The park we both enjoyed running to quite frequently during Taylor's last rotation at the Fred Hutch cancer center. It gained new meaning on August 2 when Neil got down on one knee here!

A neat place we enjoyed running to when Taylor was in her oncology rotation! If you are lucky you might catch the salmon using the fish ladder too. Make sure to swing by Discovery park and the space needle park to see the sights of Seattle.

A scavenger hunt for you! Try out these great food places or tourist musts:

(1) Beecher's homemade cheese

(2) The gum wall

(3) Piroshky Piroshky (Neil and Taylor both liked the sweet pastries the best)

(4) Take a photo by the pig!

(5) Stand by the main fish counter to watch them throw fish whenever one is bought (hint, very close to the main pig)

(6) The Daily Dozen doughnut company

(7) Chukar Cherries

(8) Ivar's is Taylor's favorite place to grab a good bowl of clam chowder if you are up for a walk down to the pier! They have fancier indoor seating or fun outdoor seating with a view of the water!

Our last date before getting engaged! Little did Taylor know, but Neil had been planning how to get her to dress up without being suspicious of an upcoming proposal that afternoon!

This was near the last house Taylor lived in during her rotation at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - the bakery thankfully was not discovered by Neil until near the end of the rotation or it would have been doughnuts every day. Both agreed the best they had ever eaten!

Neil's Favorite: Fudgy Wudgy

Taylor's Favorite: Black Licorice

A wonderful view of the ocean and mountains from here! You can easily park and walk along the boardwalk... great place to set up a hammock too. And don't forget to swing by the Woods Coffee for a treat!

This is a no brainer on the "to do" list for a chill day in the Bellingham area. Lots of local shops will also let you rent kayaks or paddle boards. See if you can find the rope swing if you paddle to the opposite side of the lake!

Also, this can be a run/mountain bike destination as well. There is a very easy short gravel loop around the lake. On the backside of the lake, you can connect to the horse trails to run on. If you go far enough over the ridge, you will get to the Galbraith Mountain trail system as well!

A great place for a date at sunset! There is a nice restaurant called "CJs" just down the road if you want to get dinner or walk along the pier at the very end of this little islet. Get the mountain and ocean view - a two in one!

Semiahmoo is nice because you do not need a state parking pass to park anywhere!

Where we had our Valentine's date this year... Neil had the best mac n' cheese with Brussel sprouts and all - Taylor had a very good hamburger!

You can walk downtown on front street and swing into Village Books for a Lynden souvenir or into avenue bread for a very good sandwich, and don't forget Dutch Mother's Bakery for your doughnut needs!

Right after Neil and Taylor's mom went whale watching, they went to a jewelers in Bellingham for Neil to get Taylor's ring. It was quite the convincing cover up story, Taylor was none the wiser and had no suspicion for what else Neil had been up to that day!

You can have one foot in Canada and one in the US! This park you can cross the border without a passport as long as you stay within the realm of the park itself. Some very pretty flowers and a fun place to setup a picnic.

Taylor had a high school XC meet here every year... a true "cross country" experience!

One of Taylor's favorite study locations! She studied here during her neurosurgery, family medicine, and emergency medicine rotations. They have very good white chocolate mocha's, but you can't go wrong with a mudslide or avalanche (a 16oz size is called a "cedar" and a 12 oz is "spruce).

A really stunning 8 mile roundtrip hike (or run)! We think most of our guests would be capable of completing this hike, but it can be a little difficult to get to the parking lot if you don't have the right vehicle.

If you can force yourself to be an "early bird gets the worm" person - would recommend catching the sunrise up here! Download an app like "Alpenglow" to see when you need to be at the parking lot for the best colors.

It will have a little less snow than when we went snowshoeing but it certainly won't all be melted if you want to bring a sled!

And on your way down, make sure to stop in Glacier at Wake 'n Bakery for a sweet treat or coffee!

Neil did a 100+ mile backpacking trip in Olympic over 5 days during one of Taylor's weeks working at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. Taylor was jealous she did not get to go along and see all the phenomenal views Neil experienced!

Galbraith Mountain is arguably Taylor's favorite place to run. So many fun trails to get lost on and different variations of incline. Galbraith is generally less steep than Chuckanut. This is also the place to be for anyone who wants to be mountain biking when they visit! The local mountain biking league does an excellent job at trail maintenance.

A favorite trail system Taylor and her Dad have run on for many years. The views do not disappoint... and neither do the hills so make sure to pack some water and snacks if you are out for a long run!

We would grade this as a moderate level hike - for most of our guests this should be a very manageable hike. Or you can make it a run like Taylor and her Dad usually do! At the top you can look out over the bay and see the oyster beds.

One of the favorite places to go to see what the tide pools are hiding! A field trip when Taylor was little and a park that still reveals many treasures of sea stars, mussels, sea cucumbers, sand dollars, lots of baby crabs, limpets, and more! Make sure to search online for when the tide will be out because otherwise all those fun things will be covered by the water!