WA – The Nearest Future

Lattin’s Cider Mill

I’ve been going through photos from the last year and came across some I never posted here. These are from our visit last summer to see my parents and brother. I loved growing up in western Washington and really enjoy going back for visits, especially in the summer.

While we were in Olympia my mom and I took the kids to Lattin’s Country Cider Mill. I had never been there before but I was totally charmed. The cider and doughnuts were tasty and walking around to look at the animals was free.

We tried a couple fritters fresh from the fryer--delicious! — We tried a couple of fresh fritters–delicious!

Mimi with an assertive goat. — Mimi with a very assertive goat.

I hope we get to go back for another visit this summer 🙂

Blackberries at Meemaw’s House

I loved growing up in western Washington. My parents still live there and since we don’t get to see them very often I tried to take the kids up every summer to visit. This year my siblings also came so we had a family reunion which was really great.

My parents live on a couple of acres which they’ve planted with fruit trees, berries, grapes, and a big garden. The first morning after we got there the kids ran outside in their pjs to pick some blackberries for breakfast.When they’re older I hope they remember small moments like these.

Sequim: Olympic Game Farm

The main purpose of our trip to Sequim was to visit the Olympic Game Farm which houses retired showbiz animals. You can drive through the farm and feed the animals (whole-wheat only!) bread.

We all (the kids, my mom, my brother Steven, and I) had a lot of fun. On the way home we got a much-needed car wash. Buffalo drool is quite, um, impressive.

Previous visits: 2009 and 2012

Sequim: Lavender Farm

While we were in WA we drove up the Olympic peninsula and spent the day in Sequim, a little town nestled in a sunny microclimate which allows it to be the lavender capital of North America.

We were mainly in town to visit the Olympic Game Farm but we stopped by one of the many lavender farms to look around.

Besides the incredible smell the most remarkable thing about the farm was the sound. Walk a few feet into the fields and you’re surrounded on all sides by the loud droning of bees. They were everywhere and made E nervous; Mimi was oblivious (as she often is).

The kids were feeling squirrely after being in the car all day, and so this is what happened when I asked my mom to take my picture with them.

After a pep talk (and a teeny bit of yelling) I got them to take a better photo with my mom.

Sequim is a great place to visit if you’re in the area. We usually do a day trip every time we visit my parents and I always look forward to it. Check out little baby E here on a previous visit.

Carol’s Beach

One of the great things about the Puget Sound area is that there are so many beaches. They’re usually rocky and muddy instead instead of sandy but are still a lot of fun for kids.

One of the the highlights of visiting Olympia is getting together with my friend Carol. On this last visit Carol packed a picnic lunch which we took down to her neighborhood beach and let the kids run around.

There was a little stream that ran under a bridge and down to the sound. The kids had so much fun exploring and splashing in the water.

We were the only one on the beach; it was wonderfully relaxing just to sit and chat with Carol and watch the kids play–so much so that I didn’t notice the time passing and ended up with an impressive sunburn.