Living in Western Washington, I see Mt. Rainier every day just about anywhere that I am at.  It’s always somewhere in sight and one of the best mountains that I see.

For the number of years I have lived in Washington, I figured it was about time I finally explore the area, and the weather could not have been more perfect on the day I went.  I did one small hike for just about a mile or two, and even that was enough to see so much of the mountain and the surrounding area.   Both the hike and driving around the park for a couple hours were awesome, there was so much to see and it was so cool to finally see the mountain up close.  Plus, there really are not a lot of places you can hike around the snow during summer time in shorts and a tank top and still be warm!

Exploring is easy when you live in a state that offers so much sightseeing.  The San Juan Islands offer some of the best views of Western Washington, no matter which island you visit.

Last week I took a day trip up to Friday Harbor, located on San Juan Island, and I had a blast.  Friday Harbor is a cute little town right on the water that I love to visit during the summer time.

Being totally honest, the commute to the island was definitely not ideal.  After about an hour driving and three hours of ferry rides, I was so excited to finally arrive.  And it was all worth it.

One of the main reasons I visited the town this summer was because I was dying to drive the mopeds around the island.  Susie’s Mopeds in Friday Harbor offers mopeds, scoot coupes, and electric bike rentals for a fun day on San Juan Island.

After realizing that I was too short and too underweight for the mopeds, my boyfriend and I decided to drive the scoot coupes instead.  It was SO much fun! At first looking at it, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as the mopeds.  But I was totally wrong.  It was awesome!  My boyfriend and I took turns driving around and got to sit next to each other this way and experience it together.

In under three hours, we were able to see some of the islands greatest sights without seeing the entire island itself.  We drove to a couple beaches and had a great time cruising around in our fun vehicle for the day.  Plus, the view of the Olympic Mountains and all the other mountains around us on such a nice day was amazing.

When I first started driving the scoot coupe, it took some practice before I could get the hang of there not being pedals, as everything was controlled from the steering.  I would like freak out and try to use the brakes, but there would be no pedal.  It definitely took some getting used to lol.

After we were done cruising around the island, I had to visit my favorite ice cream shop right on the water in Friday Harbor.  I visit the ice cream shop everytime I come to the island.  Definitely a must-have.  Friday Harbor Ice Cream Co. offers 72 flavors of the best ice cream I’ve ever had.  The Cookies ‘N Cream is my personal favorite.  Enjoying some ice cream on the water as evening was approaching was the perfect way to end the day.

Back at it again. Summer is definitely my favorite time of year and pairs perfectly with my love of traveling.  The convenience of heading up north to British Columbia from Seattle is always a fun little excursion to enjoy on a weekend off of work in the summer time.  This trip marks my third summer in a row visiting the big city.

So what all is there to do in Vancouver BC?

A LOT.  The total pacific northwest scenery and nature surrounding the large city makes for so many excursions and activities, including many things to do downtown as well, mainly all being within walking distance. And the best part?  It can all be done within just two days (and on a budget!)

The perfect way to begin the trip is walking around Vancouver’s historic district, Gastown, to see the iconic steam clock and stop by the town’s many shops, bars, and restaurants.  One of my favorite bars in Gastown is 131 Water Kitchen & Bar.  They offer a great selection of food and drinks right in the center of Gastown.

After walking through Gastown, Vancouver’s shopping district is a great place to go.  There are so many shops to choose from including Nordstrom, Prada, Gucci, Brandy Melville, Adidas, Urban Outfitters, and much more for those who love to shop.  For me personally, I am totally in love with Brandy Melville apparel.  I could not resist stopping by the store in Vancouver as there are none in the Seattle area or anywhere nearby.  It was seriously like a dream come true, lol.

Another must-see in Vancouver is Granville Island.  It is a little bit further and takes a while longer to walk, but is definitely not horribly far away.  I’ve walked there once and rode the aqua bus across to the island which was fun to do.  However, on this trip, I drove.  The public market on the island is basically like a huge expansion of Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  There are so many food, antique, and beauty vendors in the market to look at that I feel like I could get lost in there.  They all offer great products that you definitely want to spend a bit more time through the market just to see everything. Of course, walking around that cute part of town is always fun too, not to mention with a great view of downtown Vancouver on the other side of the water.

Continuing the festivities of day one in Vancouver, driving over to Stanley Park from Granville Island is probably one of the best parks in the city to visit.  Other than the fact that it is huge, it’s a nice city park right on the water with great views all around.  Although I love the scenery of the pacific northwest, I got so excited when I saw a portion of the park with a bunch of palm trees.  The palm trees only enhanced the beach walk experience.

Nearing the evening of day one, I would definitely recommend a nice, fancy dinner in Yaletown.  This year, I had my first dinner in Gastown, and while that was nice, I prefer the dinners offered in Yaletown as there are so many nice restaurants to choose from in that part of town.  Definitely a younger part of town for people my age to go to at night for the restaurants and bars.  You also get to see more of the city that was not seen earlier in the day by choosing Yaletown over Gastown.

My all-time favorite bar in Vancouver that I have gone to each year now is Steamworks Brewing Co. located right on the water near Gastown.  I always get the same drink each time I am there, the bellini.  The drink consists of Captain Morgan white rum, peach liquor, champagne, peach slush, and sangria, topped off with a large gummy worm candy.  It’s a bit sweet but very good.

Starting off day two, I took an excursion just 20 minutes away from the city to Capilano, just north of downtown, to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  This was the first time I have visited the bridge and it was definitely thrilling for me.  Even though I have an intense fear of heights, the experience was totally worth it.  I walked across the wobbly suspension bridge as well as the cliff walk which both seemed as if they were thousands of feet off the ground.  I was only slightly terrified haha.  Nevertheless, whether you are or are not afraid of heights, it is definitely a must-see while in Vancouver.  There was a lot of great scenery to look at and photograph.

Another excursion that I did in place of the suspension bridge last year was visiting the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus.  That is also something fun to do in Vancouver as well.  The campus was probably one of the nicest and fanciest college campuses I have seen.  It contained so much modern architecture and a very nice botanical garden overlooking the water and mountains in the back.  I would also recommend visiting the campus after Capilano.

And you’ve basically seen it all! It’s amazing how much of the city you can see in just under 36 hours.  Of course, there is a lot more to look at such as many other shops and restaurants, Chinatown, as well as hikes and other outdoor activities.  But overall, you have now seen Vancouver’s top attractions on a fun mini-vacation!  I always have so much fun visiting each year and love exploring new parts of the city I have never been to before and trying new things each time.

After being at school and away from home for six weeks, I was so ready for a much needed weekend trip back home in Seattle and it was so much fun.  It was probably one of the best weekends I have had in a while.  Being such a short trip, it went way too fast and I am missing home already.

After a night of traveling, the next day could not have been more perfect.  As a late Valentine’s Day and anniversary celebration, my boyfriend planned the best surprise for us to spend the day together and celebrate.

The first thing planned was to go to the top of the Space Needle in downtown Seattle.  As a Seattleite, you’d think I have been to the Space Needle before, but I have not! As my boyfriend knew that, he surprised me by taking me there and spending time on the observation deck for some great views.  It was so much fun and I loved finally being able to go there, even on a rainy, typical Seattle kind of day.

After visiting the Space Needle for a few hours, it was time for surprise number two, a visit to Discovery Park.  As my boyfriend also knew that I hadn’t been to Discovery Park either, he surprised me by taking me there as well!  I loved it.  It was a total pacific northwest kind of beach and it was so fun to walk around the beach area and look at the cute, old lighthouse.  Despite the fact that it was totally freezing and a rainy and windy day, it was totally worth the visit.

When we were ready to leave after hanging out at Discovery Park, my boyfriend surprised me by taking me out to dinner at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Maggiano’s (Little Italy) in downtown Bellevue.  It was the best.  We both enjoyed our pasta’s and fancy dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day and our anniversary together.

To finish off our perfect day together, there was one surprise left for me.  My boyfriend rented out his apartment’s movie theater for the two of us that night to watch some of my favorite movies and eat some of my favorite snacks.  The day could not have ended any better.  It was perfect.

We spent the next day on Whidbey Island, visiting with family and celebrating my grandpa’s birthday.  I always have a great time visiting Whidbey Island and love riding the ferry boat over and back.

It was sad to have left after one of the most perfect weekend’s and I cannot wait to come back home again soon.