Sarah & Benny's Big Adventure

About this blog

We wanted our wedding to be like one of those epic romance movies that take a couple on a big adventure. (Think "Romancing the Stone.")

So, that's the way we planned it.

Our first stop was Seattle, where we had dinner at The Pink Door on Saturday night and hung out at Pike Place Market on Sunday morning. Then, we were off, by ferry, to the Olympic Peninsula.

On Monday, we had a beautiful wedding ceremony at Colette's Bed & Breakfast in Port Angeles on a misty, glistening day. Later, we had a delicious meal at Michael's Seafood and Steakhouse.

On Tuesday, we took a day trip to Neah's Bay, which is the westernmost point of the continental United States. We visited the truly amazing museum for the Makah Tribe, which showed how the Indians there used to hunt whale with spears in canoes in the ocean. We hiked the Cape Flattery trail, which we agreed offers some of the most breathtaking views in the United States -- with beautiful bluffs overlooking sea stacks in the violent Pacific Ocean.

Then, after a winding drive down the Pacific Coast, we arrived for a few quiet days at Quileute Oceanside Resort in La Push, which is on the land of the The Quileute Tribe. Our cabin was fantastic, right on the ocean, just below a big bluff, overlooking James Island, where the Indian tribe buries their chiefs after paddling them over there in canoes.

During our stay, we visited the Hoh Rain Forest, where we were greeted by a HIGH BEAR ACTIVITY WARNING, and hiked along several fantastic beaches. Second Beach was an awesome hike and we met Jerry, who taught us how to call for whales using kelp that had washed on the beach. He also warned us about high tides and tsunamis. One morning, we drove to Ruby Beach, which didn't seem to have the garnet-sprinkled pink sand we had heard all about from so many people. Of course, we were there on a foggy morning, which was beautiful in a haunting sort of way, but it didn't offer any sunlight to pinpoint all the garnet. Our final beach hike was at Rialto beach, which was spectacular in all the enormous trees that were washed ashore. We felt like we were little wee creatures in the Land of the Lost, who might be swept up by a dinosaur at any moment. You felt that small there.

But our most memorable experiences was participating in the drum circle with the Quileute Tribe on Wednesday night. After sharing a buffet dinner with the Indians and watching them sing and chant with their ancient drums, we were given a surprise wedding gift from one of the tribe's elders, Allen Black. It's a truly stunning cableknit vest with an eagle with extended wings knitted into the back. It's a beautiful piece of artwork by Allen's great grandmother, who, we were told, has her artwork on display in the Seattle Art Museum.

We wrapped up our adventure with a luxurious stay at Salish Lodge & Spa in Snoqualmie. We got a fireside couples' massage, enjoyed steam rooms and hot tubs and a delicious dinner in one of Seattle's finest restaurants, The Dining Room.

We squeezed in one final event before we left, a Mariners v. Indians game at Safeco Field, where Benny is happy to report we got a 2011 Felix Hernandez limited edition bobblehead. And Sarah got a delicious fish sandwich.

Then, we headed home on a red eye. Trixie was so excited to see us when we got home the next morning that she peed on the floor. She has barely left Sarah's side since then, afraid she might leave again ...