But the real treat was something completely unexpected. We drove through the Cascade Mountains on our way into Leavenworth. Trees towered miles above our heads. Being near Forks, I of course expected to see vampires leaping from treetop to treetop, sparkling in the mid-morning sun. There was a promising haze of smoke, but, there were no vampires. (The haze was actually the remnants of a devastating forest fire that didn't seem real until we got there. It's real. And it's horrifying. Miles and miles of indescribably beautiful forest, gone.):
Smoke aside, the drive was incredible. In Oklahoma, we set the car on cruise control (auto pilot) and let it go north, south, east, or west until we hit another state. In Washington, there is no such luxury. The roads wind, climb, and dive. And they use the same guardrails we use in Oklahoma. The trade off? Miles of pine trees, mountains of fall color, fruit stands every 200 feet. Lovely.
We stayed at the Sleeping Lady Resort. The first thing I did upon arriving at our cabin was look up (for vampires, of course):
Breath taking. Really. It takes your breath away. And then you breath deep and know the taste of happy. You know the sound of wind whispering in the pine trees? I didn't know it until this weekend. The wind in the pines usually blows about 60 mph and involves some form of ice that is either going to (1) destroy my car or (2) destroy my roof. There's a different wind in the pines in Washington.
We checked into our cabin.That's right--I stayed in a cabin. With no t.v. (We had WiFi--I don't do camping. I don't even do "glamping."). But it was a cabin--quite an adorable one at that:
Pine everywhere. And the throw at the end of the bed doubles as a snugly wrap to wear on the deck and on the trail to breakfast in the morning. Our room key came with a flashlight to light the way back at night. We didn't need it, because there was a full moon over the mountains. Breath taking.
We stayed in an alcove cabin. It has a real alcove with a charming little window and reading lamp.
I kind of loved the alcove. (I also kind of love the shoes I'm wearing--Sanuks--get some. You won't be disappointed.).
The day of the wedding, we woke up around 6. (It's not that I hate mornings, it's just that I live in the wrong time zone.). Breakfast was an unexpected treat. I don't like breakfast food. But fresh berries, apples right off the tree, waffles, and organic tea and eggs have made a breakfast eater out of me. We were stuffed. But not so stuffed that we couldn't explore:
This is right by the pool, which is in a natural rock formation and is heated. As in hot. As in, we went swimming at 9 in the morning when it was 55 degrees outside, and it was amazing.
This is the river on the resort property. I want to go back. And build a cabin. And grow apples right on a tree and forget I ever knew law.
My husband's old friend got married (more on the wedding in another post). He's seen me through countless military academy events. Trips to New York. Spring break.
He told my husband he'd never seen me smile so much.
Nature agrees with me. Or vampire hunting.
I think it's nature. Fresh air. No cell phone signals.
Quiet peace. We walked. And talked. And enjoyed silence. We didn't see any vampires or werewolves. We did meet the resort dogs, an aging golden retriever and an aging black lab. We drove winding roads (in our Subaru Outback) and felt like we had adventured. And all of this while enjoying heated towel racks and in-shower all organic lemon scented amenities.
The Sleeping Lady Resort in Leavenworth, Washington. Go there. You won't be disappointed.
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