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As a family travel advocate, most of our adventures happen with our wild and wonderful children.  From time to time though, we enjoy (and recommend) taking a break from full time caregiving for a bit!

I’m happy to report that my girlfriends and I just recently returned from our 3rd annual Mom’s Weekend.  We’ve been friends since our now 3.5 year olds were newborns, and treasure this special time to get away.  This year we traveled to La Conner, Washington for the 2nd time, renting an amazing home that worked out so perfectly last year, we decided to return.  La Conner is about 60 miles north of Seattle, located in Skagit Valley, well known for it’s Tulip Festival each spring.

This year, like last year, we enjoyed homemade pizza our first evening in town, and just savored the time to catch up and laugh together, swapping stories, book recommendations, and chatting about the latest shows we are all into.

The next morning after a leisurely breakfast, we headed out to nearby Fragrance Lake.  It makes me so happy that my friends also enjoy hiking! It isn’t often that I get the chance to trek without kids, so while some might not associate hiking with relaxation, it was completely refreshing for me.  Along the way, we even plotted tackling a multi-sport relay race with our husbands next year.

Fragrance Lake is located in Larrabee State Park off of Chuckanut Drive (just south of Bellingham), one of Western Washington’s most beautiful scenic byways.  There’s some steep climbing right from the start, but we were rewarded with gorgeous views of Samish Bay and the surrounding San Juan Islands after just a mile or so of effort.

Continuing on with the 5.5 mile round trip hike, we made our way to the lake.  Circling the water, we found a sweet spot to rest and refuel.  Even with frequent passersby and folks across the way (it’s a popular hike) swimming, floating, and boating, it felt peaceful and private.

Though we were tempted to stop and explore one of my favorite Washington State small towns (and I mean small), Edison, Washington, we instead opted for more down time and a late lunch at our rental house. With our left over pizza and smorgasbord of cheese, olives, nuts, and cured meat, we pieced together a delicously snacky meal.

The real star though was our refreshing beverage pairing.  In anticipation of our weekend away, I picked up Canada Dry Ginger Ale + Lemonade™ from our local Walmart store.  My friends and I loved the combination of real ginger and real juice.   With just the right amount of bubbles, it made for a crisp, thirst-quenching post-hike drink!

 

We took it easy the rest of the afternoon, relaxing on the patio, playing a little bocce ball, sharing photos, and of course, making more plans! What hikes or adventures do you have on your list for this summer? Definitely put Canada Dry Ginger Ale + Lemonade (available at Walmart) on your grocery lists.  It’s the perfect post-adventure refreshment!  You can find more fun relaxation ideas on the Canada Dry YouTube Channel!

Quick Tips for a Relaxing Getaway

• Plan Ahead

Have a rough itinerary of restaurant recommendations, activities, parks, and museums in mind.  Just having a handful of options reduces scrambling and the stress of not knowing what to do, where to go, and how to get there!

• Share the Load

Whether you’re traveling with girlfriends or your family, try not to have all the packing, planning, and coordination on one person.  For this trip, each of us was in charge of different food items (breakfast, snacks, dinner, drinks, etc), and we figured that out ahead of time.

• Balance

Plan to get out and explore your destination, but also create space for down time and RELAXING!

• Get Active

Relaxation just comes naturally after spending time doing something that physically moves your body.  Hike, bike ride, swim, or even go for a run, and then…take a break!

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Stay tuned for our Mini La Conner Travel Guide, but in meantime, you can read more in this Nap Time Adventure to La Conner.