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Drive an hour north of Seattle to pick berries before the season ends!

Summer Strawberry Picking🍓

Pick strawberries at Biringer Farm in Arlington. A delightful experience with on-site weighing and paying, located just an hour from Seattle.

Strawberry Picking

✅ Before you go
• Check their website to make sure the fields are open! The reason I love this farm is they are on it with keeping their u-pick info up to date. Check here: https://www.biringerfarm.com/ 

💪 Pro tips
• If you have flexible work hours/location, I highly recommend going on a weekday. Here’s how I did it:
 1) Leave Seattle at 8:30AM, drive 30-45 min to Narrative Coffee in Everett (https://narrative.coffee/)
2) Grab coffee/breakfast and work for ~2 hours
3) Drive to the farm around 11:00AM (30 min)
4) Pick berries for ~45 min
5) Leave Arlington around noon and drive an hour back to the city. 
With this schedule we avoided traffic in every direction, and it was the best two hour work break I could ask for!
• The U-pick price is currently $4.25 per pound, and if there’s a change you’ll see it on their website. There’s a $10 minimum for picking. Our full basket was $18
• If you miss strawberry szn, raspberries come next (should be late June)


Pick berries at Biringer Farm

It's strawberry season and you can pick delicious berries an hour from the city.

It’ll be much less crowded on a weekday,

so if you have a somewhat flexible work schedule,

check the plan details for tips on how to pull it off midweek.

But here's what you can expect at the farm.

You'll head inside to grab your basket and the staff

will direct you to the area that's ripe for picking.

I can't believe I've never done this before.

It was the most pleasant little scavenger hunt.

Resisting the temptation to eat them right in the field was tough.

Once you filled your basket head inside to weigh

and pay and grab a quick strawberry flavored treat.

The season doesn't last long. So get out there this week.

About 2 hours from Seattle (near-ish Leavenworth), lies Lake Valhalla. Let’s hike the PCT trail north of Steven’s pass to get there!

⛰️🥾Day hike to an alpine gem 🥾⛰️

Start your scenic hike to Lake Valhalla from Smithbrook Trailhead—enjoy forested trails, swimming, and picnic spots at this easy-to-moderate alpine adventure near Leavenworth.

Trailhead Arrival

✅ Before you go
• Always check trail conditions/driving conditions — you can often find recent trail reviews on Washington Trails Association!
• In summer, there are two ways to access Lake Valhalla, either via the Smithbrook Trail #1590, or from Stevens Pass using a section of the PCT. However, the Stevens Pass route is longer, while the Smithbrook route is more accessible to more casual hikers like me.  • You don’t need any sort of pass to hike to Lake Valhalla (no NW forest pass, Discover, America The Beautiful, etc). 
• The drive from Seattle to the trailhead is about two hours. I drove from Leavenworth, so it was about a 45 minute drive. 
• The road to the trailhead is unpaved, but I made it just fine in my Prius!
• The trail to Lake Valhalla from Smithbrook trailhead is about 7 miles long and 1500 elevation. I would gauge this as pretty moderate/easier hike. If you’ve hiked to Snow Lake, Heather Lake or Lake 22, you’ll be just fine! 

💪 Pro tips
• I went on a Monday at about 8:40 AM — the trail was super quiet! Only passed maybe 4 people, but there were a few PCT hikers hanging out by the meadow near the Lake Access sign. 
• Safety comes first, especially if you’re a solo hiker like me! I always let people know where I’m hiking, send them the WTA link as well, and share my location. I also let someone know when I start my hike and when I’m back at my car. 
• I recommend doing this hike completely unplugged! I didn’t bring airpods, didn’t listen to music, etc. I did, however, bring a book with me to read at the lake! 
•  Here is everything I brought: 
• essentials: hiking backpack (this really makes a difference), hiking shoes, water. 
• 2 PBJs to eat at the lake
• My book
• Turkish towel
• Swimsuit (but I just jumped in without it 👀👀👀👀)
• Little hiking knife for emergencies
• Long sleeve in case it got cold
• Sunglasses
• Hat

Arrive at Smithbrook Trailhead

Just a couple hours away from Seattle is Lake Valhalla,

You're gonna start at Smith Brook Trailhead,

I checked in at this register box before starting my hike.

Lake Valhall is a pretty standard PNW hike,

meaning there's gonna be lots of forests,

Eventually you're gonna hit a fork in the road,

which means that you've officially hit the Pacific Crest Trail,

and you're gonna want to go to the left side,

You'll know you're going the right way when you see this little sign.

You'll start your descent and eventually hit this little meadow clearing,

and you're gonna wanna watch out for the sign that says lake access.

I felt so lucky to enjoy these incredible

views while eating some peanut butter jelly sandwiches.

And after about an hour and a half of jumping off the rock,

Here's your plan for exploring Tacoma’s free botanical conservatory with seasonal plant displays and events. Watch the video 👇

Here’s a perfect spot for plant lovers in Tacoma! This is the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Wright park. The garden has more than 250 plant species inside, and it’s free!

Tacoma’s ✨FREE✨ Plant Oasis 🌱

Explore Tacoma’s W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory—home to 250+ plant species, seasonal displays, and special events. Admission is free and the gardens change year-round.

Botanical Garden Visit

✅ Before you go
• No need to make a reservation here! Just check the hours ahead of time: https://www.parkstacoma.gov/place/w-w-seymour-conservatory/ 🌿
• We had no issues street parking for this! 🚘
• It’s free! Though if you’re able, consider making a donation! 💰
• Staff swap out displays in the gardens for the seasons, so it’s always changing! 🌻
• The Conservatory is constantly adding events! Keep checking back for things like, yoga, plant sales, and mindfulness walks: https://www.parkstacoma.gov/activities-and-sports/category/annual-events-festivals/seymour-conservatory-events/ 🧘‍♀️
• There’s a gift shop inside too, filled with goodies made by local artists! 🎨

💪 Pro tips
• The Conservatory had a major renovation in 2022: https://www.parkstacoma.gov/seymour-conservatory-reopens-in-full-victorian-splendor/ 🪷
• They have an adorable little guest book to sign — you never know what cute messages you may see! ✍️
• Looking for a special place for an event? You can actually rent the Conservatory and its outdoor gazebo: https://www.parkstacoma.gov/place/w-w-seymour-conservatory/#rentals 💍💒

Explore the Conservatory!

Here's a perfect spot for plant lovers in Tacoma!

This is the WW Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Wright Park.

The garden has more than 250 plant species inside.

This one is my favorite because it reminded me of Christmas lights.

This place is so beautiful and clearly holds some really special memories.

The gardens have changing displays with the seasons.

They host a lot of events, including plant sales.

I ended up taking this little guy home for only $4.

Here's your plan for capturing your colorful aura vibe with a photo session at a Seattle studio. Watch the video 👇

Here’s a colorful way to kick off the new season: capture your aura at Create Within in Seattle!

Capture your ✨AURA✨ at a Seattle studio! 📸

Capture your aura photo at Create Within in Belltown, Seattle—snap a vibrant portrait revealing your energy colors and get a personalized interpretation from the photographer.

Aura Photography

✅ Before you go
• You need to make a reservation for this one: https://www.createwith.in/auraphotos
• Street parking was easy in the area — not always the case downtown! 🚙
• Photos are taken from the chest up! We both smiled for ours, but you don’t have to! Feel free to strike a pose! 💃
• We wore full makeup! It doesn’t interfere with the photos! 💋
• You’re given a pamphlet that explains what each color means and why WHERE it is on the photo is significant! 🌈

💪 Pro tips
• The entire experience lasted about 15 minutes! Bri and I made it a whole morning but grabbing coffee after! The Bake Shop is a great nearby option: https://bakeshopseattle.com ☕️
• Ask the photographer to see the booklet he made of his photos over time! It shows the type of progression you can see season to season! ❤️💙💜💛💚🧡

SMILE! 📸

Here's a colorful way to kick off the new season.

Get your aura photo taken at Create Within.

The studio in Seattle has this incredible camera and equipment to capture your

image and vibrations in your hands that together create your rainbow portrait.

The photographer is great at walking you through the process and what each

I had a lot of red and orange and yellow,

and I loved how our photos turned out and captured

how we were feeling at one point in our lives.

Here's your plan for enjoying delicious sushi, bento boxes, and tasty desserts at Mikan Sushi Bento in Seattle. Watch the video 👇

another great restaurant to try in Seattle Mikan Sushi Bento delicious sushi, udon bowls, and absolutely to die for desserts!!!

Let’s Get Sushi

Grab fresh sushi and bento at Mikan Sushi Bento in South Lake Union. Order ahead online, especially during busy lunch hours, for a quick and delicious meal.

Order sushi takeout

✅ Before you go
• during lunch hour rush they do get extremely busy because there’s a few other restaurants located inside. There is seating as well but if you’re in a rush, definitely order ahead.

💪 Pro tips
• 

Order ahead during busy hours

come with me on an episode of Stephanie Takes Seattle as

I check out Mikan Sushi Binto for the first time.

So I've been hearing great things about their sushi and bento boxes,

I was excited to finally see what the hype was about.

You can order online for pickup and delivery,

So I decided to try out a spicy tuna bento box.

Watching him put this together was such an experience.

It's basically your one-stop shop for a full meal

and a chance to try a little of everything.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better,

Think California roll topped with fresh fish,

So although this was my first time visiting,

I could definitely see why people recommend it.

So if you're looking for a new sushi spot to try out,