What'dja do this Weekend?

Every Monday morning at offices and business across the country this is the topic of conversation.  If you would have asked me this question four months ago my response would have been "worked around the house," "went to Bardstown Road," "hung out with the neighbors," or "not much."  These days, however, my answer is quite different.

Vancouver, Washington has been the best change for my family.  On any given Saturday or Sunday you may find us challenging ourselves on a hike, shopping in the Farmer's Market, climbing at the indoor rock gym, or discovering new restaurants.  We live a much more active and outdoor centered life, quite a change from Kentucky.

This past weekend began with Paddleboard lessons at Lake Vancouver.  The scene on the water Saturday was surreal; standing on the paddleboard I could see Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens.  The only distinguishing characteristic of the two is that Hood is pointed and St. Helens is rounded due to the explosion.  We left from there to catch the tail end of an air show which featured the Thunderbirds.  From there we caught a free Japanese festival at the oldest Buddhist Temple in Oregon.  Next was the search for food.  Those of you who know us well know we plan a good portion of our travels around food.  Yelp! is the best for finding awesome food.  Anyway, Kenny & Zuke's was a fantastic find!  It's a deli with the most amazing pastrami I've ever eaten.  I even tried pickled cow tongue; it was quite good!

Sunday we decided to hike at Eagle Creek National Park.  Compared to the other hikes we've gone on this was mild in comparison meaning there were no switchbacks or significant increases in elevation.  What the hike lacked in intensity more than made up for in the "holy shit" factor. The trail meanders along the Eagle Creek where some of the trail was no wider than 3 feet.  There were  jagged rocks and outcroppings along most of the trail and at certain points there was a thick cable to use as a handrail so you didn't risk plunging to the bottom of the gorge!  The most gorgeous find was the Upper and Lower Punchbowl.  These are a set of waterfalls where people congregate to swim, take risks, and lounge in the sun.  The Upper waterfall drops about 50 ft. and the Lower about 9 ft. The pool in the Upper is only about 12 ft. deep so jumping into it isn't recommended; however, many do and end up sorry they did.  The Lower is the more tame of the two and the safest for those not wishing to injure themselves.  With that said Avery took the plunge after much debate!  Such a daredevil!  I couldn't be shown up by my kiddo so I decided to jump too:)  The water was a frigid 60 degrees which shocked the system but felt good the longer you stayed in.  The hardest part was climbing up the cliff face from the water!  Good thing we've been practicing our rock climbing!  We hiked a total of 9 miles, ended up with aching legs, sore feet, and amazing memories!

Hang on to that rail!

KC getting as close as possible to the waterfall

My two favorite people

The water was about 60 degrees but it was 94 outside; it felt good!

My husband of course brought wine for us to have with lunch.  Thanks to Naked Winery who makes wine in plastic bottles for easy transport.

My fearless kiddo taking the plunge

Momma's turn

Upper Punchbowl.  KC and Avery had to swim in the chilly water to get to that island; notice the doggie in the foreground. 

One of the many beautiful sights along the way

I snapped this quickly as my family was standing on the edge of a cliff.

The move from Kentucky to Washington has been quite a transition.  We left behind awesome friends, family, a job, and all things familiar.  What we ended up with was a new respect for the beauty of Mother Nature, corny I know, a new closeness as a family, and many more weekends worth of Monday morning stories to share.