We decided to take a drive up to Snoqualmie Falls, doing some sightseeing along the way.

Where to begin? Lets start with my friend Erin (poohstanggt) coming into town, and while she was here she wanted to see some local area sights. One of the things she wanted to see was the Snoqualmie falls. I heard this and said cool, I have some ideas - we can do stuff in Snoqualmie and the neighboring town of North Bend. We headed up Hwy 18 which is a cool shortcut to I-90 if your coming from the south end of the puget sound = tacoma/auburn/federal way/etc. Hwy 18 starts/ends in Federal Way and Snoqualmie. We come under I-90 at the end of Hwy 18 and round the corner into the "new" snoqualmie area. There is a new housing developement that has a restaurant & shopping area adjasent to the housing area. We drove thru to scout(look for) some places to eat for later in the afternoon/evening.  After that we decided to head down towards the falls which is just a  few miles away.

On the way to the falls we stop at a shop called "Premium Cigar and Wine" to take a peek. Cool little shop, it has wines and a few types of other alcoholic beverages for sale as well as a walk-in humidor for those cigar lovers. It also has some other misc. fun items as well. I purchased a few things including a see-thru liqour flask gift set(for me:) and a couple inexpensive wine openers for when i take wine to gatherings(thus if I forget it I am not out $20)  and i also got a cool (cobalt blue colored) bottle of SAKE. After this we made our way to the falls.

The Snoqualmie Falls is located right by the road, and the observation platform and viewing areas are just a few hundred feet from the parking lot. Next to the falls is the Salish Lodge and Spa which is a very nice place , where people can get away for relaxation wether it be for anniverseries or honeymoons, and they don't have to travel far to do it. They have a good spa ($$) and nice rooms with a great view.  We took some pics of the falls(i have seen the inside of the resort before) and we headed down to see old snoqualmie and then in to North Bend. Along the way to North Bend we see some cool old trains and a very old chunk of tree from the old logging and early settlement days of the Northwest. We then continue on to the North Bend Outlet mall and see another cool pic opportunity along the way(see "got rice" photo).

The Factory Stores At North Bend,  is an outdoor mall where the parking is in the center of the outter retail  buildings(buildings form sort of a circle). Erin was very excited to learn that they had a coach store(for guys like me with no clue = its a purse store) and bought herself a little "blue" treat. I bought a few things in the Nike store including some shoes(yay). We also checked out a few other places including the skechers store(my fav. shoes). Then we were feeling hungry so we headed back to Snoqualmie to grab some grub(food).

We Headed back towards the newer part of Snoqualmie and decided to try a place called Finaghty's Irish Pub and Restaurant to have a couple of beers and see what the menu looked like(Erin loves Irish pubs, which is good for me , cuz this place was cool). We found out it was happy hour and that there were beer specials and half price appetizers, so we were sold especially after seeing some interesting items on the menu and nice beer choices as well. Erin was happy like a giddy lil school girl when she learned they had Schmittwicks on tap! She ordered and drank beer after beer til we basically had to help her to the car!  Ha Ha just kidding, Erin is reading this and saying "darn that shane and his fake stories" lol. (reality) Erin had a couple beers and I responsibly had 1 Belgian Blue Moon import beer(first time trying it - not bad). We ordered atleast 4 different appetizers and the food was very good. Now I here the other food choices close by have good food as well, but the combination of the food, drinks and the people were just great at Finaghty's. Thanks to everyone there for putting up with us, we had a great time and I hope they let me come back sometime soon! :)

Please take a look at the Finaghty's review below to see more info and pictures of the food :)
Please also look for in the coming days, 2 additional journals and food reviews for Erin's visit. As well as Erins reviews and journals if you like.They should be posted very soon!

Links used in this journal entry =

Finaghty's is a nice little joint, and the atmosphere is great. The staff is not only on their toes looking to see if customers need anything(great service) and they are very friendly and engaging as well. Oh and btw they also have food and beer :) Many mixed drinks if ya want, good beers on tap and a nice variety in bottle. Happy hour is half price appetizers and drink specials, and the food was very good. I think for the overall experience it was just great. I highly recommend Finaghty's and I look forward to visiting them again myself. Please see my corresponding journal entry on my Seattle blog = (Day 1: Erin's visit - Snoqualmie Falls) for more info on my experience as well as additional pictures i could not fit here.

This is a definite stop if your travels include the greater Seattle area! It's not too far of a drive and you can check out the Snoqualmie Waterfalls and have a great lunch/dinner at the pub on your way back! Finaghty's has recently opened and what a hidden gem! I love Irish pubs and am always looking for new ones to try out. First thing I gravitated to upon entering was the selection of beers on tap (always key to finding a good pub). I was thrilled to find Smithwick's on tap! It's one of my favorite beers and one of the harder ones to find sometimes. We opted to sit at the bar near the kitchen door which most people think is the worst spot to sit but I highly recommend it! Because it was a high traffic area for the staff, we had the opportunity to meet everyone working that afternoon and evening. Talk about an incredible group! Of course it's doesn't hurt that my friend Shane can strike up a conversation with just about anyone! :-) Everyone we encountered was engaging, personable, and quite a bit of fun! Since it was happy hour, we decided to take advantage and try their small plates which were half-price. Glenn, our charming bartender, recommended the Mac and Cheese and I absolutely had to try the Hummus! Shane opted to get the Chicken Strips and Battered Mushrooms. We also ended up with Potato Skins and needless to say, we were stuffed and didn't quite finish everything! LOL. All the food was excellent and I'd love to come back and try some of their entrees next time. Everything I spotted that came out of the kitchen looked and smelled fabulous! The atmosphere was great - the other patrons were all friendly and you could tell this is a definite locals hang out. The bar has numerous flatscreen tv's - some of which were actually located in the booths (didn't want to take a pic since all the booths were full while we were there). Really looking forward to coming back and have been craving that Mac & Cheese since we left (thanks for the tip on that one Glenn!) Definitely make sure to take good care of the staff on your visit-they make the whole experience complete...and after Shane told them all about TB, hopefully they might just be on the site soon! Thanks again to Glenn, Katie, Bonnie, Bryna, Deanna, and Jeannie for a wonderful time! :-)

I'd been talking to my friend Shane about the waterfalls I saw at Columbia Gorge when I was there in February.  Yeah, yeah...I know, blog still pending on that trip too!!! Someday, I will get caught up! LOL.  Anyways, since I was coming up to Seattle, Shane suggested we check out Snoqualmie Falls which was only about a 45 minute drive away.  Shane was doing some research on different things to see in the greater Seattle area for future TB meets, and I offered to help out (ok, take advantage of free tour guide) while I was in town.  HA HA.  And I love waterfalls....one so close to Seattle....sweet! Can't pass that up!! :-) 

We drove around the main area first and we spotted a wine and cigar store down the street that we couldn't resist stopping at!  Here I am in a Washington wine store and I instantly gravitate to the California wine section.  Figures! :-)  Shane was like a kid in a candy store which is pretty funny since I am the "wino".  He ended up buying the coolest flask and a bottle of Sake.  He's never tried it and no clue whether he's going to like it but the bottle was pretty cool.  I forget the brand but it was a Nigori.....which for most is quite an acquired taste.  It happens to be my fav, but I've served it to others who weren't so receptive.  Oh well, will await the final verdict when Shane actually drinks it! LOL.

The drive was beautiful up to the Falls and what a hidden gem! Snoqualmie is not as big as some of the ones I saw along the Columbia River Gorge, but they were just as beautiful!  There is the Salish Lodge that is right on the water and has a beautiful view of the surrounding area.  WOW!  I would love to come back and stay at the Lodge....massages available in your room and with a view of the falls...Whoo Hoo!

Our next stop was somewhere called North Bend which had an outlet mall! Normally, I would be thrilled to be at an outlet mall but since the IRS is bleeding me dry, I had to show self restraint.  I would've been fine too except.....dang it, there was a Coach outlet!  I saw it the minute we got in the parking lot but Shane had other things on his mind....shoes! Now, I shouldn't probably admit this (sorry Shane) but he could end up competing with me in the future for number of shoes!  Granted, I have at least an 80 pair head start on him, but something tells me he will narrow that gap by at least 20-30 by the end of 2008!!! :-)  I have serious appreciation for a man who understands the importance of a shoe wardrobe! 

Anyways, so our first stop was the Sketchers store and of course Shane found a pair of shoes he liked but they were out of them....oh darn! LOL.  After flirting with the girls in the store, uh...I mean trying to get the information on where else he might find them, we were headed to the Coach Store....or at least I was! :-)  Shane headed next store to look at the Nike store and left me alone to roam Coach.  I had made my way around the store twice, justifying why I didn't need any of the new releases I saw, and I was headed back out when I had to wait for someone in the way.  In that split second, an employee came out with an armload of inventory and there it was.....dang it!  She had 3 of them in her arm!  It's this cute navy purse which has been impossible to find and here it was - further reduced too! :-)  As she set them on the shelf, two women came out of nowhere and snatched two of them.  I quickly grabbed the last one and figured it was a "sign" that I need to buy it!! HA HA.  A couple other women were following me around in hopes I would put it down so I quickly jumped in line to thwart the stalkers! :-)  And good timing too, I finished in the store and went next door to Nike just as Shane was checking out......with a new pair of shoes! LOL. 

Now that we were done shopping, it was time for grub! We headed back to this Irish pub we saw to check the place out (ya know, research and all...wink wink).  We arrived just at the beginning of happy hour and the place was pretty full - no tables were available so we saddled up at the end of the bar by the kitchen.  Normally this would not be the best choice of seats but after our afternoon and evening there, I would recommend you look for that spot!!!!  The bartender and staff were hysterical and we ended up staying there longer than planned just because everyone was so fun and welcoming!  

I loved the place right off the bat because they had Smithwick's on tap.  YEAH BABY!!  Their happy hour specials included half-price small plates so we decided to try a couple things...just to snack on before we headed out to check a couple other places out in town.  Uh, several hours into it we were so full that we never made it anywhere else and I doubt we would've had near the fun if we did leave.  The food was awesome (check out both our reviews) and the prices were very reasonable.  We ordered the baked Mac & Cheese, Chicken Strips, Hummus, and Battered Mushrooms.  They accidentally put in an order of Potato Skins which gee, of course we weren't going to refuse.  Moo! Moo! 

We sat and chatted with the bartender, Glenn, and the staff - Jeannie, Bryna, Deanna, Bonnie, and Katie.  The whole bunch was a serious hoot! I'd fly out just to go back just to see them....if I could figure out how to get there without my tour guide. LOL.   Shane and his pesonality pretty much lit up the place and he managed to turn the whole group onto TB.  I actually think he's vying for some type of new award like, "Most Friends Invited to TB".  :-)  Hopefully, we will all be welcoming them to the site soon!   

Sadly, it was time for us to head out and be on our way.......had to get some rest as we had a big day ahead of us on Saturday.  Shane and I were going to check out Seattle for possible TB meet venues, hotels, and then hop over to Bainbridge Island to sightsee and take in a bit of wine tasting! 

Snoqualmie Falls is one of the most (if not THE most) popular waterfalls in Washington. With over 1.5 million visitors each year, you can almost always expect a crowd at the falls. Prepare to fight for a good shot of the falls. There is plenty of free parking nearby. The main parking lot connects with the falls by a walkway bridge. A platform has been built to provide visitors with a wonderful view of the 270 ft fall. The platform is wheelchair accessible. Pets are not allowed. There is also a path that leads down the hill, through the forest, to the foot of the falls below. This path is more of a walk than a hike and does not require any specific level of fitness. Next to the falls is the Snoqualmie Lodge, a famous and pricey hotel. The falls are quite lovely, and it is a recommended stop for anyone traveling down I-90.

This was at the begining of our trip, don't know how it got out of order, but this was the first fruit stand we stoped at, and had some delicious rainier cherries, and bing cherries, and spicy pickled asparagus. ohhhh yeah.

Hikes:
I believe there is a nearby hike to some falls, but we didn't do any hiking this trip because I was having that dizziness and nausea. Next year I'll pump myself full of sudafed and nasal sprays for weeks beforehand. Perhaps that will stave it off.

Pros:
The campground is close and easy to get to quickly. It's very family friendly. If you run out of food, you can go to snoqualmie to stock up. Site 22 is an excellent site, very private, with sunny waterfront grass area to put chairs on for lounging. I of course stayed in the shady part due to my vampire tendencies but the other ladies enjoyed tanning themselves.

Cons:
Very family friendly...full of kids. Lots of large bugs fly through the sunny waterfront area. It appears to be their flight path to the water. We spent alot of time screaming and running around when they'd land on us. Mostly they landed on the ladies in the sun. I was pretty safe in the shade.