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October 19, 2012

A Fall Evening in Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth, Washington was our evening stop on our mini road trip last week. In the early 1960’s the town was transformed into a Bavarian-style village turning the then depressed community into a now thriving tourist and travel destination. All the businesses have embraced the Bavarian theme, even the Safeway grocery store you pass as you come into town has the characteristic lettering, almost preparing you for what’s ahead.

Sure the whole thing might seem cheesy to some, but we found it to be a little escape from the everyday. We also appreciated the compact size allowing us to do and see a lot without dragging Bergen all over creation, and in and out of the car. You can’t deny the beauty of the area either, and as my friend said, if you squint your eyes a little, you can pretend those North Cascade mountains you are looking at are actually the Alps!

Come along with us on our evening in Leavenworth!

Stop #1: Munchen Haus

709 Front Street

Stop #2: The Hat Shop

719 Front Street

Stop #3: Waterfront Park (Wenatchee River)

Stop #4: Andreas Keller Restaurant

829 Front Street

A little beer garden fun, getting silly with hats, taking in beautiful mountain scenery, and a traditional German meal with built in baby entertainment thanks to an accordion player: A Happy Family Adventure!

Have you visited a Bavarian-themed town outside of Germany? Share your experience!

More North Cascades Fun:

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

Now go visit RWeThereYetMom? and Delicious Baby for more travel fun!

Bavarian Village on Dwellable

October 17, 2012

Dining on the Road with Older Babies and Young Toddlers

We eat out while in town and close to home, but eating at restaurants becomes very necessary when we’re on the road. Part of the way we experience the culture and characteristics of a new place is through the food. The local eateries provide us with the tastes and flavors unique to the areas in which we are visiting.

Young tots are unpredictable, however we’ve found a few things that we can rely on to help us while eating out with Bergen. When we stick to these tips, we find that everyone has an enjoyable and relatively stress-free meal!

1. The Highchair. We make sure to strap Bergen in securely (as long as straps are available) to avoid a possible escape. Be wary of the highchairs that attach to the table. We thought it was pretty cool when a restaurant provided one a few months back. Boy were we disappointed. We didn’t realize how much Bergen moves in his seat until then. He had the table rocking and rolling with drinks splattering everywhere. It also didn’t help that we were seated at a long family style table making other diners a part of our Bergen earthquake. We were out of there fast.

2. Watch Out! We move utensils, plates, and glasses out of reach, and are careful of hanging table clothes. We are also on the ready when the server comes to set food or drinks on the table. Not all realize that our little monster is capable of grabbing, throwing, and breaking.

3. Order Up! Bergen has done wonders for my ordering speed. I can now scan the menu quickly and efficiently to figure out what I’d like to eat. If you know where you are going ahead of time, check out the restaurant’s menu before you arrive. If we need more time, we at least order something to start with that we all can enjoy.

4. BYO Finger Food. More and more, we can order items that Bergen can eat and likes to eat. We can also set aside portions from our entrees for him. While we wait for our food to come though, it’s essential for Bergen to have his own appetizers. We bring along cheese, puffs or cheerios, an avocado, and berries, just to name a few examples.

5. Sit Near the Action. We try our best to get seated by some built in entertainment. Some may call it being nosy, but Bergen loves watching other people. We think this is great because it takes some of the pressure to entertain off of us. We’ve been lucky enough to be where Bergen can watch and listen to an accordion player, a pizza dough thrower, and big open windows with friendly people walking by waving at him!

6. The Noisier, the Better! It’s just less stressful when the eatery is already noisy. Then we aren’t worried about Bergen disturbing other diners with his squeals and babbles.

7. Emergency Stash. It doesn’t hurt to have a few small toys and books on hand for when Bergen is finished eating. Cloth napkins work in a pinch though! Everyone loves an impromptu game of peek-a-boo, right?

8. Check the Sleep Meter. If Bergen is too close to his nap or bedtime, we don’t bother with eating out. It’s just not worth the trouble for anyone involved.

What are your tips for eating out with kids? We’d love you to share in the comments.

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

October 15, 2012

Celebrating Fall WITH Pumpkins at Fall City Farms

You might have heard about our trip to the farm last week that ended without pumpkins going home with us. The farm we visited didn’t have a patch, so we oped to venture to another farm on the Western side of the Cascades a couple of days later.

I decided to make this another “naptime roadtrip“, so while Bergen snoozed away in the backseat on the way to the farm, I enjoyed the fall colors that have popped up here in the Seattle area. I even extended the drive since we arrived earlier than expected, allowing me to take in more oranges, reds, and yellows lining the country roads, and for Bergen to get a little more rest.

Since we were visiting on a weekday, some of the bigger happenings, like concerts and hayrides, were not going on. However, that also meant we were some of the only folks around, which was just fine by me as it was just the two of us for this adventure.

First up was a visit with all the animals that call the farm home. This time we saw, turkeys, goats, and (especially vocal) cows. The turkeys were particularly curious of Bergen!

On to the main event, we went in search of three pumpkins. As you can see, this farm had the patch I was looking for with pumpkin after pumpkin in all stages of color nestled among brittle vines and leaves. Bergen is on his way to becoming a walker, but still chose crawling as his mode of transportation to explore.

We found our three pumpkins:

1. Perfectly round

2. Tall and crooked

3. Mini

Info to Know:

Fall City Farms
- 3636 Neal Road Fall City, WA 98024
- 425-222-4553
October 2012 hours:
- Wednesdays & Thursdays 12pm-6pm
- Fridays & Saturdays 10am-6pm
- Sundays 11am-5pm
Admission is free. Cash & Check only. Bring your own bags! Pumpkins are $0.50/pound.

What is your favorite type of pumpkin (color, size, shape)?

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

October 12, 2012

Peshastin Pinnacles State Park: Rattle and Hum

This week, Bergen and I went on a short hike at Peshastin Pinnacles State park near Leavenworth, Washington. Our hike veered away from the typical green filled excursions that we are used to in Western Washington, as the trail was mostly sand and not lined with trees, but thistle and dry grasses. The pinnacles that give the park it’s name are impressive rock formations that seem to jut randomly out of the ground making quite a spectacle.

Sandstone Spire

While we did hear the occasional chirp or caw from the birds hanging around, the overwhelming noise heard around the park was the hum of the airblast sprayer and tractor. Surrounding the park, you’ll see one of Washington’s most recognized claims to fame. Based on location of the park in North Central Washington, can you guess what you might see?

Apples!

As we reached the end of the easily navigated base trail, I heard some rustling coming from the corner ledge of a nearby rock formation. I was actually a little frightened, but my curiosity overcame the fear, and I did some investigating. I watched as a snake shimmied it’s way in a crack. Bergen could care less. He was actually mad. The pause in our hike was apparently ruining his time. I was able snap a few photos, but didn’t want to get too close. I wasn’t sure what kind of snake I was looking at, but figured I’d do some more research once I could take a look at the zoomed in photos.

As I turned the corner though heading back on the trail, the snake gave me no reason to speculate. We heard shaking and knocking sounds like Bergen had picked up his maraca and was waving it around. That thing we were looking at was a rattlesnake!

Seeing and hearing the rattlesnake did not put an end to our wildlife viewing though. As I took in the distance scenery, I also spotted a couple of mule deer frolicking along the hills.

Not bad for a 30 minute hike.

Info to Know:

Peshastin Pinnacles State Parkis located between the towns of Peshastin and Cashmere (off Highway 2), near the more well known Bavarian town of Leavenworth.
- 7201 N Dryden Rd, Cashmere, WA 98815
Cost: $10 for a day pass OR annual discover pass ($30)
No strollers. You’ll need a carrier for this one.

Come along with us on all our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

Now go visit RWeThereYetMom? and Delicious Baby for more travel fun!

October 10, 2012

Celebrating Fall (but no pumpkin) at Smallwood’s Harvest: Peshastin, WA

Yesterday we ventured about 2 hours East of Seattle to the North Central Cascades area. Slaed had work in the tiny town of Peshastin, so Bergen and I decided to join him and check out some of the sights. We were also in search of pumpkins. Keep in mind though, the area is more well known for a different popular fall item: apples.

For a good dose of quintessential fall, we stopped into Smallwood’s Harvest. Since we were visiting on Tuesday most of the games and attractions were not happening, but Bergen didn’t really seem to mind, and we had the place to ourselves. It was fun to imagine how crazy it must be on a typical Saturday.

First we spent some time exploring the Farm Park. We ran into a lot of cute creatures along the way. Some friendly, some not so pleasant. Can you guess who was naughty, and who was nice?

We also tried out some of the games, and pretended to ride the cow train.

Bergen got to play and romp around, so we thought it was only fair that we did some shopping in the mercantile. Lots of good looking fruits (so many different apple varieties to choose from) and vegetables were available along with all kinds of specialty foods, toys, and kitchen items. We picked up locally made sauerkraut, honey, and a birthday present for one of Bergen’s cousins.

Pumpkins. Yes, they had pumpkins too.

With so many perfectly nice pumpkins why didn’t we pick one up for our front porch? Well, I just couldn’t bring myself to buy one that wasn’t from an actual pumpkin patch! There is something about roaming through the mess of vines and leaves to find that one pumpkin that suites you. Not to worry though, there are plenty of options on our side of the Cascades, so we’ll be traveling a little closer to home to find one later on this week.

What have you done, or what are you planning to do, to celebrate fall?

Info to Know:

Smallwood’s Harvestis located in Peshastin, WA, which is about 4 miles Southeast of Leavenworth (along Highway 2)
- 10461 Stemm Road Peshastin, WA 98847
- 509-548-4196
Admission to the Farm Park is free, but some attractions cost a $1 or $2.
For full access to all the activities visit Friday through Monday 12pm-5pm.

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

October 8, 2012

Learning our Limits at Seattle’s Discovery Park

When an outing with your little one goes well, you feel like a rock star. You’re thinking, I know my kid, I planned everything perfectly, I did everything right. Even if maybe you didn’t put that much thought or planning into it at all. On the other hand, when an outing goes wrong or you have a few hiccups, you can feel like a complete failure. You’re thinking, I don’t know my kid, I didn’t plan anything right, what was I thinking?

We’ve had some less than rock star outings, where Bergen has been too tired, too hungry, or just too darn uncomfortable for things to go well. Sure we could have planned for a better outcome, but sometimes things just happen. Most importantly, we don’t let the “failures” stop us from leaving the house again because the more we do venture out, the more we learn about what’s best for our family.

This past weekend, our trip to Discovery Park in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle was a little bit of both. We did a lot of things right, and a few things wrong. We’ll start with some of our missteps so that we can end on a good note.

The Bad

Based on our starting time in the late afternoon, we hiked for too long. We could have stuck to the Loop Trail even with our addition of the South Beach Trail to the lighthouse, and been fine. We were over adventurous, and also added the Hidden Valley Trail. Too much.
Bergen never got a break. When we realized, he probably needed a chance to stretch and get out of the carrier, it was too late. There is in fact a playground at Discovery Park, and we should have incorporated a stop there into our hike.
Again because of our late afternoon start time, and too long of a hike, we were getting dangerously close to dinner time. Not a good thing for a growing boy whose number one pastime is eating.

West Point

West Point Lighthouse

On the Hidden Valley Trail: Where things got a bit dicey.

The Good

We did our best to provide ideal circumstances for the outing. We left for our hike right after Bergen’s nap (and snack, of course).
We had perfect hiking weather. I know we didn’t have anything to do with the weather, but at least we planned something to do! We had clear skies, and cool temperatures. Not too hot, not too cold.
Before we left the car in the parking lot, I stashed a fruit bar in the ergo, just in case. This little snack saved us as we scrambled through the forest when Bergen was more than finished with hiking.
At the last stretch, I moved the hood to my sweatshirt. Who knew this would ensue the biggest laughing fit in history? It must have looked like a puppet to Bergen because he was absolutely beside himself thinking my hood was the most hilarious thing in the world. I flung the drawstring of the hood back for him to gnaw on, and that was the icing on the cake. We made it back to the parking lot without anymore fusses or cries. You just never know.

North Beach with Shilshole Marina in the distance.

South Beach along the bluff.

Hiking down to the beach via the Loop Trail

We all have our ups and downs even if you don’t have a 13 month old little one along for the ride. Share a tip, unexpected (a hood) or not (a snack bar), that has saved you in the past!

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

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