Sunshine? Wine? Good views? Good company? Sign me up.
My parents friends offered us a weekend at their timeshare in Chelan during April, and we were thrilled to take them up on their generous offer. We went with Devon (a former co-worker of Matt's) and her husband Noah, fellow West Seattleites.
After getting an early afternoon start Friday we were headed over the mountains with blue skies all around. We were delighted to still see lots of fresh snow and discover that if you came in early April, there were even snowy mountains all around Chelan. We grilled up some delicous fish and vegetables Friday night and then hit the hot tub.
Saturday after an egg scramble and cinnamon rolls to get us going we headed into the 'town' of Chelan. I can't say there was all that much there, but there were a couple cute blocks of shops and a delightful waterfront park where we basked in sunshine.
We went in search of a house for sale that Devons parents were interested in and ended up on a dirt track up in the foothills winding through orchards and finally disappearing. A great way to break in their new FJ with a few new squeaks. Thanks for nothing, GPS.
After lunch it was time for wine tasting. The first stop was Karma, which boasted a nice view, bread and cheese to go with your tasting, outdoor seating, and decent wine. They make champagne there and we got a tour of the wine cave and explanation of the champagne making process which was super interesting. (Did you know turn the bottles upside down so the yeast goes into the top, flash freeze the end of the bottle, open it up and pop out the 'yeast cap' then throw in some flavoring and other stuff and then pop the cap back on?).
Second stop was Tsillan Cellars which had another nice view, cool building, and decent wine.
The third, and best stop of the day was Benson Vineyards, which had both the best wine and the best views of the three. Highly recommended if you're in the area. We had sunshine and warm weather throughout the day, which made it all doubly enjoyable.
After we were wined out we enjoyed a gigantic bowl of guacamole while lounging in the grass, took a walk along the lake front, and then grilled up some more delicious food - steak and asparagus this time.
Sunday we spent a relaxing morning at the condo and then decided we would make a loop out of it and drive back over Highway 2 through Leavenworth since some of the group had never been there. Washington's little Bavarian village is always a good time and we wandered the shops, strolled Blackbird Island, sampled the bratwurst, marveled at the cuteness, and stopped by Kestrel - always one of the favorite wineries.
All in all, a fabulous, relaxing weekend - just what we needed.
My parents friends offered us a weekend at their timeshare in Chelan during April, and we were thrilled to take them up on their generous offer. We went with Devon (a former co-worker of Matt's) and her husband Noah, fellow West Seattleites.
After getting an early afternoon start Friday we were headed over the mountains with blue skies all around. We were delighted to still see lots of fresh snow and discover that if you came in early April, there were even snowy mountains all around Chelan. We grilled up some delicous fish and vegetables Friday night and then hit the hot tub.
Saturday after an egg scramble and cinnamon rolls to get us going we headed into the 'town' of Chelan. I can't say there was all that much there, but there were a couple cute blocks of shops and a delightful waterfront park where we basked in sunshine.
We went in search of a house for sale that Devons parents were interested in and ended up on a dirt track up in the foothills winding through orchards and finally disappearing. A great way to break in their new FJ with a few new squeaks. Thanks for nothing, GPS.
After lunch it was time for wine tasting. The first stop was Karma, which boasted a nice view, bread and cheese to go with your tasting, outdoor seating, and decent wine. They make champagne there and we got a tour of the wine cave and explanation of the champagne making process which was super interesting. (Did you know turn the bottles upside down so the yeast goes into the top, flash freeze the end of the bottle, open it up and pop out the 'yeast cap' then throw in some flavoring and other stuff and then pop the cap back on?).
Second stop was Tsillan Cellars which had another nice view, cool building, and decent wine.
The third, and best stop of the day was Benson Vineyards, which had both the best wine and the best views of the three. Highly recommended if you're in the area. We had sunshine and warm weather throughout the day, which made it all doubly enjoyable.
After we were wined out we enjoyed a gigantic bowl of guacamole while lounging in the grass, took a walk along the lake front, and then grilled up some more delicious food - steak and asparagus this time.
Sunday we spent a relaxing morning at the condo and then decided we would make a loop out of it and drive back over Highway 2 through Leavenworth since some of the group had never been there. Washington's little Bavarian village is always a good time and we wandered the shops, strolled Blackbird Island, sampled the bratwurst, marveled at the cuteness, and stopped by Kestrel - always one of the favorite wineries.
All in all, a fabulous, relaxing weekend - just what we needed.
