Cabin weekend at Lake Cushman

Since I missed last year's trip to J's cabin, I've been looking forward to this year's trip for MONTHS. Forrest and I left for Lake Cushman on Saturday morning, and I was totally freaking out about getting lost. Because I knew there wouldn't be any cell reception at the cabin, I wasn't sure if I'd have GPS reception and I really, really didn't want to get lost while driving alone. I printed the directions, highlighted the important parts, and memorized the key actions. Good thing I did, because driving on the winding roads and reading directions at the same time might have been really bad. I felt like I was going back to the 00s - when we used Mapquest printouts, considered car GPS units as still new and exciting, and relied on CDs for music when radio went out (because we couldn't stream music from our basic ass Nokias, LOL).

We finally arrived shortly after noon, at J's super cute a-frame cabin. It reminded me of a smaller version of cabins I've stayed at in Tahoe, and the drive actually wasn't so bad. I loved that they don't have TV or Wi-Fi or cell reception, because I so rarely am "off the grid" that I sometimes forget what it feels like. What a relief it is to be disconnected! Not long after I settled in, I walked down to the lake with M, J, and D. Mia, Marley, and Forrest came too, and we played along the water on the naked shore of the once-floating dock. I was so glad that Forrest, Mia, and Marley got along immediately. Instant buds! 

The sun even unexpectedly came out! We later returned to the cabin when we finished our drinks. Time flew by quickly as we drank, ate J's delicious kimchi soup for lunch, drank some more, enjoyed a cheese and salami tray, drank some more, played Pictionary, sat down for a lovely pork loin dinner (with fresh mashed potatoes and roasted apples/onions), drank some more, and played Scattergories. PHEW! The dogs had as much fun as we did, and before I knew it I was waking up to Forrest barking in the early AM on Sunday morning. He got to sleep in a bed with me for the first time! And he spent most of the time off leash, exploring the woods around the cabin. =) 

They even had a RECORD PLAYER! And they let me choose one (based on cover, because I don't really know very many artists in their collection... and the Michael Jackson one was 'banned'). I actually really enjoyed my pick! The cabin was so full of character, and it felt both homey and cozy while providing more than everything that you'd need for a getaway! I'd love to have a cabin, but I don't think I could deal with the upkeep (or the bugs). 

The drive back was pretty painless, and Forrest was absolutely pooped. We had so much fun, I can't wait for the next group trip!! 

The-Dream & Oktoberfest at Leavenworth

One of my favorite R&B artists, The-Dream, came to the Crocodile on a Wednesday night and the concert was SO GOOD! He opened for Hudson Mohawke... but now that we no longer live in Belltown, it was getting too late on a weeknight to stay out and see the main act. But anyways, OMG! So, The-Dream had some suh-weet dance moves and his voice was just as amazing live as on tracks. He did all of his classic songs that I was looking forward to, EXCEPT for Love King! Booooooooo. But that was the only disappointment for his show. We even had to wait an extra 45 mins for him to come on, but it was all worth it in the end.

For the weekend, we rented a cabin in Leavenworth during Oktoberfest! Everyone arrived at different times on Friday night, and we stayed in to do games, PJs, and family dinner. We ended up with lots of junk and frozen food, LOL. For games, we started off with Guesstures and then played Telestrations. SO FUN! Friday night flew by quickly, and then Saturday we headed downtown for Oktoberfest. We reserved a private shuttle to/from the event and it was a FANTASTIC idea because we didn't have to worry about parking or getting DUIs.

Leavenworth is such an adorable town! I felt like I was walking down the streets of Beauty and the Beast, and I could run into Gaston at any of the beer halls. The official event was smaller than I expected, but was a really interesting experience. The brats and turkey legs were so delicious, and I enjoyed the lively live music in the tents. We explored the streets of Leavenworth outside of the official event and checked out some shops. Eventually, we re-entered the event to get some more beers, and headed back to the cabin early. Everyone was so tired from Oktoberfest that only a few of us were still awake at 10 PM. SO LAME! I stayed up past midnight because I couldn't sleep, and I wished everyone else had stayed awake for our last night. Oh well.

The cabin trip was perfect, and I definitely want to plan a repeat trip to Leavenworth! However, now that I've experienced Oktoberfest, I'm not dying to go back for the official event. We waited in line a lot, and it was pretty crowded in most areas. Maybe we can go on an off-week and still get the seasonal beers at local bars, without the crowds. Regardless, I'm still so glad that I finally went!