After all of the hiking, driving, and general mayhem of the previous several days, we decided that Day 4 was going to be a slightly more relaxing day for us. It is, after all, our honeymoon. To start things off, we traveled back to Seattle to look for the perfect spot to eat breakfast. Libby scanned through the list of restaurants on the Garmin looking for a cute sounding name, while I looked out the window for a cute looking cafe on our route. Unfortunately, we took too long searching, and ended up with the perfect lunch spot instead. We had a delicious meal anyway, and then decided to head back to REI to pick up a pair of backpacking boots for me to use. The experiences on Mount Rainier the previous day had given us an incentive to climb (big) Mount Si, and we wanted to have the perfect equipment. Besides, I needed a pair of boots anyway, and would you look at that, we get 10% off all purchases from our own wedding registry! I spent my usual hour or so examining all my options, analyzing the differences, trying the boots on, re-analyzing the differences, comparing the price, and starting to analyze the differences yet again, until Libby finally grabbed a pair and said “We’ll take them”. Meanwhile, Libby was tempted by a pair of flashy red trail running shoes herself, but she exhibited excellent self control and decided that she couldn’t really justify them given that she already had two pairs of top-of-the-line boots. That those boots were back in Fort Wayne was a separate issue, but she decided she could make due with her running shoes for Mount Si.

Once the purchases at REI were complete (other items picked up included a headlamp in case we decided to do some early morning or evening hiking, and a small trowel and portable pack of toilet paper in case the trail went on just a little too long), we left Seattle and headed north towards the wine country of Woodinille. Several wineries make their home there, and we decided to stop and take a tour of one of the largest, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery. I found the tour to be extremely interesting, as our guide explained the differences between the various wines and grapes, how the different wines are made, and the history of wine making in the area. Meanwhile, Libby found the tour to be extremely boring, as the guide explained the tedious details about wines and grapes, how the wines are made, and the very dry history of the area. It turns out that while I know nothing of wine, Libby knows nothing about paying attention to tour guides. She perked up later, however, when the guide mentioned the wine tasting at the end of the tour. There, she was able to school me on pretending to be snooty during a tasting, as she enjoyed dropping adjectives like “floral”, “hints of berry”, “apricot finish”, and “oak-aged amber” in an aristocratic, British voice.

Once the tour was done, we explored the grounds of the winery a bit, enjoying the beautiful weather. We were a little disappointed to find that there were no fields of grapes to look at, as the grapes are actually grown in the eastern Washington desert, but we quickly moved on and headed back to our Lodge. Upon arriving there, Libby immediately turned in for her usual nap, while I headed out for my first run with the Garmin wrist watch (geeky data galore!). We then decided it was time to go in search of dinner, and stumbled across a small Italian restaurant only a couple of minutes from our hotel, complete with large, jolly Italian owner. We spent the rest of the evening there, enjoying the delicious food and reflection on our travels.

Signing off,

Ravioli Stuffed Lib and Wine Expert Steven

Travel question of the day: Which is better a good cup of coffee or a good glass of wine?