A big part of my whole travel schtick/credo/philosophy is around the importance of getting off the beaten path. Maybe it’s my pseudo-hipster background, but I feel like I have the most authentic experiences when I get away from the hordes of tourists and get into the real places, with real people and real subcultures.
The issue is that, I only get to travel for about a month of the year, so how can I apply this philosophy to the other parts of my life? Well, truth be told, I have many hobbies – including photography, trail running, and learning languages. I generally have enough activities to fill my plate while at home in Seattle (actually, I have enough activities to keep my plate overfull to the point of complaining about it, but that’s just my FOMO). Probably the activity/hobby that takes up the majority of my free time at home, however, is my kids.
No, not real kids. No thank you. I mean…they’re great, but…no thank you. Seriously.
I’m talking about my puppy kids! My partner and I are a blended family of homos and rescue mutts from various sources. When we met, he had a Golden Retriever he raised from a puppy, and after about a year together, we began expanding our brood – first adopting a senior dachshund from the Seattle Humane Society (we named her Mary, after my mother…some people find this strange), and about a year later adopting an additional senior dachshund (Phil, nee Tanner) from Old Dog Haven, a rescue organization in the area that works to take senior dogs out of shelters (where they don’t have great chances of being adopted) and placing them in forever or hospice homes.
Basically, what I’m saying is, I’m a better person than you are. (JK – but I am going to heaven for SURE).
The dachshund breed is an eccentric one – if anyone has ever had one, you know that they are stubborn, mouthy, and generally the bratty assholes of the dog community. But we love them, and they tolerate us.
So when I found out about the Ellensburg Dachshunds on Parade festival (occurring annually toward the end of June), we jumped at the chance. And let me tell you, it was worth the three hour drive.
The day was comprised of several different events, starting with a costume contest. There was also a parade, pet tricks contest, and races. And let me tell you, the people that showed up to this event were as entertaining as the dogs. I fully admit to being a crazy dog person, and I was surrounded by my brethren. From the middle aged women coordinating their costumes with their dogs, to the loony lady parading around with signs about mistreatment of animals in foreign shelters like a homeless Nostradamus, there were fun observations to be had all over the place.
The big event of the day for us was our Phil (our most recent adoptee, and, well, not the sharpest knife) entered the races and placed a respectable third out of fourth in a VERY COMPETITIVE heat of the wiener dog races. He did his best, and that’s all we would ever ask of him.
There are also a great number of interesting stops you can make on the way to Ellensburg to and from Seattle. The Thorp fruit stand (Exit 101 on I90) is a favorite, though the local apricots, peaches, and nectarines weren’t quite ripe enough to make a big purchase worthwhile. The Teanaway trail (Exit 85) is also a beautiful hike, just outside of Cle Elum, and Lake Kachess and Kecheelus (Exit 62) have some great trails for hiking as well as places to take a dip on a hot day.
I find that a short trip out of the city can invigorate me in between my larger trips, as well as give my puppies a chance to have fun out in nature (or amongst a bunch of crazy people, whatever). There are often so many great places within a short trip from our homes that we never explore.
What’s your go-to local getaway?
