{03may2011: Road trip part 1}

While it feels like it's taking spring forever to get to the PNW, we found one partly nice weekend to make our annual road trip up north for tulips and beer!

We started with our favorite bakery/cafe, Farm to Market Bakery, in Bow, Washington.

While we ate delicious baked goods, Darwin munched on grass.

We were a little less organized on this road trip than last year and it ended up affecting the number of stops we made. After breakfast we stopped at Larrabee State Park again for a hike. We parked in the main lot and thought we'd try a different trail to Lost Lake. Because of where we parked we were actually 2.2 miles away from the trailhead and so our hike started on an uphill climb up a service road.

As I said before it was only a partly nice day (some sun breaks, but also clouds and drizzles) so we were dressed in layers for our hike. But of course climbing uphill = HOT in layers, so as we made our way to the trailhead I removed layers til I was down to a tank top and my puffy vest, it really is not a flattering look.

Don't judge me. hahaha

From the trailhead it says it's a 2.5 mile hike to the lake. They lie.

While it was a lovely (steep) hike, after about 2.5 miles you climbed up to the ridge of the mountain and started working your way down, and could see the lake, but never quite got to it. After walking the 2.5 miles, we stopped a passing runner to ask how much further it was to the lake. She told us she's actually never gotten to the lake because there are fallen trees that block the path, and you'd have to climb over them to find your way to the trail. After hearing that, we decided to turn around and head back to the car, after all there was beer and tulips to still get to!

Darwin did have fun though, since it was rainy earlier, the trail was pretty muddy and she had a blast going through the mud puddles.

Let me just tell you, I'm in no shape for a 9 mile uphill hike. It took us at least 2-3 hours, and the next few days my booty and legs were so sore I walked funny.

And I was so exhausted I only managed to take one picture of beer!

Unlike last year's three brewery stops, we only managed to stop at Boundary Bay, but it was really good! That darn hike just took up way too much time (and energy).

Part two of the road trip to come!