family adventures, hiking, pnw

Gold Creek Pond Snowshoe

Gold Creek Pond Snowshoe is a perfect beginner Snowshoe ✨

It’s located 1 hour from Seattle, and offers some of the best winter views . Check the trail conditions and snowfall before you head out. I always like to check WTA and AllTrails for recent reviews of the trail so I know more of what to expect.

Details of the Snowshoe
📍Gold Creek Pond
✅ Snow Park Permit required
🥾 Elevation Gain 45ft (we came in at 72ft)
⭐️ Distance 1.2 mile (we came in at 1.9 )
🏔️ Difficulty easy

Stats are based on AllTrails

One of the bridges we crossed

If you are planning to visit Gold Creek Pond, here are a few things you should know before you go:

It’s in Snoqualmie Pass, WA
You will take the Hyak exit
If the road is closed , add 1/2 mile to your distance.
Dog Friendly
Microspikes /Snowshoes are advised
Roads may be icy and may have snow so be prepared with chains in case they are needed.

Frozen Lake

Check out our Snowshoe Adventure at Whitepass if you want to add another Snowshoe to your list this winter

coffee, family adventures, Review

Seattle Starbucks Reserve Roastery ~ Holiday Menu

The Starbucks Reserve in Seattle never disappoints ☕️

We went right before Christmas to try some of the holiday flavors, like the Starbucks Reserve peppermint mocha, which by the way was delicious! The eggnog cookie was a fun treat that had the sprinkled star, the raspberry cornetto was delish , and my husband always looks forward to the Whiskey Cold Brew when we visit.

Check out how they serve the Whiskey Cold brew with the old fashioned ice cube.🧊

Want a tip on to save for parking? Comment coffee below and I’ll send you how we save on parking ❤️

coffee, Review

85°C Bakery Cafe ~ Review

85°C Bakery Cafe was a fun place to grab coffee at Westfield Century City in LA. The Bakery is loaded with delicious pastries all throughout the store.

We picked up a few pastries to try and I ordered a cappuccino w/ cream . I was in disbelief when it all came to under 10$ .


Looking into the company, I discovered why. Here’s what their website says
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In 2003, the founder of 85°C Bakery Cafe, Mr. Cheng-Hsueh Wu visited a cafe in a 5-star hotel. While enjoying gourmet pastries and drinks, he realized that the prices were set way too high for people to enjoy on a whim. From that moment, Mr. Wu has envisioned a cafe that provides premium coffee, bread, and cake at affordable prices. Thus the 85°C Bakery Cafe journey begins.
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❤️ Totally could go here on a whim at any time!! So yummy!
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I was also wondering how the Bakery got its name and here’s what the company says on their website
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WHY 85ºC?
The name 85ºC comes from the idea that the perfect brewing temperature for espresso coffee is 85º Celsius. For us, the name symbolizes our devotion to provide coffee, breads and cakes of the highest quality to every guest.
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If you haven’t visited before … Go!! Grab a friend and enjoy ❤️If you have been here before , what is your favorite thing to order or should I say things :) Leave a comment ⬇️ I want to try everything!!

Goals

Goals

All starts with first spending time with God ❤️

pnw, Review, travel

Skamania Lodge Review

The husband and I were able to getaway for a few days to @skamanialodge for a romantic getaway right before Christmas which at first I thought was terrible timing but turned out to be just what we needed❤️
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Skamania Lodge has so many things to offer not just for the two of us but for the whole family. There are two restaurants on property , coffee and tea service that is complimentary, Spa , game room set up with games ,adventures like zip lining , on property trails and their Holiday Walk during our stay.


We were able to hike on our way to the lodge and then enjoy the hot tub once we checked in , which was so nice! There is an indoor and outdoor one .. the outdoor was our favorite!


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While we waited for our dinner reservations , we headed to the game room to play a game of chess. After dinner, we grabbed a complimentary umbrella and headed out for the Holiday Light Walk. It was an added treat and we enjoyed it . The best part was hearing an owl throughout the walk …so cool!


It’s no secret we love the Columbia Gorge area and Skamania Lodge is located in a great location to access so many different adventures . There are so many trails in this area to hike , so much history to immerse yourself in , and gorgeous views every where you look!

From our window


Have you ever visited the Columbia Gorge area? If so , what’s your favorite thing to do there?

California adventure, Disneyland, Family activity

Captain American

With Brave New World releasing on February 14 , I thought I would share this meet up at Disneyland with Sam Wilson , who stepped into the Captain America role from Steve Rogers ❤️

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Disney does a great job at creating opportunities to immerse yourself into your favorite characters and worlds when you visit their theme parks . The Cast Members are such a joy to see and bring the magic to everyday moments like the Character Meet Ups. 

If you haven’t already planned your trip, check out all the great deals on the link in my stories for the best prices on your next trip ❤️ 

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And plan to go see the new movie that’s out on Valentine’s Day ❤️❤️ We are so excited to go see it! Check out the preview below ⬇️

Goals, hiking, travel

Columbia Gorge Hiking ~Shepperd’s Dell

View from the path ❤️

Shepperd’s Dell was one of the little stops on the Columbia Gorge that we literally could have driven right past and missed out on all this beauty!


I’m so thankful a friend told us about the trail from the road and that we stopped. It is a very short short hike down a beautiful path to the waterfall❤️ A bonus looking back up at the bridge and path .. I felt like we were in a whole different world

Check out our reel below and follow us for more adventures ❤️

coffee, Gathered thoughts, travel

Waking up to Beauty

I could wake up to this beauty every day ❤️ Even though you can’t see it , there was snow on the ground and the air was so crisp. I literally had to step carefully to not slip on ice on the deck.
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So thankful to get to be in this moment .. hot coffee in hand at a beautiful home with the Columbia George in full view and laughter and chatting all around me.
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Here’s to a year of many more memories like this❤️

Airbnb, family adventures, Review

White Pass Airbnb Review

Loved the bathroom

Check out this cute Airbnb we stayed at on our recent trip to White Pass. It was the perfect spot to stay to refuel, rest and play games before heading back to the Mountain. The hot tub was amazing and we loved the fire and the cabin feel.

Cute living space


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Comment “Getaway “ below and I’ll send you the info on this Airbnb for your next getaway 🎿

Check out our reel below ⬇️

coffee, Review, travel

Thirsty Coffee Bar Review

Check out this hidden gem @thirsty_coffeebar in the Cascade locks area. It was such a sweet reward of coffee after we finished hiking the Colombia Gorge area.


We loved so much about this adorable coffee shop ,like the puzzle that was set out to build , chess boards throughout, photo ops with the joy wall and seating areas ,the adorable water station ,and ofcourse the coffee ❤️ We could have spent our whole day here.


One of the other special touches that we really loved was the Bible verse on the floor, such a sweet touch❤️

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭94‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

They also have a punchcard to get a free drink ..yay! More coffee❤️
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If you are in the Colombia Gorge area, stop by and support this small business❤️❤️

Check out our reel below ⬇️