Holiday Time -- Molbak's Nursery at Christmas -- Woodinville, WA

    Molbak's Nursery in Woodinville was not the first place we thought of when we were looking for a holiday-related adventure this December. My husband's mother, who is a garden designer, was the one who suggested we make the trip to the nursery this year to fill ourselves with some good-ol' Christmas spirit http://www.molbaks.com/.
    For many years we thought that Molbak's was a place that only garden enthusiasts could truly enjoy. But our preconceived notions were put to shame when we arrived and walked into their winter-time paradise at the nursery.

Molbak's has stunning displays of holiday colors, plants, and decorations

    For those who haven't been before, Molbak's is huge--they've connected dozens of greenhouses together to create a warm environment with flowers and plants of all varieties. Their holiday arrangements are fantastic--we couldn't stop snapping pictures next to all of the snowmen, poinsettias, and elaborately decorated Christmas trees.

 The jolly snowman wishing everyone Happy Holidays, with vibrant colored plants all around him

    One of Molbak's traditions for the last 40 years has been to serve free Danish Kringle that's from Larsen's Dansish Bakery in Ballard http://www.larsensbakery.com/ and coffee to all their customers. Yes, we really do like free things. The best part is...this Danish Kringle is the most amazing pastry either of us had ever tasted! They'll be serving the Kringle and coffee from 11am to 3pm every day until Dec. 23rd.

 Danish Kringle--the most incredible pastry we've ever had (get a box for $13)

    You can also buy your Christmas tree at the nursery. They have lots to choose from. If you get inspired you can even create a display that looks something like this at your house...

 Another beautiful holiday scene at Molbak's

    There were more free samples--this time of Ice Apples. Ice Apples are harvested after the first frost to give them an even juicier and sweeter taste. These are Fuji apples that are left on the trees until late October and harvested in Wenachee, WA.

 Samples, samples, we love free samples

    The nursery has an extensive gift shop, full of lots of holiday items. We've always been enchanted by the miniature Christmas villages. This one had the set up of the town from "A Christmas Story", thus the leg lamp in the background.

 "A Christmas Story" village--Molbak's had an extensive collection

    Molbak's is a very kid friendly and dog friendly store, other than dogs aren't allowed in the in-store cafe. It seemed as though everyone was enjoying their time there. 

    Take note that Molbak's has lots of events that happen at this time of year. Many are free or are less than $10 per person for admission http://www.molbaks.com/events.html. 

    What caught us most by surprise was to find a plethora of tropical plants at the nursery. Banana plants, hibiscus flowers, orchids...we have family that lives in Hawaii so it made us feel a little like we were back in a tropical place for a few seconds to walk through this section of the store. It was fun to mix the tropical feeling with the Christmas-time experience. Thank you Molbak's for having variety.

A hibiscus plant--just one of the many tropical plants at Molbak's

Things To Know:

• Definitely a fun place to come, walk around, and take some good holiday pictures
• They have free Danish Kringle and coffee served from 11am to 3pm everyday until the 23rd of December
• Bring your camera and get your picture taken with Santa from 11am to 3pm on weekends
• Molbak's is a dog-friendly business
• You can get your dose of paradise by walking through their tropical plant section
• There is a cafe with lots of seating
• You can find lots of holiday gifts at the gift shop
• Learn more at http://www.molbaks.com/

Love those winter-time scenes!

Happy Holidays to one and all!
Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Hiking -- Mt. Pilchuck -- Snoqualmie National Forest

    Back in third grade, a friend told me that she had climbed to the top of Mount Pilchuck. At first I thought she was joking because I hadn't grown up going on any hikes that were longer than a really good walk--I didn't even realize that you could hike to the top of a mountain. While driving north one day with my parents, I remember asking them which mountain was Mount Pilchuck. They pointed out a mountain in the Cascade chain--that's when I really didn't believe my friend.
    My husband and I have continued to eye Mount Pilchuck over the years. Finally we made the decision to hike it after some coaxing from one of our good friends.

    The mountain itself is beautiful: tall, with a prominent peak, and rounded slopes--it looks a young child's  drawing of a mountain. There's typically some amount of snow on top. According to the ranger we chatted with before our hike, there's snow on the mountain almost every month of the year except late July, August, and the early part of September (if you're lucky). The bottom line is, if you're planning to hike the mountain, be prepared. You'll be going to the mountain's top, which is 5324 feet above sea level with snow, so good waterproof hiking boots are a must.

The forest on Mount Pilchuck covered in snow with views of the Cascade Mountain Range in the background

    You'll find the hike off of the Mountain Loop Highway just past the little town of Robe, WA. The road up to the trail is twisty, mostly gravel and climbs quite a bit in elevation as you go. You'll get a few pocket views through the trees on your way up, but the awesome panoramas won't start until you're on the trail.
    We hiked in early November and the trailhead was already a bit icy and snowy. On the trail, you'll start off by walking through the forest, jumping over streams, and climbing up hills and dirt stairs. It doesn't take long before the views begin. When you're able to look out and see Everett in the distance, you'll realize just how high up you've already come.
    Then, you'll step into Winter Wonderland--truly. The snow will probably be completely covering the trail, the trees, and the rocks. It's like walking into Christmas. We kept climbing and found a good portion of the hike where you follow the trail over boulders. If you have a dog with you like we did, make sure their paws don't slip down between the cracks, one of our biggest concerns. Turned out our chocolate lab did just great navigating his own way.

It was a sunny day when we hiked--here you can see one of the steepest parts of the trail

    Next, you'll round the side of the mountain and be greeted with views of the Cascade Mountains to the north. Peaks and valleys, snow and trees, we hadn't ever seen vistas like these. As you go higher, the snow will keep getting deeper. Watch your step because there are portions of the trail that are right next to the cliff and many spots that are quite slippery. A little past the halfway point we could hardly keep up a good pace because the scenery was so amazing. We wanted to stop awhile and take it all in, but it was pretty chilly, so we kept going.

Views looking toward Puget Sound, the islands, and Everett

    (For easier hiking bring a dog with you: we found that our lab literally pulled us up the mountain. It's nice to have a built-in escalator system for inclines like this.)

Yup, that's the trail--make sure you are well prepared for the steep inclines before hiking Mount Pilchuck

    When you reach the top, the panorama is jaw dropping. You'll feel like you must be in an airplane because you'll have a view of Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, Seattle, and the top of Mount Baker. But, oddly enough, you'll realize, you're still on the ground. It's an unearthly sensation.
    If it isn't too slippery, scramble up the boulders and ladder to the lookout tower. You can actually climb down into the building. We were hoping there might be a restaurant or Starbucks in there, but there wasn't.

 The white look-out tower beyond the trees at the top of Mount Pilchuck--it's cold up there, but the views are worth it

    There are two trails at the top, that goes one to the lookout tower and one to the top of another rock. We took them both to see as much as possible. We felt as though we were at the top of Dr. Suess' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" mountain with sheer cliffs on all sides of us and giant jaggedy rocks on all sides of the Mount Pilchuck's peak.

The Dr. Seuss mountain peak in the background, lichen growing on the rock on the left, and Cascade views in the background

    We had imagined there being a good place at the top to eat our lunch. The look-out tower is probably your best bet because frankly, with all the snow, there aren't many places to sit down. 

    One of our favorite parts of reaching the top of the mountain, looking out and seeing seven eagles flying at the same elevation as we were standing. It's the closest we've ever come to getting a bird's-eye view. Probably one of the best moments of our lives.

    We had a lot of fun--carefully--sliding back down the steep mountain in the snow. We all fell several times but mostly on the snow powder. Do be careful, watch your footing, and stop to enjoy the views on the way back down.

This artful slice of the cliff landed here, who knows when

Things To Know:

• The round-trip hike to the peak of Mount Pilchuck and back is 5.4 miles
• The elevation gain is 2200 feet
• Make sure you are prepared for this hike before you attempt it: waterproof hiking boots, enough layers, food, water and plenty of daylight
• It's a good idea to chat with the ranger at the Ranger Station that's on the way to the turn-off to the hike
• You'll need a Northwest Forest Pass to park at the trailhead (this is different than the Discover Pass) you can buy it at the Ranger Station
• Dogs are allowed on leash
• This is not a hike to go on if it's snowing, raining, or if the conditions are at all chancy
• For current conditions on the trail visit: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-pilchuck

Our chocolate lab enjoying the hike--as soon as we reached the bottom it was as if he was saying "Are you ready to do it again?!"

This is a phenomenal trail to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Wineries & Tasting Rooms -- Desmodus Vena Winery -- Woodinville, WA

Woodinville Wines -- Desmodus Vena 

    If you haven’t heard, wine is a big deal in Woodinville.  Maybe there are some natural spirits floating down the Sammamish River that have drawn more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms to set up shop in Woodinville, Washington.  At any rate, all these wineries share the same passion for crafting superb wine. 

    In our first wine article we will be covering a small family grown winery founded by two friends, Michael and Pasha, the Desmodus Vena Winery www.desmodusvena.com.  We've known Michael for many years after taking classes at the University of Washington together.  He and Pasha have been making wine since 2004, and boy, do they work hard to bring you the best possible product. They run a small "home-grown" operation in the cellar of Micheal's family's house.  You can reserve a bottle of their finest here.

Grape Crushing
    Michael and Pasha invited us to join them for their annual fall grape crushing event and lend a hand in the first steps of wine the making process.  For anyone who hasn't done any grape crushing before, we aren't talking the take your shoes off and start stomping kind of grape crushing--there are much more efficient and cleaner ways of going about the it these days (thankfully)...

Sorting good grapes from bad ones so the best can be crushed for wine

    All of the grapes that are used in their wines come from Riverbend Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope along the Columbia River in Washington State.  After the grapes arrived we hand sorted them to remove dead grapes and leafy debris from grape bunches, leaving only the juiciest ones.
    Once grapes were sorted we delivered them by the bucketful to the stem removal and crushing machine where the grapes became a juicy mash.  This is where the wine crafters took over.

The grape crushing event happened over Halloween weekend, so Micheal is running the grape crushing machine while styling part of his vampire costume

How to Make Wine

    Next, the newly created grape mash was added to one of several fermentation tubs where it was mixed with fermentation additives and kept at specific temperatures throughout the fermentation process.

Big tubs of crushed grapes getting mixed before being allowed to ferment 

    After the initial fermentation process the wine is then syphoned out into smaller 5-gallon carboy containers where the next fermentation process can be closely monitored. 

Grape juice being fermenting in the cellar (Photo courtesy of Desmodus Vena)

    When the time comes, Michael and Pasha employ all their trade secrets and let the wine age to perfection so they can bottle their finished product.

Michael and Pasha bringing you another year's worth of amazing wine (Photo courtesy of Desmodus Vena)

We'll Be Back

    We had an incredible time participating in the future of Desmodus Vena. We ate great food, enjoyed wonderful company, and tasted their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon--which was fabulous. We are excited to come back next year to crush more grapes, and you can too.  This is a low-key and fun event. One of the guests remarked while we were there, "There aren't many things like this these days that bring people together over a harvest-time tradition. I like that wine is still one of those things."

Desmodus Vena truly knows how to make wonderful wine (Photo courtesy of Desmodus Vena)

Things To Know

• To learn more about Desmodus Vena or subscribe to their wine club email: info@desmodusvena.com
• Once part of their wine club you will get all the updates on exciting events like their grape crushing event
• Desmodus Vena is a small home-grown company that strives for excellence. 

To reserve a bottle visit: http://desmodusvena.com

There's nothing quite like GOOD wine!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Sports -- School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts -- Georgetown Seattle, WA

What Is SANCA

    Are you looking to try something completely different? Trying to find a place to get some exercise, have some fun, and learn new skills at the same time? Well, we think we may have found what you've been the place--SANCA--it's The School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts, and we've never seen anything  like it in the Seattle area before http://www.sancaseattle.org/. SANCA is a gym for people to come once or visit for years to learn about the flying trapeze, juggling, walking the tightrope, unicycling, climbing fabrics--pretty much if you can imagine it, you can figure out a way to do it at SANCA.  

Our Arrival--The Flying Trapeze

    We took I-5 to the Georgetown exit to get to SANCA in South Seattle. If you haven't been to Georgetown, it's an industrial area mostly made up of office buildings and warehouses. We followed our directions and after several turns found a giant white tent that read, "SANCA" on the side. We had arrived-- well almost. We headed into the white tent and discovered one big open space where people were practicing the flying trapeze. Students would climb up a 25 foot ladder onto a small platform, grab hold of a suspended bar and take off into the air. The student would then transfer from their bar to another person swinging on a trapeze across from them. When all was said and done, they'd let go, fall, and the net below them would gently cradle their landing.

The red dot in the picture is a woman on the flying trapeze around 25 ft in the air--she will flip and then fall into the net below

What They're All About

   "Wow, what an intro to SANCA," we said to each other. We'd been so captivated by the trapeze that we'd forgotten to let anyone know that we had arrived. That's when we learned that this was not main building of SANCA; so we made our way to the gym very close to the tent where we found a small shop, offices, and lockers for people's gear.

    This is where we met Jo, the founder of SANCA. She told us that she started taking an adult gymnast class about 10 years ago and she learned the incredible ways she could stay in shape mentally and physically through the circus arts. That's when the Seattle Acrobatic and New Circus Arts was born. SANCA is run as a non-profit organization and they work with people of all ages, skills, and abilities. They encourage families to attend classes together and they've even worked with people who are blind, with paraplegics, and with people who have autism. Basically, if you want to take part, SANCA will help make it happen. 

    Jo is a nurse practitioner by background and is very dedicated to helping youth all the way to adults stay healthy in fun and enjoyable ways. To give you and idea of SANCA's size, they have nearly 750 students participate in classes every week, and an additional 250 people come for one-time classes like the Flying Trapeze class or the Join the Circus for the Day class each week. A few students will go on to join larger circuses, such as the Montreal National Circus http://www.nationalcircusschool.ca/en/home, but most people who attend classes do it as a hobby, sport, or for exercise.

The SANCA store in the main office of the gym; just a glimpse of what's to come

The SANCAthon

    The day that we were visiting, they were putting on their annual SANCAthon fundraising event to raise money for their youth scholarship fund. The money helps youth from low-income families attend classes at SANCA. These youth have the opportunity to stay in shape, create and reach goals, and learn skills such as patience, persistence, and teamwork. These abilities can be applied to dozens of spheres throughout their lives and help them grow in many ways.   

    To raise money for the SANCAthon, organizations, such as Children's Hospital, pledge a certain amount of money if the instructors and students of SANCA complete different challenges. One challenge was to perform a marathon's worth of cartwheels--that's 26 miles and 385 yards. Another was to have people climb their 20 foot tall rope the number of feet it would take to get to the top of Mt. Rainier--that's 14, 411 ft. Another challenge was having people do 50 catches of one another on the flying trapeze within two hours.  All of these challenges were so captivating to watch.

Find Your Kind of Fun

    We were impressed walking around SANCA to see all the different activities that go on there. Maybe you can find a couple here that suit your fancy too:

    At SANCA you could climb a rope, juggle, be creative with the fabrics, stand on a globe ball (see the image below), hula hoop, do flips on the trampoline, walk the tightrope...

Just look all the activities you can do at SANCA--we loved how lively it was in the gym

    ...or you could walk the tight-rope with a hula hoop, do cartwheels, swing on the suspended swing, try out the balance-beam, learn to spin plates, unicycle...

A woman testing her tight-rope abilities by hula hooping on the rope as she walks

    ...climb onto your partner's shoulders, and do a handstand off of his hands...there's so much more, but the list would become too long if we kept going. The best part is, you don't have to have superpowers to do any of it. Jo made it clear to us that you just need the willingness to try and to keep trying.

Jo and her partner, Chuck, demonstrating the mid-air handstand 

   When we asked Jo, what this novel experience--at least to newcomers--is like for her week after week she replied, "It feels more like a privilege to get to help people. We have a lot of fun."

What This Means For You

    There are many ways to try out SANCA http://www.sancaseattle.org/. Here are a few:

• Try out their Join the Circus for a Day class to see if this is something that grabs your attention 
• If you're looking for an adrenaline rush the Flying Trapeze class is for you
• To get more involved and become a regular at SANCA, sign up for one of their on-going classes--their instructors are phenomenal
• If you are looking for a gym for your kids to take classes, this is the place for you--it's affordable and there are dozens of possibilities 

Things To Know:

• SANCA is in the Georgetown industrial district of South Seattle
• SANCA is for people of all ages and abilities; they are happy to work with people who have special needs
• Their classes are a great work-out and highly affordable
• They offer scholarships/work-study for youth as well as adults
• You are bound to learn many new skills at the Seattle School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts and have fun learning them

Choose your circus event and get started having fun

What a great way to stay in shape, rain or shine!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Guest Blogger: Diver Dan -- Keystone Underwater Park -- Whidbey Island

About Diver Dan

    Hello everyone and welcome to the first installment of Diver Dan’s “Diving Around the Sound” articles. First of all, I’ll tell you a little about myself and how I became such an avid diver. Being from Florida, I grew up fishing, surfing, boating, basically doing anything on the water. For years I spent the weekends offshore fishing Jacksonville and I always wondered what the ocean looked like a hundred feet below me. I was curious as to what kind of creatures and wonders lay beneath my feet.

    When I was fourteen, I convinced my father to get SCUBA certified with me. Since then, I have logged over 500 dives in places like the Florida Keys, various Florida freshwater springs, Newfoundland, the Great Lakes, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Cay Sal Bank, the Gulf of Mexico, and now Puget Sound. I cannot say which dive site is my favorite as all are unique and have totally different things to see. One thing is for certain, what we have here in Puget Sound is a real treasure and I implore anyone with an adventurous spirit to get into diving.

Diver Dan getting ready to go for a dive in Puget Sound

Diving Keystone Underwater Park

    My first post will focus on a dive site just a short drive from the Seattle Metro area on Whidbey Island called Keystone Underwater Park. Keystone Underwater Park consists of two main dive areas. One area is the old wharf and the other is the rock jetty and both are easily accessible from the shore. This is another wonderful thing about diving Puget Sound; a boat is not necessary! Just pull your car up within 25 feet of shore, put your dive gear on, and jump in.

Welcome to the wild aquarium of Puget Sound, where sea stars and sea anemones await

 What to Expect   

    To start the dive, begin at the old wharf and make your way over to the jetty. The pier maxes out at a depth of 25 feet so it is shallow and inviting to divers of all skill levels. When diving the pier, you can casually float through the pilings and examine all of the different critters that have made the old pilings their home. Various species of crab, barnacles, soft corals, and anemones call the old wharf their home. At the end of the wharf on the deeper side, schooling rockfish can be seen among the bull kelp in the summer. When they are present, I love to lie on my back and observe the rockfish with the sun shining through the water, something you may want to try.

    Once you have fully explored the old wharf, there is a rope that will lead you from the southwest corner of the wharf all the way to the jetty. The swim takes about five minutes to get to the jetty so keep a look out for sculpins and flounder that try to camouflage themselves in the sea bottom. The jetty can get to a max depth of 55 feet so it is a bit more advanced than the wharf.

 A giant Lingcod in action--these guys can get to be up to 5 or 6 ft in length

Check out the Creatures

    The rock jetty is a perfect place to see behemoth Lingcod and one of Puget Sound’s most sought after critters, the Giant Pacific Octopus. Be sure to take your time and examine every nook and cranny of the jetty for these amazing creatures. If you come face to face with an ugly grey, elongated fish looking thing, don’t be alarmed, you’ve just come across a Wolf Eel! Wolf Eels may be ugly and menacing looking, but they are gentle (not if you’re a mussel however) and are very photogenic.

 Sea stars come in all shapes and sizes--this one is particularly large!

    As you make your way along the jetty it’s probably time to go back to shore as you’re probably running low on air. On your way back, swim further away from the jetty and marvel at the different colors of anemones, sea stars, and soft corals. When you get back to shore, there is a hot shower in the bathrooms located just a short walk away. This is especially nice if you dive in a wetsuit. 

Things To Know:

• Keystone Park is a state park so you should have a Discover Pass, available for purchase online. 
• Be aware that there is no diving after dusk without a permit so plan ahead if you want to do a night dive.
• You can get to Keystone Underwater Park by either going through Anacortes and over, the very scenic, Deception Pass or the more direct route by taking the ferry from Mukilteo over to Whidbey Island.

Is SCUBA for You?

    If you are not SCUBA certified and would like to learn more, there are many local dive shops around the Seattle area that offer beginning SCUBA classes. Because I dive around the Mukilteo area a lot, I like to use Evergreen Dive Service http://everdive.com/. Chad, the owner, is very knowledgeable and can point you in the right direction. Not sold yet on this diving thing? Consider attending the next monthly meeting of the Moss Bay Dive Club in Kirkland. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Wilde Rover Pub in Kirkland and we would love to have you join us. http://www.meetup.com/MossBayDiveClub/

A fish hiding behind his piece of algae, attempting to blend in 

    Well folks, this concludes the first article of Diver Dan’s “Diving Around the Sound”. If you have any questions, comment below and I will be happy to answer! 

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Hiking -- Cougar Mountain -- Issaquah, WA

    Cougar Mountain is, in our minds, one of the best examples of a place where the city and the wilderness come together to create a stunning hike-able area without needing to drive hours to get there. In fact, after passing I-405 on I-90 you only drive 3 additional miles to you reach the exit for the Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead, which is the trailhead we visited most recently. There are three other trail access points that you'll find on the King County Parks website that all connect with each other if you're willing to hike long enough and far enough to get there.

    From the base, Cougar Mountain looks like a big forested hill. It's not until you start to climb it in your car that you realize just how big it is. On your way up to the Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead, you'll pass by residential neighborhoods, an elementary school, and perhaps begin to wonder how on earth this is going to turn into 3100 acres of wilderness. Just keep driving, you're about to find out. Right before you reach the beginning of the park you'll be greeted with amazing views of Lake Sammamish and realize how far up you've come. The trail you're headed to is 1430 ft above sea-level, making this seem more and more like a real mountain all the time.

Beautiful views of Lake Sammamish await you on your drive up Cougar Mountain

    When you arrive at the trailhead, you'll see the ranger office off to the right, trees, trails, a hitching post for your horse, as well as a large field to the northwest with picnic tables. We decided to go down the Tibbetts Marsh Trail. We recently adopted a chocolate lab, so we were super tuned-in to the fact that the trails on Cougar Mountain are indeed dog-friendly. We traversed the trail, down a hill and across a couple of log bridges. We felt completely safe because the bridges were wide enough and had hand-rails, so no worries there. You'll find that Cougar Mountain is a place that's really well marked due to all the trails you can take throughout the park. There are maps available when you get to the park, but you can look at one online too. We decided to make our way the the clay pit mining area that was in operation over 70 years ago. 

    Our new dog, on his first hike with us at Cougar Mountain--he did great!

    After a little more than a mile you'll reach the big clay pit which we think is very cool. You'll find pieces of sandstone all over the area here. The sandstone is lovely with different colored stripes throughout it, but when you go to pick up a piece of it and it'll crumble in your hands--one of nature's phenomena. You'll also find great views of the mountains from here on clear days. 

The view from the end of the Clay Pit Road--mountains and sandstone await

    There's even a little pond in the clay pit, but be aware that if you decide to approach it'll probably be pretty mushy around the water's edge because it doesn't drain well through the clay. 

    It's difficult to express just how many trail options you have on Cougar Mountain. On our way back we chose to take Cougar Pass Trail to Anti-Aircraft Ridge Trail for some different scenes. For the record, Anti-Aircraft Ridge Trail is a lot more level than than the Tibbetts Marsh Trail. We were back to our car before we knew it.

 Here you can see just how carved out the clay pit is in the background

    We thought the natural side of Cougar Mountain was spectacular. Because there are so many trails, you can't see it all in one day, so we're looking forward to going back and exploring more of the mountain.

Things To Know:

• Cougar Mountain Park is over 3100 acres
• There are TONS of trails to explore
• The trails are dog-friendly and many allow horseback riding, but no biking is allowed
• You can find a map to the park online on at the trailhead
• There are four trailheads to choose from on Cougar Mountain

Directions:

•    To get to the Anti-Aircraft Peak Trailhead take I-90 East
•    Exit at Exit 13 onto Lakemont Blvd. SE for 2.5 miles
•    Turn left onto Cougar Mountain Way
•    Continue past the housing developments
•    Turn right onto SE Cougar Mountain Drive immediately after passing the elementary school
•    Continue up the steep road until you reach the end
•    Here you'll find the trailhead

A colorful swirling stump we found on the trails with little orange mushrooms growing on it

You don't always have to travel far to reach the wilderness!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Free Bikes -- Marymoor Park -- Redmond, WA

Marymoor Park

    Do you ever wish you could just hop on a bike and cruise the town? You know, like you see in touristy pictures from Europe--people biking without any particular goal in mind as they peddle, breathing in the fresh air, and living life at a different pace for a change. Well it's not Europe, and it's not as far away either, but Marymoor Park in Redmond lets you do just that. 

    If you've been to the Marymoor before, you know how expansive the park is with 640 acres of recreational activities. They've got rugby, soccer and football fields, playgrounds, a stage for concerts...this blog post will cover only a few of the many of things to do at Marymoor Park by bike.

Details on the Bike Program

    The Marymoor Bike Program is sponsored by Dasani Water, and essentially lets you borrow one of the park's 20 or so bikes to ride around the grounds, on the trail, or cruise through town.

    We first discovered the bike program about a year ago while looking for something new to do one weekend that was still within our budget (preferably free.) We found it by looking through the parks on the King County website. Little did we know we had just stumbled across a jackpot of fun. Because of these bikes we've gotten to explore so much around Lake Sammamish that we wouldn't have otherwise seen.

The bikes we borrowed at Marymoor Park through their bike program; we're all set to go after taking them out of the Dasani sponsered lockers

The Logistics

    To have access to the bikes, all you have to do is fill out a form, take it to the park office, and bring a helmet to use. (Find that form here.) Then you'll be given a card with a magnetic strip, like a credit card. This card will allow you to come back to use a bike anytime you want. Next, track down the lockers located near the velodrome that's for track cycling. Swipe your card, take out your bike, and you're all set. Do be sure to check the tires for enough air before you take off.

Let the Adventure Begin...

    It was at this point that we realized just how many options there are for biking in this area and how much there is to see. We've biked on the East Lake Sammamish Trail in the past, so on our most recent visit we decided to stay in the park. We started off by riding over to the rock climbing walls and admiring the towering cement cliffs. It looks like a rock climber's dream with such a variety of faces, grips, and angles. This is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Outdoor rock climbing walls at the park with lots of variety

The Bikes

    We hopped back on our bikes and rode toward the park's main entrance to a windmill we'd seen on our way in. These bikes are a beach cruiser style and are surprisingly comfortable to ride with their cushy wide seats and taller handlebars. One of our favorite parts of riding them is they have the classic back-peddle brakes and are fixed-gear so you are indeed cruising. We did test them out though and they do handle quite well on the grass because of their wider tires.

Passing by the beautiful old windmill at the park

The History of the Windmill and Mansion

    We curved around on the trail, passed the park office, and headed toward the huge Dutch-inspired windmill. We learned from the park's website that way back when, Marymoor Park used to be the Willowmoor Farm and country estate. This windmill is one of the remnants that you'll find around the park from the old estate. Apparently it never served as a functioning windmill.

    As you continue on the trail you'll see the Clise Mansion on your left. We love pieces of history like this...James Clise was a Seattle banker who bought the estate back in 1904 to use as a hunting lodge. Gradually over the years, the lodge grew to be a 28-room mansion. Clise used the farm to breed Morgan horses and Scottish Ayrshire cattle but then sold the estate in 1920. After several owners, the farm became known as Marymoor, after the farm's operator's daughter. The land was going to be sold for development in 1959, but King County Parks bought it and here we are. 

    Today, the Clise Mansion is used for tons of events including weddings. If we hadn't already had our wedding this would have been one of the top venues on our list, if we only had known about it. It's actually affordable, by wedding standards anyway. If you are making plans to get hitched soon check it out. 

The Clise Mansion in afternoon the sunlight, surrounded by grass fields and century old trees

Dog Park and Doggie Washing Station

    After enjoying the mansion we were on our way to the 40 acre off-leash dog park, which twists along the Sammamish River. If you have a water dog there's lots of dog swimming area as you make your way along the trail. 

    As we continued riding we found that right next to dog area is a doggie wash station called Wash Spot. Yes a dog grooming business in the park, the perfect place to clean up your dog after Rover goes for a swim and rolls in the dirt or gallops in the mud. It's a self-serve dog cleaning station created by the park system. They charge $9 for the basic 8-minute dog wash and the prices go up from there. There are large glass garage doors so you can look in on the operation of dirty dogs becoming spotless pooches. Oh yea, if you need some coffee, there's also little espresso stand by the dog park entrance; apparently the dog area is popular enough to sustain some business. 

You can get your dog washed right in the park after using the 40 acre off-leash dog area

Community Garden

    It doesn't stop there. As we continued riding we reached the community garden at Marymoor; it was just lovely in the October sunlight. This pea patch is run by community members and allows people to rent 10ft by 40ft plots of land to grow flowers, vegetables, raspberries, corn...pretty much any kind of produce you can imagine. We enjoyed walking through it and seeing how each individual plot was different from the last. People really take the plot on as if it were their own backyard by adding trellises, decor, fences--it was all very impressive. The gardens are in operation from April through October every year. To learn more visit http://marymoorgarden.org/. 

The community garden at Marymoor Park--rent a piece of land to grow anything you want--well, almost anything

The R/C Air Field

    Our last destination was the radio control air field in the park where the Marymoor Radio Control Club members practice flying their model airplanes. The field is huge and the best part is the big open sky above that allows the planes to buzz around. The operators are very good and will put on a quite a show by making their planes soar up, do flips, dive-bomb, fly upside down...it's a little like watching the Blue Angels on a smaller scale.

The R/C airfield at Marymoor Park is a great place to watch the model air flying on most clear days

Wrapping Up

    When we were all done we rode the bikes back to the lockers, swiped our cards, and put the bikes away. It was as simple as that. 

    There's so much more that we didn't cover in this post, but that's for you to discover and enjoy. 

Things To Know:

• Parking at Marymoor is $1.00 for the day
• There are kids' playgrounds in several spots in the park
• There's a 40-acre off-leash dog area--it doesn't get much better than that for a dog
• These bikes are free and you can come back again and again to ride
• There are lots of trails you can ride on including the Burke-Gilman and the East Lake Sammamish Trail

It's a cheap, fun way to spend an relaxing afternoon

Have a great ride!

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond

Vodka & Whiskey Tasting -- Woodinville, WA

Not Only Wine Country Anymore

    We've all heard the stories of prohibition; of people making moonshine in their cellar. We've heard about the secret societies that began just so people could get together to make more of their favorite whiskey. Businesses that built secret doors and passageways taking you to lavish rooms centered around liquor making and drinking. Woodinville, in its own way, has now jumped onto this bandwagon because it's no longer just a wine town--it's a moonshine town (well at least a legal moonshine town...if that's possible.) Since about 2008, five distilleries have popped up in Woodinville, each with their own unique product and flavors of vodka, whiskey, grappe (a distilled grape-based liquor,) and gin--what a happy surprise! The distilleries offer tours of their facilities and their tastings are free (whereas wine tasting is $5 to $15 these days.) 

The shop at Project V Distillery and Sausage Co.--dimly lit and inspiring...

Project V Distillery and Sausage Co.

    On a Sunday afternoon, we started off by going to Project V Distillery and Sausage Company to learn all about their vodka production http://www.projectvdistillery.com/. When you walk up to the distillery from the parking lot, you'll see a business park, when you step inside though, you'll be greeted with an intimate shop, not to mention the nice people offering you a taste of their Single Silo Vodka. For the record, a taste was about 1/8 of a shot glass, so you won't get tipsy on this experience; this is about how much vodka connoisseurs serve after supper at a dinner party anyway. We felt a little like we were walking into a moonshine operation from prohibition because of the dim lighting and all the barrels and equipment you can see through the old doors at the back of the shop. It definitely put us in the right mood.

Highly complex still set up at Project V Distillery--it's another rendition of a chemistry lab

Project V's Background

    We met with Al, one of the owners. He said that their business did originally grow from the moonshine they made in their garage.  The small operation had gotten out of hand causing them to need a bigger place to work, so in the fall of 2010, Project V opened for business.
    All the artwork you'll see when you're walking around the place was done by close friends and family, including Al's kids--it's fun, catches your eye, and really adds a lot. One of our favorite things about their decor is that they chose to use an old VW van as a storage locker for some of their supplies--ingenious! 

A glimpse of Project V Distillery--the VW van behind us is their clever storage unit for their vodka supplies

How It Works

    It turns out that everything Project V does is crafted by hand--literally everything--even their stills were built by the owners. They use wheat grain from Al's wife's uncle's fourth generation farm in Withrow, WA. The kernels have a low protein, high starch content. The wheat is broken apart and made into a mash. Part of that mash is perfect food for pigs, hence the Sausage portion of the company name. Just so you know, the pigs are still plumping up so don't plan on sausage for another month or two. The remaining solution from the mash is allowed to ferment and becomes vodka after a few carefully planned runs through the still. It's fun to see the chemistry in action and to watch everything bubble.
    Al told us more about what we were looking at...the liquid condenses from the vapor that comes from the fermented grain product. Once it condenses the liquid falls down the copper tubes since it's heavy, and the vapor at the bottom of the tube rises back to the top, starting the process all over again. This whole cycle works to get rid of those fusel oils that make that awful nail polish remover taste that cheap liquors can have. In the end you're only left with ethanol, since vodka is mostly ethanol. 

A picture of Al showing us how they use a bathtub and a perforated bag to separate out the grain mill from the solution for your vodka

The Products

     Al told us that their business crafts 350 bottles of vodka per week. Now, I'm not much of a hard liquor drinker, but our friends said that it was some of the best vodka they'd ever had. Again, these are free tastings here. We really enjoyed the Single Silo that we'd had on the way in--it's good and smooth. The Double Silo is for those who feel a bit more adventurous, just due to its strength. Our very favorite was the Single Silo with the Chai Infusion. The infusion mix is also hand-made and is packed full of honey candies, cinnamon, and vanilla giving the vodka an even more complex flavor. It's a little like having a mixed drink, yet, you're still drinking straight vodka--definitely a winner. If a taste of any of these isn't enough, you can take a bottle home for between $29 and $80.
    A Tip: To avoid the rush, get there before 2pm in the afternoon on the weekends for a more personalized tour--you'll get to taste no matter when you show up during business hours though, so no worries there.

The German-made still at Woodinville Whiskey Co., used for whiskey and vodka

Woodinville Whiskey Co.

    After, that phenomenal experience, we headed to Woodinville Whiskey Co.  http://www.woodinvillewhiskeyco.com/, which operates on a slightly larger scale, and boy, was it packed on a Sunday afternoon. They have one official tour each day Wed. through Sun. at 4pm, but tasting is open anytime from 12-5pm. We really enjoyed their Willy Wonka Factory style stills. We got to try their Peabody Vodka and their un-aged Headlong White Dog Whiskey. On their tour we learned about the same process as we just seen at Project V, since Woodinville Whiskey Co. makes vodka in addition to whiskey. It was fun to see their char oak barrels where they age their whiskey--it'll really be a treat when their two-year aged whiskey is ready soon. We didn't get a chance to chat too much with the folks at Woodinville Whiskey Co. because of the volume of visitors, but they do invite people to ask questions on their tours, so you'll have plenty of time for that when you're there.

"Prove It"   

    One of our favorite things about visiting Woodinville Whiskey was learning the history of the word "proof" in regards to alcohol content. Apparently, back in the 18th century, customers would ask the bartender to "prove" that an alcohol had not been watered down. So the bartender would take a teaspoon of gun powder and pour alcohol over it, then light it on fire. If the substance exploded into a ball of fire then the alcohol  became a "proof spirit", if not it was deemed "under proof". There. Your history lesson for the day!

Aging whiskey in char oak barrels at Woodinville Whiskey Co.

Our Last Stop

    Our last stop was at Soft Tail Spirits http://softtailspirits.com/. We hadn't expected to go to three distilleries in one day, but we were on a roll! Soft Tail Spirits is located in a quaint log-style home that's been converted into an inviting tasting room. Their vodka has a different taste than the previous distilleries we visited, allowing us to see how varied the flavors can be. This was really neat...after one of their spirits they'll have you follow it up with a chocolate cover espresso bean to help bring out the complexity of the flavor. This was the perfect way to end our spirit experience for the day.

Soft Tail Spirits has four different vodkas and grappas for you to try...

   

    At all three distilleries, we were impressed by the true passion the distillers have for their work. It's science, art and craft, all wrapped into one. This is definitely something to explore on a cloudy or rainy Seattle day. 

Things To Know:

• Project V Distillery will be celebrating their one year anniversary on Nov. 13th--a celebration is definitely in order
• These distilleries have created a 'just stop by' kind of environment
• Be aware that these tours do involve a good deal of standing, but there are chairs in the shop portions of the businesses to sit down in.
• Don't miss out on the wine opportunities in the area as well

The Distilleries

There are a total of five distilleries in Woodinville and four are open for tours and tasting:

• Project V Distillery and Sausage Company (vodka and sausage) http://www.projectvdistillery.com/
• Open Sat. & Sun. 12-5pm  
• Woodinville Whiskey Company (whiskey and vodka) http://www.woodinvillewhiskeyco.com/
• Open Wed. through Sun. 12-5pm (tours at 4pm daily)
• Soft Tail Spirits (vodka and grappe) http://softtailspirits.com/
• Open Sat. & Sun. 12-5pm
• Pacific Distillery (gin) http://pacificdistillery.com/
• Open Sat. 12-3pm

The Kentucky copper still at Soft Tail Spirits--each still is so different

Have fun--spirit tasting is truly unique! 

Head on out Around Puget Sound...and Beyond