The Hazard Chronicles

Leavenworth is a funny little town- a tourist trap to say the least. But I have definitely spent my fair share of time there, as it is a gateway to so many opportunities for outdoor recreation. It is kind of weird walking down the street, realizing that I have been to almost every shop, restaurant, and bar in sight, while still feeling like I've actually spent very little time in the town itself. Usually I am sleeping in a car or a tent, and we just go in to eat- but those trips all add up and Leavenworth is starting to feel pretty familiar by this point.

We spent the weekend as a family at this lovely outdoor playground. It was originally just a day trip that was planned- a hike to one of my favorite alpine lakes. The walk was splendid- the fall colors as beautiful as expected and the lake as fresh and breathtaking as the first time I laid eyes on it. The run back down was fast and furious and I was really glad to have shared this area with my kids who haven't been on any of the trips that take me there so frequently. I think everyone fell in love and and we will definitely be back- probably many times.

When we finished the hike we had a little bit of daylight left so we went to the local skatepark and pump track. Randomly, this is one of the best paved tracks in the entire northwest and our kids took to it immediately. Especially Addy and Jack. I skated, but did much better pumping the turns on rollerblades than on a board. Also, Rachel, Maren, and Lindsey had some of their first tries at a three dimensional surface.

That night we went out to a restaurant in town for German food that, according to a patient of mine from Germany, is as authentic as she's ever seen in the states. And as we talked and laughed and relived the day we realized that nobody was ready to go home yet- and why should we be? We had no obligations and a hotel room was just a quick phone call away.

So we stayed.

The next day we spent more time in town- at parks and shops and just walking around the pedestrian path taking in the beauty of the area. The weather was perfect the whole time we were there- Autumn sweatshirt weather- fresh and cool and invigorating. For lunch we went to one of my favorite places where we had good pizza, savory pretzels, and crisp apple cider. 

It was perfect.

We got back home in time to take Evelyn and her friend to a punk rock concert in Spokane. It was a nice end to a family weekend, as Rach and I had several hours to ourselves after dropping them off. As we walked around and talked it was one of those moments of perfect contentment for me- a time to just take a deep breath of cold air and realize how good we actually have it.

Life is awesome.

Wow- our Leavenworth trip was so good that I completely forgot about a few other things this week until I went to put pictures in. This first one is the five of us after watching a ski film in Sandpoint. The season is practically upon us and we are all so excited!

We went to the high school football game. The team won, Ev played in drumline, and the middle school band got to go and participate as well. Here is Addy and her friend, Jace on the saxaphone.

Funny story: We were all sleeping in the hotel when I heard a noise. I looked over and there was Lindsey, sitting up in bed, eating a ham sandwich. What?! Where did that even come from? Lindsey is so weird.

Colchuck Lake in the central Cascades. Does it get any prettier than this? The kids decided it should be called Gatorade Lake because of the color of the water.

We all liked the Bratwursts, but Jackson was the only one who ate all the sauerkraut. Kid doesn't have taste buds.

I'm sorry Rach, but this picture was too good to leave out. For everyone else- she was fine except for a slightly bruised ego.

I hope this next comment comes out right: Evelyn works so hard at things and I think it's awesome. It can be frustrating when some of the people around you pick up on things faster than you do. For many, this can be so discouraging that they stop trying. For Ev though, it is like a personal challenge. I saw it last year with skiing, and by the end of the season she was right there beside me on all the hardest, most consequential runs. This weekend on the pump track, Addy and Jackson did great. Evelyn though, gets the award for the hardest worker, which maybe also serves to make success that much sweeter.

Fruit stand on the road

Autumn time is simply lovely. Have a good week!