Travel Highlights of 2021

I’m so thankful for the vaccine which has allowed a little normalcy back into our lives. We were fully vaccinated by early April, and as a result, theTravelsketcher and I have taken a good number of trips this past year.

Our first adventure was in April when we went to Eastern Washington to do some wine tasting. Washington wines have grown in popularity over the years and there are some great wineries in the state. You can read about our trip here.

In May we took a much anticipated trip to Oregon to visit friends and family. We spent a full day with our daughter and son-in-law; it was so special to finally be together with them for the first time in many months. I cried when we hugged!

The four of us took a day trip to Hood River and found my grandmother’s home where she lived for many years. The couple who lives there now bought it from her over 30 years ago. They were very welcoming and we had a nice chat. You can read about that here.

In July we spent a few days at a little cabin on Chuckanut Drive, near Bow, WA. The cabin is situated right near our favorite restaurant, The Oyster Bar. The location is secluded, quiet and has a fabulous view of Bellingham Bay. We enjoyed some great meals and even slept outside, under the stars.

In late September and early October we visited National Parks in Utah and Colorado. We went to Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Mesa Verde. We also visited some National Monuments; Hovenweep, Bears Ears and a small section of Grand Staircase Escanlante. All are absolutely stunning. I hope to visit them again someday.

In October we spent three days on Whidbey Island with our dear friends from Oregon. Whidbey is just a short ferry ride from our home, and is the largest island in Washington State.

We stayed at a darling, seaside cottage where we ate, played games, strolled along the beach and watched the birds. We also visited several wineries and a distillery.

In November, we congregated at a large farmhouse near Snoqualmie Falls with family to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was the first time we had all been together since September 2019, when my niece was married. We had so much fun! I am so blessed to have such wonderful sisters. I absolutely adore my nieces, little nephew and I couldn’t have imagined a better Thanksgiving, made even more special with the announcement of a baby boy arriving in 2022.

In addition, we enjoyed eating out frequently, and an evening at Jazz Alley in Seattle to hear Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin.

We also had a delightful holiday celebration with dear friends. Their home was decorated beautifully for Christmas.

On a sad note, in June, we said goodbye to Terry’s mom, Ruth, the last of our parents to pass away. She was a dear, sweet woman, and a lovely mother-in-law and grandmother. She was active up until the very end. I hope I’m this spry at 92!

As I write this, I am enjoying a glass of bubbles while watching the snow fall and eagerly anticipating the year to come, which holds big changes for us. I’m retiring from my job as a project manager in epidemiology in just two weeks. After 34 years in medical research, I am ready for a change and to travel even more!

And, after long last, Terry and I are finally moving ahead with our plan to move to France. As many of you know, we went to France in March, 2020 and found a 230 year old cottage to rent in Normandy.

We arrived at JFK on March 12, 2020 and breezed through customs and immigration in record time. The next day, the travel ban went into effect, and just overnight, everything changed. You can read more about that here. We hope to be settled there by spring; fingers crossed! We’ll always come home for the holidays though, to be with family and friends.

All in all, it was a good year for us personally. I still grieve for those who have suffered so much due to the pandemic. I hope and pray that it will be under control soon; maybe even in 2022.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

A Milestone Birthday

Some Random Thoughts on Sheltering Place and COVID

I hope you have a very happy new year filled with love, joy, happiness and grand adventures.

All the best,

Tricia