Road Trip!

When we decided to move to Seattle we immediately knew we would be driving. We have two dogs and though many do it, we were not going to fly with them out west. Have you met my dogs? We would end up on the nightly news. It wasn't happening.

Also, it was the cheapest option. We looked up cross-country movers, and car transports. We thought renting a pod would be an option, but they wouldn't deliver it to the apartment due to lack of space; since you know, parking spaces in Seattle are high commodities. After a list of pros and cons, and several quotes later- a Budget truck it was! So, we packed up the truck and set out July 26, 2016 for Seattle.

My view through 13 states!

The furthest I had ever driven by myself was to North Carolina for college. The furthest trip I had taken in a car with someone else was when my now husband took me to Bloomington, IN to visit his old stomping grounds. So, needless to say, the states I'd visited could be counted on one hand. I was really excited to see more of the country. Also, I was really excited to see what was outside of the south!

So, I followed behind a Budget truck through downtown streets, mountains and flat lands for over 3,000 miles. Our initial plan was to drive 8-9 hours a day. However, with Sean towing his car and really not able to drive safely over 70 mph, eventually those 8 hours turned into 10-12 hour days. 10 to 12 hour really. long. days.

The first day our goal was to make it to Chattanooga, Tennessee. We wanted to get past Atlanta and thought we would make it before rush hour. We were wrong. If you have never driven in Atlanta traffic considered yourself lucky. Never been in Atlanta traffic in July without A/C? Then you are really lucky! Yep, as we were entering city limits I could slowly feel my A/C spitting out hot air as traffic came to a standstill. I rolled the windows down, but there was hardly a breeze and the smell of exhaust from the highway filled the car. Also, I had Gabby (Miss Neurotic 2009) in the backseat. So, add the smell of a 75 lb. weimaraner panting and I was already wanting to turn around and go home. Needless to say as soon as we checked into the hotel in Chattanooga I was playing how low can you go with the A/C. Poor Gabby stood in front of it with her face an inch away until bed time. I think we were both over the first day of travels!

Comfy and snoring pre-A/C failure

Leaving TN

I definitely wasn't looking forward to being in the car the next day, but we decided that Gabby would ride in the Budget truck with Boomer (Little Miss Prozac). There is not a lot of room in the cabin of a moving truck, but it had A/C. Thankfully the rest of the trip wasn't as bad as the first day. My A/C was still out, but no more stifling traffic jams. When we made a stop for food, or gas I would ask how the dogs were doing and get the same answer over and over: they slept a lot. Occasionally they would snap at each other if one was re-positioning themselves and touched the other. And if Sean decided he wanted to snack on a piece or two of beef jerky then all hell would break loose in the cabin with the dogs jockeying for position to get a piece. However, they got used to traveling pretty fast. For Boomer this was a big deal. Prior to this, every time she got into a car she peed. Truly never a dull moment with these guys!

Once we got past Missouri there wasn't much to look at. Seriously...

seriously...nothing

Pretty much from Missouri to South Dakota I just prayed that we would not run out of gas, blow a tire, or anything else. There was nothing around. Driving through those states made the days feel longer, and once we hit Sioux Falls, Iowa we decided we would find a town that we could stay in for a day or two. After looking on a map we saw Deadwood, SD was only 6 hours away. Of course this stood out to us since we had just finished watching Deadwood for the 3rd time, and decided we had to make a stop.

Great show, and cancelled way to early

Thankfully the closer we got to Deadwood there was more to look at scenery-wise. Not much, but the 100's of Wall Drug signs, and random dinosaur statues were welcomed.

Also, we were really lucky with the weather while traveling. We never hit any rain while driving. Maybe once we checked into a hotel the rain would move in, but we didn't hit anything along the way to be concerned about...that is until South Dakota. We were maybe an hour from Deadwood and a severe weather alert came on the radio regarding a hailstorm and tornado sightings. Apparently softball sized hail and dark skies were straight ahead. Personally, which shouldn't be a shock to anyone reading this blog, hail is something I rarely experienced in Florida. If there was hail it was the size of peas, and nothing to be concerned about. Also, I've never seen a tornado and didn't want to start seeing them now. Sean and I used walkie talkies during our trip (side note: highly recommend. No matter what the cell phone companies claim there are just some parts of the country where there is zero reception. Also, each state has rules regarding being on cell phones while driving. It was so much easier using those instead of the phone. Do yourself a favor and use these on really long hauls). Sean came across the channel and we decided to keep driving. It appeared to be moving fast and away from us, but he told me to be prepared. So, for 30 minutes this was my view...dark skies and of course the budget truck.

Fortunately, we never met up with the storm, but once we found the hotel in Deadwood we did meet a couple who unfortunately drove through the hailstorm. It looked like someone took a baseball bat to the top of their car and they had a cracked window.

The first hour in Deadwood I felt we made a poor decision by choosing to stay there for a few days. Don't get me wrong, I actually fell in love with the area and it was nice to stay put for a couple days, but trying to find the hotel and parking for the truck...not so fun. Deadwood consists of small streets, several being one way only, so maneuvering a moving truck with a car in tow was frightening and frustrating. Also, little did we know we were there during the Days of 76 (http://daysof76.com)...so the place was packed. The hotel didn't have parking so we had to park the truck and my car in a lot about a mile away from the hotel. It was quite nerve-wracking not being able to look out the window to check on the truck as we've been able to do previously on the road. I mean, everything we owned was packed away in those vehicles. The first night we walked down to the end of Main Street prior to getting dinner to make sure we could at least see Sean's car and the budget truck. Thankfully no one messed with it, but it took a few drinks and winning some money gambling to help my anxiety disappear.

During the Days of 76, the whole town goes back in time to celebrate its history. We watched a parade that featured cowboys and cowgirls, and horse drawn carriages from 1876. Locals dressed up as historical figures associated with the town, and really in a nutshell, the parade was a showcase of the history of the region. As we like to do in any town we visit we take a bus, or trolley tour. Apparently we chose Kevin Costner's historical tour which was fun, and I always love hearing about the stories behind the city and especially when a stop includes a cemetery. It is a little town, but has a lot of history. We found a great restaurant we ate at several times, and gambled at The Gem. Overall, it was nice to not be in a car, but we were ready to check out and get back on the road as we wanted to get the trip over with!

After Deadwood we started heading toward the mountains which I believe really gave us our second wind...it also meant we were toward the end. Once you get into Western Montana, Northern Idaho it just feels different. This was definitely the part of the country we wanted to be in. It took two more days to get to Everett which wasn't our final stop, but would be our "home" for the next three weeks which is another story for next time...

just a few more random pictures from our trip out west!

Still here!

UPDATE- we have finally moved in! It's been very stressful the past couple weeks, but we are finally settling in. I will post pictures as soon as I can and show you a bit of the area, and why I call this my mountain blog! Very excited and happy to no longer hear neighbors slamming doors or stomping around at all hours...I only hear the occasional train in the distance. I'm in love with this area and I can't wait to share it with everyone! Until next time...

An Anniversary of Sorts

What would you do if you weren't scared?

There are a number of questions you could ask yourself. Would you quit your job? Would you move to a new city? Would you get bangs? The list is endless. We are creatures of habit. We slip into our routines and put one foot in front of the other and go on autopilot.

A year ago my husband and I took a chance.

In November 2013, I went on my first plane ride. Yes, I waited until I was 31 years old to set foot on a plane and go somewhere I had never been before. It wasn't until our honeymoon in 2011 I went to another country; albeit it was the Bahamas, but hey that's somewhere right! My husband on the other hand is a seasoned traveler. His previous job would take him all over North America and to Europe where he would spend at times a month in London, or Paris. So, when it came to choosing a place to go on vacation it would usually come down to one question: where have you not been to? After some thought, we chose Seattle. Obviously, I had never been to the west coast and since I had never flown, why not make it a cross country trip?!

We decided to go to Seattle during the "rainy" season since well, it was cheaper. If you haven't heard Seattle is a tad expensive. We definitely got asked- why Seattle? Doesn't it rain all the time? Don't you want to sit on a beach somewhere? Personally I don't mind the rain or cooler weather. I prefer it over sweltering heat and humidity. Nonetheless, we armed ourselves with waterproof shoes and rain coats, and set out to see what this city was all about. We walked the whole city trying to fit in as much as we could before we left. We ate breakfast at Le Panier twice and filled growlers with local craft beer. We people watched on the waterfront and squeezed into crowded buses at rush hour. You can definitely see the best and worst of a city on foot. Seattle is far from perfect, but I can tell you the exact moment I knew I wanted to live in Western Washington. It was on our third and last full day in Seattle. We had already done all of the tourist things we wanted to do: Space Needle, Pike Place Market, duck tour, ferry rides, etc. So, to fill our last full day in Seattle we decided to hop on a bus and go to the zoo. When we stepped off the bus we were greeted to this view:

The Olympic Mountain Range

To some it's just mountains, but to us this meant the possibility of adventure, a different lifestyle, and a bit of freedom. This picture doesn't do it justice, but I remember we stood there for about 15 minutes and both agreed we could eventually...maybe...someday...one day move here.

When we left Seattle, I remember looking out the window of the plane and seeing Mt. Rainier below us. The image is still burned in my memory and I remember feeling homesick for a city I had just became acquainted with.

Fast forward three years and we had purchased a home in Florida, both had steady jobs, and occasionally talked about Washington. We often thought of going back to visit again and expand our stay to somewhere outside of the city,or take a cruise to Alaska. We would also talk about moving, but I cannot tell you how many times we talked ourselves out of it. It's too expensive. Not a good time to sell. I don't want to leave my job. A list of cons that went on and on.

Then in May 2016 my husband had come to the end of his rope so to say. He hated his job. He had left his company of 10 years for something that required less travel, but he felt limited, and wanted to go possibly in a different direction in his career. So, for him moving to tech-centric Seattle was a no-brainer. For me, I liked my job. I liked my coworkers and was still learning the ins and outs of my fairly new position; the thought of leaving scared me. Also, my family was only 5 miles away. I have three young nieces. We just finished remodeling the house to how we wanted it. Did I mention my family? Why leave?

However, in the back of my mind was the thought of if not now, when? Florida is what I knew. After graduating college I moved back to Jacksonville and started to make a life for myself. The thought of living somewhere else was definitely intriguing, but the thought of the unknown terrified me. Would the grass really be greener?

But we took the risk.

A year ago today we were going over the offers made on our home, and feeling overwhelmed with our decision. Was it the right one? Was this a massive mistake? Why are we leaving the things we worked so hard for? We chose a city on the other side of the country. We knew no one there, but set out to start a new chapter.

Yes, I miss my family like crazy and there are moments where I have wanted to jump in my car and drive back east. But I am living the life I have wanted and missed while living in Florida. I missed being in the mountains. It's a different vibe, and I feel more like myself here. I am still trying to figure out my place here, but it's an adventure, an experience I do not regret.

So, I ask again- what would you do if you weren't scared?

House Hunters...Seattle

Isn't this the truth!

So, you've decided renting is for the birds. You've made the decision you are ready to set out and plant roots, and put all those saved Pinterest pins to use. Buying a home is such an exciting and defining moment. House hunting should be an exciting experience, and a majority of the time it is, but sometimes it can be the most frustrating process. Currently, I am finding the end game of the process maddening.

When we lived in Florida finding a home that checked off the majority of our wants/needs from our list wasn't hard. Once we decided we wanted to buy, it was definitely a whirlwind of activity, but from putting an offer down to closing it was relatively stress free. Even selling the home when we decided to move to Seattle was quick and profitable. However, house hunting in Seattle is a whole different ball game.

Oh how I miss our first house!

I never wanted to live downtown; great to visit, but I wasn't 100% ready for a true urban living experience. I am definitely a suburb kind of gal. The surrounding neighborhoods like Ballard, Queen Anne, and Fremont are quite appealing for many reasons. However, even renting here was out of our budget. Yes, we probably could afford it, but I'm not in my 20's and okay with a diet based solely on ramen noodles. Also, I don't want 50% or more of my income going toward housing. The median sales price in this area is around $700,000. So, buying a home...forget it!

It's definitely a seller's market in Seattle as there is a lack of inventory. Knowing how hard and expensive it is to buy in the city, why sell the home you have? It seems as soon as a for-sale sign goes up an agent is slapping a SOLD sticker over it. So, we knew immediately we would be looking outside the city limits of Seattle and even outside of King County. However, it was a lot harder this time around to find something relatively close to what we had in Florida. A majority of the homes we found in our price range required a tremendous amount of work. Good neighborhood, garage, backyard for the dogs, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths- check, check and check! But...it needs a new roof, foundation repaired, painting inside and out, mold, walls repaired, floor replaced...sigh. Even if you have the funds for repairs there are multiple offers bidding $10,000 to $50,000 (and much higher!) over asking price!

Needless to say the process became discouraging. We spent a lot of time looking at other homes, but once you "liked" a property you received an update saying it was already pending or sold- sometimes same day.

While looking we kept coming back to this one house an hour outside of Seattle. And when I say an hour that means no traffic, no accidents, no detours (if there is traffic lets add 30 mins to an hour to that). The property is basically located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and rural. It wasn't perfect, definitely the furthest of all the homes, but it was near the mountains. It was also located near one of our favorite places to hike and come on- did I mention it was near the Cascades?! Google it. It's gorgeous.

Following the moving truck through the Cascades a year ago

So, we came to the decision to go for it. The more we looked at it, the more we liked it...then loved it. Knowing how the market is, and knowing there was a possibility of not getting the home was fairly intimidating. Regardless, we found a broker and started the process. After we were pre-approved, we quickly placed an offer on the home. Shocker- there was another offer already on the table. So, we anxiously waited to see if it was our offer which would come out on top, or not. Luckily it did, and soon we were under contract and scheduled to close June 12th. Our broker, I would have to say, has been extremely helpful and quick to answers any and all questions I have thrown at him. However, it's the lender who has made this whole ordeal a nightmare. Basically all conditions have been cleared for over a week, but we have not received a cleared to close. Here it is June 20th and we were supposed to sign docs yesterday. I have my fingers crossed, but I wouldn't be surprised if nothing happened today; such a nightmare.

If you are looking to make the leap from renting to owning don't let my experience discourage you! Like I said, the first time around was a breeze, and these companies are usually on top of their game. Do your research and know this process takes up to three months and sometimes longer. Even though we are still waiting for a clear to close we did receive a great rate, and saved a bit of money in the process. Eventually we are getting a home! No more listening to neighbors stomp about, or sirens racing down Aurora Ave. every 15 minutes. I cannot wait to move out there and enjoy being closer to the mountains, to nature, and do more of the things I want to do without having to drive hours to get there, and I can't wait to share it.

But, trust me. I do have my review ready to go for the lender as soon as keys are in my hand!

Till next time!

Happy Memorial Day!

The past couple weeks with work have been busy, so needless to say I was very happy to have a three day weekend to relax, and unwind a bit. We woke up Saturday morning with the intention to find a new hike, but decided we would drive to Leavenworth and explore a bit. If you have never heard of, or been to Leavenworth, it is basically a town modeled after a Bavarian village. So, we knew we could be walking into a kitschy, tourist trap, but if it's in the mountains I'm game. The drive from Seattle to Leavenworth is a little over 2.5 hours. However, the drive is beautiful. You drive through small towns like Sultan and Gold Bar on Hwy 2 which eventually heads into Stevens Pass which takes you through the Cascades. Some of the mountains were still snow capped, but with the temps in the high 80's I'm sure the last signs of winter will be gone soon. Along the side of the pass were small waterfalls from the snow melt. We drove past one guy placing his head under the water for a picture...brave soul! Once out of the pass you drive along farm land with the road eventually running parallel with the Wenatchee River. We could see several kayakers attempting the rapids and some people were fishing. Ah, summer is upon us!

Last bit of snow hanging on 

We finally got to Leavenworth around noon and we knew it was going to be busy...but wow! Get there early, or finding free parking will be a bit of a stretch. After finding a place to park, we were starving and pulled out the phone to see what our options were. The husband wanted to find a place offering authentic German fare and we thought it wouldn't be hard considering our surroundings. We walked to two separate restaurants, but the lines where out the door and people were standing and eating their food due to no seating being available. As we were mulling over jumping in line I spotted a sign for the Bavarian Bistro and Bar and I am so glad I saw it. So much better than standing in the lines outside! This place had A/C, cold beer, and German comfort food!

View from our table at Bavarian Bistro and Bar

This picture does not do it justice. It was soooo good. We both got the Huhner (chicken) schnitzel which was served with spatzle and red cabbage. We found a table by the bar that was next to a window and people watched while enjoying the food. I definitely recommend eating here if you do not feel like fighting for a seat or sitting outside in the heat. It was quiet and the staff was super friendly. Will definitely come back to eat here when we visit again!

The rest of the afternoon consisted of walking around and peeking inside shops.  Knowing it was going to be a 2.5 hour drive we headed back around 3:30. We did stop to take in the river and scenery for a minute or two, but then it was back on the road. We will definitely be back. Next time we will book a hotel and try to venture around the area a bit more, and not feel so rushed! Below are a few pictures of the town

Sunday was a lazy day and we just hung around the house and vegged out in front of the T.V. Sometimes those can be the best days.

When Monday rolled around and with having the day off, we decided to find a trail we haven't hiked and get outside. We picked out Little Si and started driving south. We have never been to North Bend and were hoping to get there early enough to beat the crowds. However, about a mile from the trail head we noticed groups of people walking toward the trail. Once we got to the trail head it was very clear why. Apparently we weren't the only ones who thought a hike would be a great way to close out the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, all the lots were full, and people were trying to park on the road, or really anywhere they could without the possibility of getting towed. Not wanting to deal with a busy trail, or getting a ticket, we picked another trail a few miles away and thought we would give it a try...wrong again! We tried to do Twin Falls, but parking was ridiculous, and there was just too many people. We then decided to try Wallace Falls and started driving north. Honestly we thought by the time we got there the majority of people would be heading home. Strike three! Once again the parking lot was full. However, not wanting to make it a wasted trip, we drove over to the house we are in the process of buying. It was nice to see what the builder had done so far, and we met a neighbor who filled us in on the neighborhood. He even told us of a trail at the end of the street that we decided to check out before leaving. It's a nice, short manicured trail that leads to the Skykomish river. I know my husband cannot wait to start fishing and I'm excited to be in the mountains again! Big things are happening in June and I cannot wait! I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. Here's to the next adventure!

Hello Weekend! Hello Oyster Dome

I love when the weekend rolls around...I mean doesn't everyone! But for me it is a chance to get out of our cramped 600 sq. ft. apartment, breathe some fresh air, and explore. Since moving to Seattle I have been working remotely from home. Don't get me wrong working from home has a lot of pros, but for me, my view is a wall. I would at least like a window to stare out of from time to time. When I lived in Florida and had the routine of dealing with a commute and 8 hour days in an office, as soon as I got home I didn't want to do anything but be home, and I was completely fine with that. However, now that I feel I am stuck inside all day, I do not want to take the weekend for granted- especially when there is not a cloud in sight.

So, when the weekend rolls around I get big puppy eyes and give my husband the "get me out of here" look. One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is hike. Now, I am not a seasoned hiker by any means. I went to college in Western NC and that was my first experience with trails and mountains. I would grab a friend, or play hooky from class and spend hours driving around the parkway and finding trails around Asheville to hike. That is where my love of hiking began, but then after graduating I moved back to Florida and away from the mountains. Then for the next 10 years I lived at the beach. I was never a beach girl (I hate sand) and I practically glow in the dark with how pale I am, but I loved hiking and wanted to get back to the mountains. Now I am surrounded by the Olympics and Cascades and I love the challenge a hike brings and Washington definitely has an array of hikes to choose from.

This weekend's adventure was Oyster Dome in Bow, WA. It took us a little over an hour to drive from Seattle, but if you have never been I definitely recommend making the drive and crossing this one off the list. The views from the beginning of this trail to the end are worth it. We arrived around 9 am Saturday morning at the Samish Overlook. The parking lot was already full, but we were able to park along the road not to far from the trail head. Be careful parking along the side as there is a steep drop and some cars were having trouble with the loose gravel. However, the view from Samish Overlook is worth the drive alone.

Part of me could have stared at this view for hours, but if this was the view at the start I definitely wanted to see the view at the top. This trail has several steep switchbacks and I recommend poles for heading back down. Don't let the distance fool you. It's listed as 5 miles round trip, but it's a workout. This was definitely a busy trail and there were several large groups of people along the way. We like to let those groups pass us until we can't hear them talking anymore before we continue up the trail...I would rather hear birds chirping then how ugly you thought Steve's new tattoo looked. You walk along Red Cedars and Douglas Firs, and cross a few small creeks. On some parts of the trail the sun would peak through the canopy of the forest which made me just stop and take in the scenery. I hope I never take these views for granted.
Unfortunately, when we did reach the top it was crowded...remember how I said this was a popular trail? There was a group of 10 college girls taking up prime real estate with a picnic and wine. Then about a dozen more couples/groups were spread out along the stone promontory. Didn't ruin the experience of hiking the trail, but we didn't stay long at the top. I did manage to squeeze in one picture at the top:

Overall, it's still a great hike. I liked the challenges it provided, it was definitely a workout and of course, I was outside. Have you been to Oyster Dome? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! Here's to the next weekend adventure!

I walk behind him because I stop to take so many pictures!

 

Look at that paleness! Haha!

Welcome!

My name is Nikki and I would like to welcome you to my blog! This is my first blog and I am so excited to connect with those near and far, and hopefully make some new friends along the way. Currently I am living in the Pacific Northwest after relocating from the Southeast. I know, that is quite the move! I never thought I would leave Florida for Washington state, but here I am and so far it has been quite the experience. 
I live in Seattle with my husband and two dogs Gabby and Boomer. When the weather is nice you can find us hiking and trying to soak in as much sunshine as possible since the sun is such a rare sighting these days in Seattle. I feel this blog is going to be a little bit of everything so thank you for visiting and until next time...