Hiking in Sedona and getting everything I ever wanted

As much as I like clothes, shopping and dressing up, I equally enjoy hiking, camping and getting dirty. When I was pregnant everyone automatically assumed I wanted a girl, but I was hoping for a boy. Aside from the fact my family is predominately girls, it was my heart's desire to raise a kind, gentle hearted man, like my husband.

The day the ultrasound technician told us we were having a boy, I shed a few tears of joy. My dream had come true and in that moment life was perfect. I was having my little boy and would be able to raise him with my kind hearted man. Oh, how my heart was full.

Now, as we wade through moments of sadness and miss our little boy everyday, we are reminded at every turn, how beautiful the world still is. In every raindrop, tree branch or flower, the wonder our son would have had for all these things can be reflected in our own eyes. For the brief time we spent with our son, I know he would want us overflowing with happiness and gratitude each and everyday.

A tourist in your own town: riding a surrey along Alki

A shaved ice break at Marination Ma Kai

I am always surprised when I hear how many long time Seattle residents have never visited the Space Needle or gone on the Underground Tour. I mean come on people, why should the tourists have all the fun? If you have been a reader for awhile now you know I am a big proponent of trying anything and everything that is touristy in my home town. One Saturday we descended upon Alki with no other goal than to ride a surrey up and down the very streets we have walked a zillion times.

Mountain House Giveaway: let the camping season begin!

In our free time we love to hike and camp. Since we go a lot we like to keep our prep work simple. We might decide on a Thursday evening to pack up our bags and head out somewhere on a Friday or we might plan an impromptu hike midweek. Our meal style while camping or hiking is simple, quick meals with easy clean up. We like to be able to eat and then get on with our other activities as soon as possible. Also, since we usually hike into our campsites, the weight of our bags is an important consideration for us.

Shared plates

With the weather consistently staying nice, we have resolved ourselves to eat every meal outside until October. Who is with me? As the weather is warmer I crave lighter dishes, fish and lots of salads.

Are you one of those people who loves to order lots of different plates and then share? I find this to be the easiest, most economical means to try a little bit of everything on the menu. Some foods are delicious, but either too rich, spicy or heavy to eat an entire plateful. Cameron and I have taken a liking to ordering several different appetizers and then sharing them for our dinner. I know I often speak of Elliott's, but I find their location, price point and freshness just a few reasons we keep coming back for more.

Island Adventures Whale Watching Tour Giveaway!!

Sailboat in the San Juans

According to the calendar, Summer has not even begun, but who can even tell by the glorious weather we have been enjoying around Seattle. As you might know, one of my favorite parts of Summer is being out on the water and what better way to enjoy the beautiful Northwest than going on a Whale Watching Tour?

In honor of my blog's five year anniversary we are teaming up with some wonderful local vendors to allow our readers to share in the festivities all month long. Today, I am happy to announce we will be giving away one Whale Watching Tour through Island Adventures with me.

Here is a little information about Island Adventures:

"Island Adventures has been voted #1 whale watching company in Western Washington for 4 years in a row, they have received a certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor 2 years in a row and a Talk of the Town customer satisfaction certificate 3 years in a row.  

All of our tours are guaranteed whale watching trips; if you don't see a Minke, a Humpback, a Gray, or an Orca you get to come back again for free until you do!  

They run tours until the end of November and then take a short winter break before starting back up for their Everett Gray Whale program in March 2014."

There are three ways to enter:

Become a new follower to @lwoltermckinley on Instagram

Become a new follower to lwoltermckinley on Pinterest

Leave a comment on the blog mentioning your favorite part of Summer or why you are excited to come and hang out with me.

Rules:

You will have until Friday, June 19th at 10pm PST to enter to win.
Winner be selected at random.

You will enjoy one whale watching tour with me, but are allowed to bring a guest at your own expense.

Good luck and Happy Summer!

This giveaway is sponsored by Island Adventures.

When the lights go down

When the sunlight fades in the city, you might not even look up from what you are doing to appreciate it. However, when I am camping I pause and have the whole evening to celebrate its glory. Sunsets are like a good friends: steady, constant, and if you want to hang out it is fine by them.

Bryce National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is a fantastic place for easy hikes, beautiful rock formations, hoodoos and glorious blue skies. What I did not realize until I started researching our trip was how Bryce Canyon is a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters, I always pictured in my mind one large canyon. As the sun intermittently went behind clouds, the color of the landscape changed throughout the day.

A couple of our favorite hikes were: Navajo Trail, and Queen's Garden.

Let's celebrate!!

In the upcoming weeks there is going to be a lot of celebrating around here. I have teamed up with some fellow bloggers : StephModo, Ravenna Girls, Assemble Shop and Make and Takes (just to name a few) as well as several local businesses to celebrate my five year blogging anniversary. I will be hosting a variety of giveaways which will include some of my favorite things, local adventures and great locally made products. Whether you live in Seattle or hope to someday visit, the next couple of weeks have been created just for you. Make certain to check back here so you can celebrate right along with me!

Pot Holes State Park

After waking up to rain pitter pattering on our tent in Leavenworth, we decided to make our way farther east to find the sunshine again. Luckily, we did not have to drive far and found it at Pot Holes State Park. We had never been there before, so we walked around the park and enjoyed our time by the river.

The Suite Life Sweepstakes

Would you like to win a night out watching the Mariners from the Key Bank suite for twenty of your closest friends? Simply upload a photo from a Mariner's game you have previously attended to be entered to win. Food, non alcoholic drinks and parking for four vehicles are included.

Entertaining 101: Assembling the perfect cheese Platter

Typically, I am the person who schedules our social activities, but lo and behold Cameron initiated an invitation for the first time in a long while. I am fortunate to be married to someone who is able to get along with just about anyone, so when he wanted to invite someone in particular over, I knew I should jump at the chance to entertain.

Weekend getaway: Eastern Washington

Whenever a long weekend approaches, it is my knee jerk reaction to get out of town. As much as I enjoy living in Seattle, a change of scenery does wonders for my well being. The weather in Seattle is typically disappointing for Memorial day, so we have finally gotten wise and know we should head east to find the sunshine. Eastern Washington might as well be worlds away from Seattle because everything from its demographics to the color palette is so different than the city.

An awesome Saturday in West Seattle

Saturdays for our family, are a day set aside for fresh air, fun and time spent together. We try to limit our outside commitments and reserve our weekend to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect. When you are out on the water, paddle in hand, looking for jellyfish or watching the clouds shape shift, it is hard to have another care in the world.

Leavenworth: a lot more than a Bavarian town

When the weekend comes and the weather is looking questionable in Seattle, we oftentimes head over to Leavenworth in search of sunshine and great hiking. We have our favorite camping spots, hiking trails and nearby in the town of Cashmere is the best BBQ place we have found in the state. There are numerous times we have ventured over to Leavenworth having never even set foot into town. The Bavarian themed shops and restaurants sometimes loose their charm on the tenth, twelfth or twentieth visit, but the beautiful wildflowers, rivers and trees I will never tire of.

Where am I?

Have you ever experienced that moment right after you wake up when you think to yourself. "What day is it? or Where am I? After the past couple of weeks of traveling, being in different states and time zones I have had this moment on one or more occasions when walking up inside a tent. While we were hiking around Durango every time I looked around I could not help but think I was back home in Washington. The mountains, the greenery, it all looked familiar although I had never visited Durango before.