Jumping...Urban-Style

Zip lines, coffee, umbrellas, beautiful friends, many miles, amazing Mexican food and a gorgeous city - what a day! For a glimpse into one of my recent free adventures, check out this post by one of my dear friends. Jump, Seattle, jump!

Hike it Off...

I've discovered some great things

about Seattle this year, but this is probably my favorite - Seattle/Mercer Island/surrounding areas are full of trails. And is only 30-45 minutes away from some a-mazing hiking trails, including the Pacific Crest Trail. Mercer Island is connected through neighborhoods, around ponds, by boardwalks, and through what feels like a huge forest...all without leaving the island. I can literally leave my house and in five minutes be on a swinging suspension bridge in the middle of a forest. And in most cases, the trail system connects things better than roads, making it quicker to walk somewhere than to drive there. Can't beat that now, can we?

A few favorite trails to check out when the weather starts to clear (or with crampons/snowshoes, if you are feeling brave right now):

-Melekawa Lake (stunning hike up, waterfalls, natural waterslides, mountain vistas, not too steep)

-Lake Annette (crosses old railways, through forest, alpine clearings, beautiful)

-Kendall's Katwalk (get ready for the legs to burn on this one and plan for a whole day - so worth the view from the top and on the way down.)

So seriously people, go take a hike okay?

Shop Your Own Closet!

Recent finds include:

• flowerly dress that fits perfect - that I've never worn!
• lots of hair bands I forgot about
• some cute blouses, that with a belt, look cute again

I also got rid of some stuff... if you are looking to clean out your closets or have donations you are thinking of getting rid of, consider giving it to Goodwill via World Relief. Your donation, when made in the name of World Relief, earns 'money' for refugees to shop there. This way, refugees who are in need of household items and clothes get to go pick out what they need - and not pay. Pretty sweet, eh?

REI Seminars

This past Tuesday, I headed to the REI Flagship store for a free multimedia presentation on the Green Living Project and their travels to find sustainable lodging and community organizations in South America. The presentation was broken up by country and site visited, each having stories, pictures and a short film. It was amazing! Check out www.greenlivingproject.com for more info on this intriguing organization that simply travels the world to collect stories about organizations, then present them back in the States. There were also freebie galore -- Cliff bars, stickers and lots of raffle prizes! (no, I didn't win anything.. shoot) Anyway, hats off to REI for hosting such a cool event - I will be checking more out in the future. Cost: $0

Fremont Sunday Market

What a little treasure the Fremont Sunday Market is! There has to be over a hundred booths, ranging from crepes to fresh produce to vintage suitcases... such a fun place to wander and explore! Cheap furniture is abound - I saw dressers for $30, funky coffee tables for $15, huge old wooden frames for $10. Amazing! Parking is free on the weekends and the only money I spent was on two nectarines - $2 and delicious! The market runs year-round and can be found across the Fremont Bridge from SPU, right beside Peets Coffee and PCC.

Thanks Fremont, for a delightful Sunday afternoon!

And so it begins...

Come join us as we adventure through the NW looking for fun and straight-up free (or at least super cheap) things to do... have ideas for us? Leave a comment!