Monday, August 13, 2018

Field Trip: Gato Verde Sunset Cruise


 Some time ago our book group had the chance to have our meeting aboard the Gato Verde, and as you can imagine little talking about the book took place. Ever since then Steve and I have been talking about booking a sunset cruise and finally made that happen recently. 



The sunset cruise is a 1.5 hour cruise aboard the first plug in diesel electric hybrid charter boat on the West Coast. Thankfully, we had plenty of wind on our night out to see Todd, our captain work his magic with the sails, and soon we were under way out into the bay. We were paired with four other wonderful people and with plenty of room on the boat you could choose to be social or not. 



Steve and I spent a lot of time either in the seat he was pictured in earlier, in the nets, or a combo of both. There is something so peaceful about sitting in the nets, suspended over the water, with the occasional spray hitting you. Being on the water makes you feel incredibly removed from everything, though it's just a bit of time out of your day in the middle of the week. 




 The Gato, being a 42 foot long catamaran makes for a smooth ride with just a bit of fun when you hit the waves. Steve caught a bit of spray when he was sitting in the front, though  Todd seemed to be able to predict when we would hit and give us fair warning. 



And as far as the sunset part? It was timed out perfectly to see it! Steve and I moved to the back of the boat to chat with Todd and see the beginning of it. But he was sure to maneuver the boat in such a way that we had a perfect view of it from the front as he brought the boat in. 



The sunset is the perfect ending to a relaxing trip. We are now thinking we may need to make it a summer tradition. The cost is reasonable enough that we would even consider bringing our girls. They offer many different types of trips if you are looking for something more. And if not I highly suggest booking your sunset cruise here

Monday, August 6, 2018

Field Trip: Zootunes with Psychedelic Furs & X



Recently I had the good fortune to receive tickets from my friends Diane & Perry to see the Psychedelic Furs & X at the Zootunes concert series at the Woodland Park Zoo. I hadn't been to a concert there since my 20's and was excited to experience it again with friends from college and our daughter Kate (who was given a ticket from Pam! We are so lucky with generous friends!) We brought Sue, my roommate from college down with us so we were ready to reminisce. 

A bonus for us is the doors open around 4:30 and the show starts around 6, with everything being over by 8:30. This was a Sunday show which made it completely doable for us in Bellingham to get to and home in time to get ready for the week. There are a few more shows before the summer is out including Pink Martini which would be a perfect way to end the season. 



You can bring in your own chairs, blankets, and picnics. It's a relaxed atmosphere which for my friends meant two of them watched the Furs show from right by the stage! The rest of us enjoyed dancing in our seats mixed with standing and dancing. 



And really, when they sang 'Love my Way' there was no choice but to stand! It is so crazy to me how music can really transport you to a place in time and the Furs take me back to my time in college and directly after in a way few bands do. They make up a large part of my soundtrack to that time.  Not to diminish X, who made me so happy when they sang 'Breathless!' 



All this music and time with friends from college made me a bit nostalgic. With Sam leaving for college, and Kate hitting her twenties, it also made me realize I have a wish for them. A wish that they will find a group of people that will push them and help them find out new things about themselves that they wouldn't find out otherwise.

 Diane pictured in the photo above with me exposed me to new music, art and ways to thrift that made my life so much richer. She was also the first to really show me what it looked like to live with a real vision of what you were about and I loved it. She was curated from her room, to her wardrobe and it's incredible. 



Pam has been always completely and honestly herself. She has given me nothing but true, heartfelt friendship and I will never feel completely worthy of it. In college we had some hard, deep conversation and we continue to do so. I will never feel judged by Pam and hope she feels the same.



Can you tell by the photo above that Sue has been nothing but trouble from the get go? She was the one behind most of the jokes, pranks, and the funnest times I have ever had in my life.  With those sweet good looks she rarely got in trouble for it! Sue is still one of my closest friends and continues to be know as trouble! 

I hope for our girls that they can find and grow friend groups that challenge them and make them consider new ideas. I know that Sam has a strong group of friends here and I hope they are able to stretch with her as she heads off to college. And that she develops new ones. I will be curious to see what her soundtrack is while she is making those friends.