The night before last, we discovered a hidden local spot called Teddy Bear Cove (I won't delve too much into it, because you have to find it for yourself). After crossing some warm railroad tracks, we set up the hammock to wait for the sun to go down. And you won't believe what I am going to tell you we were waiting on- Bio-luminescent Plankton. When we first heard of this magical spot, my inner nerd surfaced at full force. It was like nothing you've ever seen. Just after midnight, a high school bonfire was taking place at this local spot. We were not able to fully embrace the mysterious glow from these marine creatures, but it was still a magical feeling. I walked into the chilled water, about knee-height. After waving my hand back and forth beneath the surface, it was like fairy dust began to follow my every movement. As if Peter Pan himself had come to life and shared Tinkerbell's magic dust. Another part of this encounter that I want to share- As fresh parents, we are at a confusing stage in life. And we talk about this a lot. We are in that awkward mid-20s phase where hanging around high schoolers makes us feel especially old. And hanging with seasoned parents makes us feel more comforted, yet still not quite in our comfort zone. So there we stood at Teddy Bear Cove, surrounded by high schoolers in their prime "Make-Out" years. To our left was the fire that brightened out the magical plankton's glow along with two kids making out, rolled up in a sleeping bag. Collin said, "We'll remember this place when Olin says she's heading off to Teddy Bear Cove one day." I giggled inside. And to our right was another nerdy family, like ourselves, with the dad in full force pacing back and forth in the water searching for glowing sea life and cursing the kid's fire under his breath. We will be back for you, bio- luminescence. So the trip up from Leavenworth was spectacular.We found some wall art by Jamie Lynn right after crossing over Steven's Pass. The mountains out here are unreal, for giants. So I took control of the wheel heading up the big mountain pass. "You can't eat peanuts and drive!" Collin demands while I steer around curvy turns at a roaring 40 mph. At this point in the day, my hanger has set in full speed, "I can eat damn peanuts and drive if I want to, I am an adult!" I fuss back. As I drive the van upward of what I think is the pass, Collin tells me to speed it up. My blood begins to boil (woman rage stirring). I cram more peanuts in my mouth and Collin points out the line of about 8 cars behind the van. "The speed limit is 60, Allie," he says. Aggravated, I gas it up to 60 and go into silent mode. It turns out that I was just driving up a big hill that wasn't even the mountain pass and stubbornly realize that Collin was right- I should have sped up. I switch from peanuts to Olin's to-go applesauce and take in the views along the way, cruising at a solid 50- 55 mph. Hey, feed me snacks and let me drive like a grandma and I'm a happy camper. This Place Smells Like Home.Walking down the boardwalk by the bay, I smell and feel the same thing. A brew of freshly harvested apples and clean linens stirs my senses, and I am reminded of both summers spent on my grandparent's dock in Florida and fresh pickin's from my grandparent's garden in Tennessee. Bellingham is really showing her good side to us. Click Here to see a video of our Washington Adventures! :)
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