Sharing a few snapshots from the Seattle Central Library—plus the many reasons why I love libraries—on Read Instead.
Snapshots: Sauvie Island Lavender Farm
Sauvie Island is a short drive west from downtown Portland. It's quiet and serene here—the perfect little escape from the city. My sister and I visited Sauvie Island on our drive up to Seattle, making a stop at the lavender farm. For just $6 a bundle, you can spend an entire afternoon wandering through the lush fields, snipping stalks of fresh, fragrant lavender from their bushes. Just be sure to watch for bees (luckily the ones we encountered were friendly), and bring a hat to block away the hot sun.
Visit: Sauvie Island Lavender Farm, 20230 Sauvie Island Road, Portland, Ore.
Roses
It was late April when I last visited Portland. The weather was damp and gloomy, with one afternoon full of hard showers and hail. The grounds at the International Test Rose Gardens were equally morose—wet and gray, with no blooms to speak of.
Now it's July, and it's hot and the roses are in full bloom. The shots here turned out a bit moody, but really, everything was bright and beautiful and fragrant. Perfect timing.
Visit: International Test Rose Gardens, 400 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, Ore.
Oddfellows Cafe & Bar
Oddfellows Cafe and Bar is the kind of place where you can sit and settle down for hours on end. It's bustling and lively—the perfect setting for drinks and food with friends—but it's just airy and relaxing enough that you can also sit with a book or laptop and a mug of hot coffee in peace. It's no wonder why it's considered a neighborhood watering hole.
Visit: Oddfellows Cafe and Bar, 1525 10th Avenue, Seattle, Wa.
Expired
Desperately in need of more film.
Snapshots: Coava Coffee Roasters
Wrapped up in books
Sometimes—definitely not all the time, and definitely not nearly as regularly as I'd like—I write about the books I read at my other blog, Read Instead. You can find it here.
General Store
I don't have a backyard, but if I did, I'd consider myself incredibly lucky to have one nearly as nice as the beauty of a space behind General Store SF. Their backyard is open, rustic, and lived in, surrounded by weathered panels and plenty of plants. My favorite part? The wooden tabletop, dotted with tree stumps serving as seats, the perfect little area to host an outdoor dinner party or to simply sit and read.
Visit: General Store, 4035 Judah Street, San Francisco
