Summer!!! Who doesn’t love summer? With so many possibilities it may be hard to collect your agenda. Well here’s Anna, our friendly front office personnel and patient care coordinator, to help inspire you! We asked her a few questions regarding plans in the summer and here are her answers:
What do you love about summer?
Everything. My favorite part of summer is the sun, I am a Seattle native but I LIVE for temperatures in the 80s, 90s, and above! Also, lots of sun means lots of outdoor activities. The possibilities are endless when you combine Seattle and sunshine. It’s an added bonus that everyone seems to be in a much better mood too! Lastly, the 4th of July is my most favorite holiday and there is no better way I’d rather celebrate America other than right in the middle of summer with the ones I love.
What is your favorite outdoor activity to do under the sun?
On any given day I am most likely running around Greenlake before or after work, on more sunny ambitious days I’m running around the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop. On the weekends, I’m at the Ballard or Fremont farmers market buying the most seasonal fruits and vegetables and enjoying the sun with friends with a flight at Fremont Brewery. I am also an avid hiker, anything high in the sky with amazing views are like mini-vacations to my soul. Bandera Mountain is my most favorite recent hike! I bought a hammock that can strap onto trees so it’s always fun to hike up to a glacial lake and sit and relax before descending back down or Even staying in Seattle and setting up the hammock at Golden Gardens and watching the sunset. I occasionally enjoy golfing at cool new courses, playing ultimate Frisbee, and paddle boarding!
Do you have any recipes your particularly like to make during the summer?
One of my favorites for the summer is:
Arugula Spinach Salad
Dressing: Himalayan Pink Salt, pepper, garlic powder, chopped parsley, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice, mixed.
Ingredients: Baby arugula, baby spinach leaves, chopped crimini mushrooms, crumbled goat cheese, and crushed walnuts.
Options to add: grilled or blacken chicken, shredded carrots, slivered almonds, capers, shredded Persian cucumbers, etc!
What are your plans this summer?
Summer season is also wedding season… which for me means bridesmaid season. I have either a wedding or a bachelorette excursion almost every weekend starting, two weeks ago. Yikes! I’m a frequent flyer to Phoenix and San Francisco in the past and this summer so not too exotic as far as vacations go but it’s always nice to change the scenery once in a while.
Northern California favorites would have to be San Francisco Bay area near Palo Alto and Menlo Park – if you are ever there the Stanford Shopping mall might sweep you off your feet (and bank account…). Also if you drive around some neighborhoods of Menlo Park, you’ll find some beautiful homes of people such as the owner of the Golden State Warriors or CEO of the Gap! Lake Tahoe is a 4-5 hour drive but an amazing, amazing place. Great places to eat are Café Barone for brunch/coffee or Tacolicious for dinner (sounds funny but if you are a fan of street tacos without the “street” aspect and more into sustainable, local, and gourmet—this is your place!)
I’ll be going to the UW vs. U of A football game later in the summer and spending time in Scottsdale and Tucson. Flagstaff, Sedona, and Tempe have been some of the most laidback and beautiful places I’ve ventured out to in Arizona. If you drive about three hours east you reach the Colorado River where Arizona and California meet, Blythe Lake is an amazing place to camp, boat, and jet ski.
What is/are your goal(s) this summer? How might you obtain it?
A couple of my goals are to train for a full triathlon, golf 18-holes under 90 strokes, and figure out my future. Do-able, except that I bought a road bike during my quarter-life crisis and haven’t been able to ride it without falling off. I think I’ll obtain it by continually working hard in all facets of my life, staying focused, and positive. Also a more tangible goal is to be fully trained to the highest level of teaching at Pure Barre – a fitness studio where I work, more than halfway there!
What would you recommend doing this summer based on previous experiences?
Backpacking the Ozette Loop in the Olympics! Or roasting the free s’mores by the fire pit at Shelter Lounge in Ballard.
Some of my favorite local getaways are spending a weekend in the San Juan Islands – Roche Harbor is beautiful if you haven’t been out there yet!
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Thanks for sharing your summer plans with us! It sounds like you’re up for a lot of adventures! If Anna’s plans inspired you in any way to partake in similar summer excursions, let us know in the comments below!