Travel Diary: Winthrop

Hello everyone,

Today I come to share a few highlights from my recent trip to Winthrop. Winthrop is a cute, small little town located in Eastern Washington. I've been vising this spot ever since I was a small child. I have so many memories: sharing tents with a multitude of mosquitoes and ants, walking the town with ice cream dripping down my arms, the three hour car ride squished between my brothers. It's such a joy to revisit and remember all the special moments that happened there.

On our way over the Cascade Pass, we stopped at Diablo Lake outlook and took a few pictures. As a child, it was the most annoying thing, stopping at every pull out while mother tries to get the perfect family picture. Now, it's one of the most breathtaking sites I've ever seen. I always say how badly I want to travel to far off countries, but there are so many beautiful sites to be seen just in my home state. Here, I took about a million pictures, but I limited it to just a few so not to overwhelm you all. You're welcome ;)

Although it was quite hot, some snow still remained on the mountains. We stopped at another pull out, and of course us girls pulled out our cameras and began taking shots. There's nothing more gorgeous than the natural beauty of the mountains. I thank God everyday for making nature so enjoyable and peaceful. It's places like this where the Majesty of God is shown in full color. How else could have such an amazing site been created? 

We only stayed in Winthrop for two nights, but our second day there was packed full of activities, After my grandma's signature breakfast of monkey bread and scrambled eggs, we all packed up into my family's suburban and headed out for an old favorite camping site. My father passed away five years ago (Read more about that here), but one of his favorite places to bring us camping was a tiny, dirt road, no hook ups, pit toilet type campsite in the woods of Winthrop. When we got my dad's ashes, we spread them in that particular spot. On this trip, we had the chance to go back there and explore the waterfall near by. It was a bitter sweet moment. It was sad being there without him, but it was nice to be back, remembering all the good times that belonged to that spot.

On our way back, we took a scenic (and very dusty) route that lead us through some beautiful hills with gorgeous views and wild flowers. Theses pictures do not give it justice, but I attempted to capture a fraction of what we saw. Again, I was reminded of how wonderful God's creation is and how very blessed I am to be living and enjoying all that He made. There's something about nature and being away from all the hustle and bustle that makes you feel so much more at peace. All that to say, I loved the country side here and would be willing in a heartbeat to pick up and live in a tiny cabin surrounded with flowers, trees, and the sound of the river. 

Once finished with our little outing, we headed back to our cabin to change and prep for the rest of the day. Then, we walked the streets of Winthrop, browsed through the adorable shops, and got some pretty amazing ice cream and coffee. While shopping, I bought myself a book from this cute little bookstore, and after everyone else in our party decided it was time to go back to the cabin, my cousin and I decided to stay behind and read in town while enjoying ice coffee from Sheri's Sweet Shop. Sheri's Sweet Shop has been a classic place for my family and I to visit since I was super little, and it certainly has not changed. We were there for hours until my mom, little brother, and grandparents came back to town for dinner. It was a perfect afternoon.

The next day we packed up all our belongings, stopped at the store to get some more snacks, and headed out back over the mountains. We couldn't help ourselves, and stopped once or twice more to capture again the beauty of the Cascades. If you ever find yourself in Washington and have some time to explore, don't miss out on visiting the North Cascades National Park. I am probably a bit bias, seeing it's quite close to my house and I've been there multiple times, but I really do think it's a site you won't forget.

With love,

Elizabeth