January adventures were limited as were the shenanigans. We’re back home in Oregon and the weather is…January in the Pacific Northwest. That being said, when we were in Washington for the holidays, my naughty sister-in-law ( J ) decided my daughter-in-law ( K ) and I needed to accompany her on a “girl’s” weekend.
After convincing her husband to pay for lodgings, the planning started. And stopped. The weekend she wanted was the first weekend in January. Still considered the holidays there was no room at any inn, unless my brother-in-law was willing to pay 5 star prices. K also wanted my niece to come. She lives and works in Los Angeles. A word about my niece here: She is; bold, fearless, kind, thoughtful, a kick in the pants, and somewhat crazy. It surprised everyone when my niece turned out to be the voice of reason here and not only convinced the other two women to wait, but also that she would not be joining us. She has a job and other responsibilities. Therefore, we opted for the second weekend in January, much to my relief.
After texting and calling on group threads the three of us chose Poulsbo WA. J had been there and enjoyed it. I had driven through but never stopped. K – who hales from Georgia by way of San Francisco – had never been.
January 10th I drove from Eugene OR to Lynnwood WA. The next day J and I picked up K in Kenmore WA and we were off for the Edmonds ferry dock. Somehow we timed it just as the ferry left, but that put us first in line. We were happy ladies, even though it was too cold for the other two to walk the dock. It was a gorgeous Pacific Northwest winter day.
There was a moment of panic on J’s part when she realized she had not booked the hotel she thought she had. But, it ended up being a cozy room with a pull out couch and two queen beds.
We deposited our belongings in the room and headed down the hill to the older part of town and food.
The first stop was an Italian restaurant, Songo di Vino. We each ordered wine of our choosing and two different charcuterie boards. So good. I had a Malbec that worked so well with the brie, goat cheese, bread and salami and everything. The atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for on a cold winter day; cozy, warm, small, with a fireplace.
Next stop was Tea and Spice. I probably could have spent hours in this shop. If my daughter had been with us we would have. These lovely people will brew a cup of any tea in the shop for you to taste. J requested a cup of the Lush Tropic Chai White Tea for both of us. I ended up going back just before closing to purchase a container.
We stopped and browsed more shops than I can remember. Our last stop in Old Town was Details Wine Bar. Another Malbec for me please. J and K had tasters and a glass each. We needed food again.
We headed back up the hill toward the hotel. Conveniently located across the road from our hotel was Mezcalitos Mexican Restaurant. Oh my! We started with sangria. Oh my! I ordered chicken mole. I have never had chicken mole served that way before. I was served a hind quarter with the most delicious mole sauce. As we were finishing our food and drinks K ordered three shots of tequila. Shenanigans these women get me into! I did not partake.
We returned to the hotel with full tummies and bright spirits (some brighter than others). After working a puzzle and watching a holiday rom/com, we turned in for the night. We had a tight schedule the next day. We had to make an early ferry and get K home before my son went to work.
We made it! And we’ll do it again. Perhaps a different town – look out people – and maybe with my niece and my daughter in tow.
Unfortunately, I did not have either of my cameras with me and only took a video of happy J on my cell. I have chosen not to publish said video.
January Adventures Continued
By the time the last week in January rolled around my husband, David, and I had both been home since January 13. We hadn’t left Eugene since my romp in Poulsbo January 12th. David hadn’t been anywhere since the New Year when we were up in Seattle. Cabin fever had arrived. So we pulled up the internet on our respective phones and started hunting. We chose the Commodore Hotel in Astoria OR.
Since we are retired, reservations midweek are the best option. Our reservations for Thursday and Friday were locked in. Yahoo!
A few words about the Commodore Hotel. The Commodore was built and opened in 1925 after most of the town burned in 1923. For reasons known only to the owner, the hotel closed its doors in 1965. In 2007 it was purchased, renovated and reopened in 2009.
It is an interesting building. All of the street side rooms have private bathrooms. All of the interior rooms share bathrooms. On the bedside table there is a sound machine and earplugs. The first evening we figured out why.
A couple of the window panes are original rolled glass and the others are single pane. I should have used the earplugs.
The evening we arrived we started at Barclays Whiskey Bar. Very Cozy. Very good drinks. Not my mother’s hot toddy. From here we moved to Fort George Brewing for tasters and pizza. A gastronomical wonder. At this point it was time to return to the room for the night. Did I mention it was pouring rain most of the night.
The rain continued with force the following day. While we ate a scrumptious breakfast in the hotel cafe we searched our phones for inside activities – other than drinking and eating. The answer was the Maritime Museum on the RiverWalk. But before we dove to the museum we had to drive across the Astoria Megler Bridge to Long Beach WA.
No trip to the Mouth of the Columbia is complete without a trip to Long Beach. David and I brought our children to the Long Beach Peninsula almost every year while they were growing up in Whatcom County Washington. Of course it was still pouring so I got out of the car long enough to take a photo of the ocean.
We probably spent two hours in the museum. Much like the Shipwreck Museum on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Maritime Museum held a lot of information about the shipwrecks on the Columbia Bar. It is one of the most dangerous water ways in the world, nicknamed Graveyard of the Pacific. There were three dimensional maps recording all the shipwrecks for two centuries. There were models of several of the ships that had gone down in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
The museum also had an extensive exhibit on the Chinook Nation and their culture. This included two full size family canoes. It was inspiring to learn how this Nation of people refused to be relocated. Therefore, they are not recognized by the US Federal government as an independent nation. They are still fighting for that recognition.
After spending so much time in the museum our very filling breakfast had worn off. Once again it was time to find food. And it was still raining. This was not going to be a photography day.
We began our search for refreshment by heading south on the RiverWalk.. I would love to come back and walk the entire RiverWalk in the spring or summer. The views of the Columbia and the Washington side are astounding. I love this area.
Where we finally landed, after much searching and looking at some misleading photos online, was WineKraft Wine Bar. While we watched freighters lined up and waiting to cross The Bar, we each had a glass and perused our phones for dinner.
Astoria Brewing right across from WineKraft. Another set of tasters. I really liked these beers and usually when we do tasters I only like one or two. I honestly don’t remember what I ate here. I know it was good. Perhaps I had more beer than I usually do.
Saturday morning dawned fairly dry, which was good since we were heading home.
First; sustenance for the road. It was time for a bakery.
The Blue Scorcher seemed to have the best reviews and they were open. The coffee was heavenly as was my berry scone. We ate at the window bar and watched a couple of adorable toddlers while talking with their mommies. Then it was time to go home.
Another notch on our travel belt. This was a very interesting trip. Astoria is one of those towns David and I pass through occasionally but never spend more than a couple of hours visiting. We know now that we will return – not in January.
Thank you for reading my blog. As I said before; I am learning. Hopefully future posts will be presented more attractively and have more photos. ( I really didn’t take many pictures last month ). Please feel free to email me or leave comments on my home page. ( Be gentle , please)