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Last weekend, Phil and I went across the Puget Sound to stay at a bed & breakfast for my birthday. Although my birthday was on Friday, we decided to leave on Saturday morning to avoid the crazy ferry lines. Kingston was very pretty. It’s amazing how one can enjoy a short ferry ride then suddenly find oneself in a totally different world. Instead of Starbucks and highways, we found independent coffee shops and country roads. Rather than passing large grocery chains and car dealerships, we were greeted by specialty shops that carried antiques and quilts. Everything felt much slower-paced.

Our bed & breakfast was beautiful. It was surrounded by acres of farming area that had cows, horses, dogs, peacocks, and an occasional raccoon!

It was called “The Phoenix,” and it had a very interesting history. Phil really enjoyed the grounds surrounding the home and took some really amazing photos.

This one was taken in the front yard on our first evening.

The horses

One of the cows

We also went to Poulsbo, located about 10 miles to the south. We were shocked to find the city so enraptured by its Norwegian roots! Everything was Viking-themed. The streets were even named after the kings of Norway; for instance, we saw King Olaf V Vei (I’m guessing that Vei means “street” in Norwegian).

Down by the marina, there were a lot of little shops and places to go walking. We visited Boehms Chocolate Shop where we were able to see one of our friends from SoCal, Natalie, who now works there. We also found a cute boardwalk where we were able to get some cool pictures.

It was a wonderful birthday weekend. In closing, here is a picture of the three of us!