This was our third trip to Lake Chelan this past year. Can you tell we like the place? Mostly we are attracted to the wine from the region, but the views are quite the draw too. Charlie and I booked the weekend as a Christmas gift for his mom and brother and we were ecstatic [...]

For Christmas this past year, my husband and I decided to give experiences instead of gifts. For his dad and his dad’s wife, who love boating and eating salmon, we bought tickets to the Tillicum Village Salmon Bake on Blake Island. We took the 45-minute trip aboard an Argosy Cruise vessel on a sunny Sunday [...]

Nowadays when I hear state fair, I think rickety rides, krusty pups (or pronto pups from my home state), and cheap souvenirs. Except for a few of the small family-run food stands, it can all feel quite commercial.
I have trouble finding my inner fair enthusiast. I don’t really want to buy anything, I’m not interested [...]

This past Saturday morning, I set my alarm clock for the same time that my weekday schedule requires, dragged my behind out of bed, and rolled into Stratejoy’s 101 Things To Do Before You Go workshop. I had signed up in advance so I was well aware of the need to wake up early on [...]

Over the long 4th of July weekend, my husband and I packed our Toyota Celica to the brim with a tent, air mattress, inflatable boat, sun shade, cooler, hatchet, and charcoal grill in search of some Eastern Washington heat and sun. We traveled over breathtaking Chinook Pass and landed just on the other side of [...]

I gave the following as a speech for a local community group. I was in awe at the passion it stirred and I am inspired to share it with you.
I recently read a book that has changed the entire way I think about wine. Passion on the Vine author, Sergio Esposito, grew up in Naples [...]

The Queen Anne Farmers Market, located at the corner of West Crockett Street and Queen Anne Ave N, is now open every Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00pm. To celebrate its opening day, Frantic Foodie organized a Seattle food bloggers event and invited us to meet her at the market at 6:00pm.
At 5 o’clock, I scrambled [...]

For some reason, road trips always seem to consist of Burger King drive-thrus and pre-packaged gas station garb. I let it happen… fast food is just way too easy when on the road. This past weekend Charlie and I took a whirlwind trip to the Midwest, first flying into Sioux Falls, South Dakota where one [...]

Wedged like a giant mountain between Bruce’s salt water taffy, ice cream from the Picnic Basket, and a growler of Bill’s blackberry beauty was a five-course, thought-provoking vintner dinner at EVOO The Cannon Beach Cooking School. A blend of new and old vacation traditions, this trip was significant. Charlie and I had reached our paper [...]

Getaway to Lake Chelan, wine tasting with wino friends, and the first official barbecue of the season; the weekend was as close to a ten as it could get. We had the trip planned for quite some time, but accommodations fell through at the last minute. I spent hours trying to find a replacement – [...]