Seattle to Chelan

The 3 hour drive over from Seattle to Chelan on Thursday was beautiful. My main concern was how Dahlia would fare. By the time we hit the road in the afternoon, she was zonked. I told her that we would be in the car for a long time and told her to take a nap. Snuggled with her favorite stuffed animal Mr. Cat and her super soft blanket, she slept for two hours and woke up in Wenatchee. We took a break to play, potty and run through the sprinklers at Confluence State Park.

Chelan greeted us with thundershowers and two gorgeous rainbows. Every time we get in the car now, D asks where the rainbows are.

Since our arrival, we have been off the grid; just keeping Dahlia happy at the playground, pools, lake etc. Regardless, I have found that on this vacation there is too much to Tweet. I think in 140 character spurts, but there are so many, it would become white noise. And I’m supposed to be unplugged, but what’s the fun in being totally isolated?

Instead, I’ll throw a few fake Tweets down here, just to get them out of my system.

• Life or death situation required a purchase at Chelan’s new Wal-Mart. Forgot a baby crib & our loft has lots of deadly climb/fall possibilities.
• Just saw the world’s shortest parade in Chelan, WA. A rodeo exhibition is in town, turned out to be 1 fire truck, 1 cop, 1 clown, 10 horses.
• Having BBQ lunch at Lake Chelan Winery. A+ for the BBQ Pork sandwich & view. D- for their Chardonnay and Pinot.
• It’s difficult to get an “accidental” sunburn with all these thunderstorms!

There are many new shops and hotels in Chelan as things change seasonally and with the economy. I was happy to see a few neighborhood coffee houses and a little annoyed at the shiny, new Starbucks. The old staples, like Campbell’s Resort and Lakeview Drive-in are still around.

Today we went to the farmer’s markets in Manson (nothing there to speak of- kids selling lemonade for 50 cents a cup) and Chelan. There were less than 10 vendors in Chelan, but we bought a little sculpture of 4 quails on a log. It’s garden art, super cute for $25.

B and I can’t help but look at real estate. No matter where we are, we’re drawn to it… sucked in… maybe it’s because we are curious about how much property values differ from region to region. Maybe I’ve always wanted a place in Chelan… We looked at a few buildable lots and a few “fixer-uppers” (tear that sucker down!). It’s fun to dream, but we’ll see what happens.

Tomorrow is B’s b-day. D and I are going to make cupcakes with sprinkles and sliders on the grill.