a bavarian getaway

Tyler and I headed East for a much needed three day weekend adventure: to Leavenworth. It turned out to be a beautiful weekend, mid 80's and sunny! The scenery was amazing along Stevens Pass Highway, with the melting snow and rushing rivers and creeks.





Day one consisted of tasty eats at Gustav's and Pavz, exploring the town a bit, visiting a spring barrel tasting at Wedge Mountain Winery and some relaxation...just what the doctor ordered.



Strolling the streets brought back memories of fun trips with friends and family. If you haven't been to Leavenworth, I definitely recommend it.







The mountain goats were still chillin' and greeting those who pass by.



The riverfront park was peaceful to walk through and lended itself to more breathtaking views.









So much charachter to all of the buildings, so I have to share photos in case you haven't been there. Even the Safeway is all decked out!



















That's all for now. I'll post more soon with the rest of the highlights.

happy birthday, Tyler!

Tyler's birthday on Friday was certainly a cause for celebration! We had a birthday breakfast, and went out to dinner with his family later in the evening. I thought I would pay an over the years photo tribute here on my blog as a fun way to say happy birthday!

farmin' life

Last weekend, after a Saturday morning advising orientation where I greeted my favorite advisee, Ms. Fischer, we headed down to Auburn. We had some very entertaining visitors who pretty much fell in love with Barlee (who wouldn’t?)! Fisch and Nadeje enjoyed the farm date, as did the rest of us. The Hauck farm is bursting with new life…Rocky, of course, and baby chicks and poults (baby turkeys). We jumped on the trampoline, ate way too much delicious food, and enjoyed the sunshine. We even took beauty shots on the tractor. Thanks mom and dad for being wonderful hosts! Included in this post are a random scramble of the 100 or so pictures fisch and I took that day :)

Zoo Town

I attended a regional NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) conference in Missoula MT. Loved that little town which is apparently more affectionately known as Zoo Town?! I had plenty of alone time to explore the sights, coffee shops, cafes, and shops. On the first day, the weather was gorgeous so I hiked up to the 'M' near the University of Montana. It was a steep 3/4 mile climb with beautiful views!







Thanks to my tour guide, Fisch, I had some pointers on exploring the town :)
After the hike, I fell in love with huckleberry ice cream.

The next day, not such nice weather...but I walked around the downtown area to find city hall, a nice building, and a hand painted carousel.



It snowed in the hills during the conference, so I wasn't so sad about being cooped up in the hotel.

The conference sessions included topics such as creating an effective advising program, advising across cultures, reflective advising, mental health counseling, online orientations, advising research, and a few others that escape my mind at the moment. A well planned and informative conference that I much appreciated!
I gave myself a campus tour...go Griz! Here is the Griz statue, some cool art and the school of business.



And of course, the beloved ride on a turbo prop jet...thank goodness for free wine!

where's the lake?!

Its been a busy spring and I feel like I have missed a few highlights along the way. Here is my attempt to play catch-up. Last month, after attending a brief morning presentation at the UW, Nadeje and I decided to head out for a hike. We originally wanted to see the tulips but it turned out they were not yet in bloom. So, I pulled out my trusty hiking book and found what looked to be a beautiful and invigorating hike: past Bridal Veil Falls up to Lake Serene, on hwy 2 on the way to Stevens Pass.

The falls were AMAZING, although so close up that it was hard to take pictures of.



We crossed a rickety bridge, crossed the streams and rivers via rocks, and loved the scenery...




Here I am flexing my muscular strength...

And here is Nadeje enjoying the cool mist from the falls...

All in all, an enjoyable relaxing hike...until we hit the six thousand staircases. What was probably 3 hours later, we hit the stopping point where there was so much snow, we couldn't find the trail to the lake. :( So sad to have gone that far and not been able to see Lake Serene. We even had to slide down the snow on our butts, there was so much of it! Next time, we'll be much more prepared. So, I googled it and here is the beautiful lake that is probably still in hiding:


We'll have to return in the summer and hope that the trails are clear.