So, it began when I had talked myself into attending the 19th Annual Ballon Festival – which is held in the tiny tucked away town of Winthrop, in northern Washington…only 28 miles south of the Canadian border.
Unbeknownst to me, my Saturday seemed to slip away quicker than a stranded hiker experiencing perilous conditions with no water in sight…I mean one minute it was 1pm and the next thing I knew it was 11:32pm; at which time I forced myself to take an hour long nap before embarking on my great adventure.
…and at 1:50am I left home, heading east for what was suppose to be a five hour drive (in one direction) that is.
After getting a sinking feeling, I pulled out my iPhone and discovered that I was indeed off track…but along the way I saw some pretty stunning sites.

Unfortunately, as I was approaching the cutoff road leading up to Winthrop I and other likeminded drivers were rerouted due to a flash flood that had occurred sometime in the middle of the night…at that moment I didn’t realize how much of an impact receiving that bit of news would be.
As I rounded the bin, after having to pass through Malott…
I saw the cutest row of cabins, lining a rather tranquil stream leading up to –
Once in town I discovered that the Ballon Festival had been cancelled due to the affects of Mother Natures midnight rant…I composed my thoughts while lingering around for a bit in order to take in the sites and finally decided to make my way back home.
Did you happen to notice that peculiar cloud formation, in the shape of a ‘T’? I’d like to think that – that was a special message meant just for me, given my last name starts with the letter ‘T’! Mother Nature I’m not mad at you…we all have our bad days and even at your worst, I still got mad love for yah.
All in all, I must say it was a nice little getaway and thanks to my podcast playlist and of course the gorgeous views I’m glad I ended up slipping out in the height of the night.
…
Fantastic pictures! You have a great eye! 😀 And that place looks wonderful!
Thank you ever so much! That’s truly kind of you to say! This is my back yard of sorts…I must say that I’m very lucky to have the beauty of the Pacific Northwest at my fingertips 😀 *Fun fact – Washington State is known as the most Instagram’able state in the US.