perfect way to end the summer!

On the road 2014 - Banff and the Calgary Stampede

Greetings from Boulder, CO!  It is HOT, HOT, HOT, but we are still enjoying our time in Colorado and, in general, visiting friends and family, seeing new places and returning to familiar and favorite haunts.  I admit that a part of me looked forward to a massive road trip as a way to avoid post-Ironman blues.  While the travels kept that particular malaise at bay for a while, I think that the "what is next" thoughts have started to creep in and unsettle me a bit.  More on that later...

For now, a quick recap of our travels between Coeur d'Alene and Boulder, which, I should add, have not followed any logical path from a geographical standpoint as we headed north to Canada and then back west to Seattle and Bellingham and then east again to Colorado.  If we were to retrace our steps on a map, it would look like a big tangled up ball of yarn.  Despite the lack of logic geographically, timing-wise it worked.

Our first post-IM stop was Banff, Canada where we spent 3 much-too-short days.  To be honest, Banff was never on my list of places that I *had* to visit, but now that I've been there, I can only hope that I'll return one of these days.  We spent our first full day there, July 1st (which was Canada Day) trying to recover from a long day of either racing or spectating followed up by a long day of driving.  It was nice to sleep in, relax, watch the World Cup, and sleep some more.  I finally felt hydrated enough to enjoy some champagne too!

I am no longer wearing that wristband, by the way!

I fully expected that I would come down with some sort of a cold or infection the week after the race, but I ended up being the only one of us who did NOT get sick.  With my parents not feeling great, Michael and I explored the Ice Fields Parkway on Wednesday.  It claims to be one of the most scenic drives in the world, and that might be true - the scenery was amazing - towering mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, alpine lakes, peaks and valleys that seemed to go on forever.  

Hanging out with Gus

One of the many amazing lakes we saw

Glaciers!

This makes me feel pretty insignificant in the world.

And on Thursday, with my parents well-rested and feeling a bit better, we explored Lake Louise, which is super touristy by the lake, but once you get on a trail and leave the hotel and the shops behind, it offers some good hiking and is well-worth it.  There are several good hiking options - a short stroll to an all-day excursion, but we wanted something in-between, so we opted for a hike up to Lake Agnes, where there is a tea house.  Again, this is a very popular hike, but even with a relatively late start time (around 9:00 am), we didn't find the trail too crowded.  

Lake Louise

On the trail to Lake Agnes

Exploring around Lake Agnes

We then drove some of the Icefields Parkway again, just so that my parents could take in the amazing views.

Lots of oohs and aahs.

Finally, on Friday, we packed up all of our stuff and headed to Calgary for the Calgary Stampede.  When we started to plan this trip, my mother mentioned the fact that she had always wanted to go to the Stampede.  Well, how could we not go, being so close and the dates working out?  So, we 'stampeded', which apparently is a verb in Calgary.  I knew almost nothing of the Stampede beforehand and had zero expectations.  All I knew was that it was a rodeo - the largest in North America.  There are tons of activities, most of which we missed, but the rodeo was well-worth the trip.  I have been to a rodeo before, and while it's not really my 'thing', this one was very entertaining.  While I'd love to return to Banff and explore more of that area, I'm not sure that I need to go back to the Stampede.  Still, it was a fun experience to share with my parents, and it closed out a week full of surprises and new experiences for all of us!

Active recovery in Colorado

Shew - we returned to CA late last Friday night, driving from Breckenridge to Pasadena in one long day.  It is always strange to cover so many miles and to feel that one's surroundings change so dramatically in what is a relatively short period of time, especially if you think about those settlers who made the trip in the 19th century.  Back in CA, our time in Colorado seems at least a month or two ago, but really just 10 days ago, we were able to take in dramatic, alpine views and huff and puff as we walked up a stair or two!

We spent plenty of time in Boulder glued to the TV, watching the final week of the Tour de France (old news now, I know, but while the race for first place in the GC category was a bit of a snooze fest, things were interesting for 2nd and 3rd!), and hanging out with friends and family, but we also stayed reasonable active.   I recovered somewhat quickly from Vineman, going for a a few runs and rides in Boulder, but a nice long hike appealed to both of us.  For whatever reason, we rarely do a major hike in Boulder - usually we spend time with the dogs as they sniff and explore the Chautauqua trails, but we both wanted a bit more of a challenge and also a change to our typical Boulder routine.  So, consulting our slim yet trusty Boulder hiking guide and weighing the opinion of Michael's brother, we chose Heart Lake as our destination.  Close enough to Boulder, we didn't have to wake up at an ungodly hour and were still able to hit the trail by 8:00 am.  It was a great hike and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a somewhat challenging and beautiful hike.  We started in the woods, following a stream until we hit a lower lake, and then the ascent kicked in at the very end, but the views were more than worth it!

Starting out the hike

Taking a quick break

Close to a lower lake

Breaking for lunch with a view of Rollins Pass

 Looking towards Heart Lake and beyond

After Boulder, we headed to Breckenridge to visit my side of the family - aunt, uncle, parents and even a sibling!  Breckenridge was a bit less on the "active" and more on the "recovery"side, in part because of the weather which hovered around 65 degrees high!  I think that one day it didn't even break 55!  We still managed to walk my aunt and uncle's dog on a regular basis and explored a few local trails with my parents and brother.  Our first hike, to Lower Crystal Lake proved somewhat frustrating because of the guidebook which was fairly inaccurate about the trailhead and mileage and small details such as those and much of it was on a rocky fire road rather than a true trail.  For a while, I wasn't sure if we were on the right trail at all, but we lucked out!  We did have to cross a stream or two which at times challenged our balancing skills.  Just like the Boulder hike, we were in the trees for the first part of the hike, but then the trail opened up and we walked through alpine meadows.  Normally, I don't go ga-ga over wildflowers, but they seemed particularly amazing this year!  We finally made it to Lower Crystal Lake, which was well worth the effort - great views of granite cliffs, dramatic skies, and even some wildlife in the form of a marmot and some pikas.

Stream crossing 

Alpine meadows

Finally at our destination!

Yes, we all gave my mom grief about her hat.  

The view as we returned to the trailhead

The second hike was close to Dillon and quite a different landscape - it felt drier and almost like a trail that we would have close to where we live, except for the mountains in the background.  It was also a shorter and easier trail which came as a bit of a relief, to be honest. 

Lake Dillon in the background

Still plenty of wildflowers!

The last time we were in Breckenridge with my parents, the four of us climbed a 14er.  We discussed it, and Mt. Quandary would have been the logical choice because of its proximity to my aunt and uncle's, but we opted for less rigorous challenges this time around.  As much as I enjoy tackling something like Mt. Lincoln, I've learned that I don't have to constantly push myself.  It's nice, at times, to meander along, even if it means that we don't reach the upper lake or "bag" a peak.*  

It also means that Mt. Quandary is still there for us to tackle next time, along with Upper Crystal Lake!

*A few people would probably roll their eyes if they heard me espousing the "It's about the journey, man" philosophy.  

Hiking La Jolla Canyon

So, back in February - a long time ago, or so it seems - Michael and I took advantage of a gorgeous Saturday and hiked La Jolla Canyon.  We had the added bonus of a long weekend, so it really felt like a getaway to head to the west side and enjoy the scenery!  La Jolla Canyon seemed a bit redundant, since I had just been on the same trails in November for the 30k trail race, but I wanted to actually enjoy and experience the trails, rather than focus on my footing and whether I could finish or not.  We, obviously, revised our hike and just did the La Jolla Canyon loop which was perfect for the day, especially since we'd had a late night and did not start out very early on Saturday morning.  

When we arrived, we parked on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) to avoid the parking fee.  There were tons of other cars parked along the highway, so we knew that we would hardly be alone on the trails.  Still, we quickly separated from a large group and found ourselves mainly alone, which was great.  Despite rains earlier in the week, the trail felt dry, and because of the sunny skies and warmer temperatures, it seemed like an early spring day.  We hiked up and up for a bit and then the trail evened out - I really had forgotten what a great trail it is, and maybe it wasn't so great running, but hiking - it is in great condition and is a nice loop that takes you back into the canyon.

Eventually we connected with the La Jolla Valley trail which gave our legs a break as we strolled along the valley and took in the view of a bunch of satellites on a hill in the distance.  I am always amazed when I go on a hike in the LA area - it seems that you'll be in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly something pops up that serves as a reminder that you're not far from an urban landscape.  The Angeles mountains, in particular, are full of such signs, although many of them are now in decay, demonstrating our failed attempt to 'tame' that rugged landscape. 

 A few early wildflowers.

On the return down - it suddenly seemed like the hike had been too short.  We did cut off part of it, partly because we realized that we'd hiked it before - back in 2010 when we hike Pt. Mugu.  Funny that it was a warmer day in February than we had back in July of that year.  

 On the hike, we enjoyed lots of crazy plants that looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book!

Before we ended our La Jolla Canyon experience, we walked across the highway and enjoyed the coast, watching a group of dolphins play for a bit.  I don't think I'll ever get tired of this coastline!

And that was our La Jolla Canyon hike!  I must say that I probably enjoyed the hike quite a bit more than the trail run - as I said before, it was nice to take it all in rather than focus on the push, push, push of a race, even if it is a slow race.  We don't get to the west side as often as we should, and this served as a good reminder to get out there!

Breckenridge - High altitude training

We arrived in Boulder yesterday after spending 4 pretty rockin' days in Breckenridge.  The visit there was a mix of vacation/relaxing, spending quality time with my aunt and uncle with whom we stayed, and training!  That was part of the plan when I signed up for the Boulder race - to arrive early and acclimate to the altitude.

We arrived last Saturday and did not immediately jump out of the car to go for a run, especially since it was more or less happy hour - wine, cheese and crackers, a daily ritual for my aunt and uncle.  However, starting early Sunday morning, we made an effort to be quite active at least once a day, often times twice.  The altitude definitely affected us throughout the week - each time that I thought that I had fully acclimated to the elevation, we had to walk up the steps of my aunt and uncle's house and found ourselves panting and dragging our bodies upstairs!  I hoped that spending time in Breckenridge would help me for next week's event (slight freak-out typing that) and I think that it will.  Last week was a pretty low-key week for a number of reasons, so it was nice to feel that I had a final week of "training" - and especially that I could fit in a good ride and some great runs at 10,000 feet!

The time in Breckenridge looked something like this, broken down by activity:
Running - Plenty of early morning runs, starting on day 1.  That first run, an "easy" out-and-back, left me huffing and puffing the whole time!  We also found some trails that challenged us, especially with the incline!  I soon grew accustomed to seeing a much slower pace than usual, but I tried to accept that, especially as my chest and legs felt like exploding on the uphill!  The only discouraging thing about running is that I felt just as tired on Thursday as I had on Sunday during our run.  So much for adjusting to the elevation!

Swimming - I have to thank my uncle for motivating me to swim.  Not that he is much of a swimmer, but he is committed to going to the Breckenridge Rec Center a few times a week for a workout, so I tagged along.  I was worried about swimming at altitude because I struggled so much last year.  Therefore,it relieved me that I was able to put in 2,00 yards a few times without feeling completely wiped out.  I also discovered that swimming in the long, competition pool for most of the summer has helped me!  The pool in Breckenridge is great but much shorter at only 25 yards!  Maybe I'll be ready to tackle 1.2 miles in just over a week?!

Biking - On Tuesday, we rode from Frisco up to Vail Pass and back.  We biked the same route last year and loved the experience, in part because it feels like a luxury to be on a bike path (although it can be frustrating because of all the families that are poking along - sorry to be an asshole!).  In comparison to last year, I think that we felt stronger and less winded on Tuesday when we finally arrived at the pass (10,662 feet!).  I had forgotten what a long haul uphill it is and that the "flats" on the way to the pass are not flats at all!  This definitely made the descent much quicker and tons of fun - we also enjoyed beautiful scenery and some speedy miles on the way back to Frisco.

Hiking - No "Fourteener" this year, but we squeezed in a hike to Mohawk Lake - there are two of them, but we just made it to the first one.  I was worried about returning to the house late for lunch, but I should have been thinking about the weather - as we stepped off the trail and on to the fire road, it started to rain and then HAIL and then rain again.  Funny, as we ran downhill to the car to get out of the rain and hail, I didn't even think about my lungs once!  We did not expect the storm at 11:00 am - definitely thought that we would be off the mountain by the time the typically afternoon showers hit.  So much for predictability.  I was happy that we were off the trail - parts of it were challenging while dry, so it would have been slow-going for us with the rain and hail.

As I think about hiking, one theme to which I seem to return time and again as I reflect on this training cycle - I do find that I miss other experiences because my focus is so narrow (swim, bike, run, swim, bike, run).  Perhaps this is just my own experience and other people doing tri's find a way to stay connected to other activities that they love, I'm not sure.  I'm thinking about hiking and how limited our hiking was this year.  Last year we 'bagged' a fourteener, and I would have loved to hike up another 14,000 foot peak, but we did not for two reasons.  First of all, I did not want to veer too far from my training schedule, as loose as it is, and secondly, I did not want to risk falling (I'm a klutz) or getting terrible blisters or just putting way too much stress on my body.  So, no fourteener for us this year, unfortunately.

Not that I'm feeling sorry for myself - being in the "High Country", as they call it here in Colorado, was amazing.  I logged in some decent mileage at a pretty high elevation, and even better, Michael and I enjoyed exploring areas around Breckenridge and had a great time with aunt and uncle.  Despite the lack of hiking, we balanced the stay in Breck between time with family, training and other activities, and some total rest and relaxation.  It was a great place to be for a few days!

And, on a final note - it does seem to have helped us acclimate!  Now that we are in Boulder, the breaths come with more ease, and I logged in 24 miles on the bike this morning at a relaxed pace.  Nothing too crazy, but I'll take it.

June - Pacific Northwest travels

As I mentioned previously, our two-week trip to Oregon, Washington and Vancouver gave us a chance to explore new places, revisit old favorites and spend lots of time with good friends.  Now, more details, with photos!
We left on the early side of Wednesday, June 13 and shot straight north, making excellent time along Interstate 5 and arriving in southern Oregon before dark.  That was easy to do since the days were so long!  We enjoyed watching the sun go down around Klamath Falls while sipping a beer:

The following day, we meandered to the coast, taking a detour to Crater Lake.  I had driven by the lake a few years ago but had not appreciated the splendor that the views offered.  It was a bit too snow-packed (mid-June!) to hit any of the trails, but we enjoyed playing a bit in the snow and couldn't believe how beautiful it was.  

See all the white stuff?  Snow!

After enjoying Crater Lake, we headed north and west - to the coast!  It took us most of the day as we winded along the Umpqua River.  We stopped at one point to check out the sand dunes that were just over a hill.  It was so strange - evergreen forest on all sides but then the dunes snuck up.  We parked and hiked up a sand hill and took in the dunes.  Crazy!  And, one interesting detail about the Oregon sand dunes - they apparently inspired Frank Herbert who wrote Dune. 

Finally, we arrived at our destination: Yachats, Oregon!  Or just south of there, where we stayed at a cabin right on a cliff that looked out west and northwest and gave us views of the coast.  It was amazing, until we wanted to go to sleep and it was light until far past my usual bedtime!  Before tucking in for the night, we explored the coast a bit, heading north to Newport, Oregon which has an awesome bridge!  I don't know if other people find bridges fascinating, but we saw lots of cool bridges on this trip.  

In Newport, we stopped by Rogue Brewery for a drink (or four - I had a taster).  The bar area was great because it looked out on Yaquina Bay and had a bit of a working-class feel with the fishing boats coming in and out of the bay.  I wish that I had enjoyed the beers a bit more - they were awfully strong and I didn't just *love* them like I do some beers.

Our lodging for the two days we spent in Yachats couldn't have been better.  Well, I suppose it depends on what people want in lodging, but we stayed at Ocean Haven, a quirky place that was right on the coast.  We stayed in the "Shag's Nest Cabin" which was a tiny place perched at the top of a hill overlooking the coast.  We fell asleep and woke up to the sound of the waves and windows that looked west - from one window, all we could see was the blue-green of the ocean - it made me feel as though we were on board a ship!  We could easily walk down to the beach:

Our day along the coast also took us inland a bit as we rode our bikes along Yaquina Bay, a great little ride, and followed that up with one of the best meals at a seafood place that I've had.  The restaurant, Local Ocean, was busy but relaxed.  We scored a spot at the bar, so we could watch people prepping the food, all of which looked amazing.  When the server carried a bowl of a seafood stew by us, we immediately agreed that we had to order it.  It did not disappoint - was full of clams, mussels, oysters, crab, scallops and fish.  That and the beer we quaffed made for a perfect lunch!

Saturday, we headed back east and up I-5 to Seattle where we stayed about 4 days with good friends.  They live in the very cool Phinney Ridge/Greenwood neighborhood, and we enjoyed having such a great home base.  We did play tourists in Seattle, but not quite to THIS extreme:

No, no duck tours, fortunately!  But Petra, my old roommate, did score us free passes to the Experience the Music Project.  I lived in Seattle for a brief 2 years and never went to this museum, and Petra's been there 15 or 20 years, and she visited the EMP for the first time too!  The visit - eh, it was okay, but I'm not sure that I would have paid for the experience.  

In addition to drinking lots of great coffee, exploring neighborhoods such as Ballard and Fremont, perusing food at Pike Place Market, drinking lots of local IPAs and eating amazing seafood, we were also active!  We went on two great runs - one to and around Greenlake, the other was a run with a friend which took us to Lake Washington.  Our last full day in Seattle was a gorgeous day (finally!), and we took advantage of the weather, hiking up Rattlesnake Ridge, a nice hike in the Central Cascade region.  

Afterwards, we drove through the town of Northbend, the setting of the 90's David Lynch series, Twin Peaks.  We are currently watching the series, having missed it when we were in college, so it was fun to see some of the places from the show.  We did not stop for pie at the local cafe, but we did recognize it!

Before leaving Seattle on Thursday, we drove west to Golden Gardens, a city park that is on the western side of the city, looking out to the Olympics.  That was a great place to say our good-bye to the Emerald City before heading north to Bellingham.