"Adventure is worthwhile." ~Amelia Earhart

Back in October, I whisked away to Snoqualmie Pass and stayed in a friends family condo. It was a good little get-away. In January, my friend Holly and I decided we should take a little mini-vacation this summer. I got the okay for staying at the condo and we set the date. We both took Friday the 13th off and after I went to a funeral we got on the road to head to our destination. Our plan was to stop at Snoqualmie Falls for a picnic and to see the falls. They are beautiful!! So much water and power.

 Me...with a poor view of the falls. I wouldn't give up having that railing though...

 Holly and me!

 Once we got to the pass, unloaded my car and got settled in, we opened a bottle of wine and poured it in the classy cups and sat down to enjoy a card game.

 Cheers!!

 We kept score and made a bet that who ever lost the card game had to pick where we'd eat dinner out the next night. Holly and I have a hard time deciding where to eat, what to do, etc so this was an appropriate bet. I lost the game so I had to pick the dinner place. 

Saturday morning we got up and headed to Leavenworth. It is a cute little Bavarian inspired town.

 It was hot and a bit sticky...please ignore our "shine." 

 There were flowers EVERYWHERE and I loved them.

 We stopped at the gazebo for some music, walked through an art show, went to a Christmas store and I got an ornament and we had ice cream to save us a bit from the heat.

 The music group was called AlpenFolk and they played fun music...a classy looking accordion...

 ...and even the wooden spoons (the younger guy).

 After a dinner of German sausage and sauerkraut at the Tumwater Inn we headed back for the condo.

We watched a movie and then stood on the balcony for a few hours and chatted. We saw lots of shooting stars and later discovered that a few miles away the Northern Lights were seen. Too bad we weren't up higher, but so glad we saw what we did. 

Sunday morning we got up and hiked up the ski hill right behind the condo. It was beautiful!

 Snow still in the peaks.

 These low laying flowers remind me of dogwood flowers...I need to find out what they are, exactly.

 Once we got done hiking we got ready to head home, packed the car and got on the road. We stopped for cherries (and coffee/steamers) in Snoqualmie and got on our way.

We'd seen a sign for Meeker Mansion on our drive up to the Pass and decided we'd stop if the timing worked out. And, it did. 

When we were pulling off the highway to stop a little mouse came crawling up and out of the engine area of my car, walked across the windshield wipers and back down. We popped the hood and looked for it when we stopped and couldn't see it. Hope it made it out safely.

The mansion was a nice stop. They are restoring it (it has been home to the Meeker's, a nursing home, hospital, etc) and there are some pretty detailed things that were fun to see.

 Door hinges above, door handle below.

 This is one of the rooms they are in the process of restoring...stripping paint to see original ceiling design.

 Shoes of the children, which were eerily tiny...

 Ceiling paintings....I love these...

 Piano (one of two and very large)

 Another ceiling...

 And the weirdest thing...hair art. Apparently, they would get bored and decided they'd create these things with their hair...weird.

 Fireplace...

 Mansion from the front.

Once we got back to the Portland area I dropped Holly off at home and headed home. Rested from a great weekend away with a good friend and I wished we could go somewhere else again...but, back to reality and dreaming of the next trip!