Airfares are low. Let's Go. Seems to be my mantra of choice these days. So when the fare from Monroe to Seattle lowered to $219 round-trip, thoughts of Elliott Bay, Mount Baker and the giant R.E.I. outdoor gear store danced in my head. Leaving on the late flight Thursday and returning on the morning flight on Monday could stretch Labor Day into a four-day weekend, I reasoned. This would allow for a day or two in the city itself and a day or two of hiking in the Mount Baker Foothills just a two-hour drive north from Seattle.

Son James was eager to experience the city - the music, the scenery but most especially the flagship R.E.I. (Recreational Equipment Inc.) mega-store Seattle is famous for. My husband and I who had been to Seattle before and loved it were eager to hike. Short trips to the edge of wilderness to experience nature are our delight.

Arriving for the 4:40pm flight from Monroe to Dallas which would lead us eventually to Seattle, we boarded the plane rather uneventfully as the flight was only comfortably full. We departed right on time and as I gazed at Monroe below me I began to mentally prepare for our arrival in Seattle which was estimated to be at 10:40pm "local time". Too late for a nice dinner somewhere but early enough to get a decent night's sleep in order to be ready to hit the city in the a.m. or so I thought. Grabbing a bite in the DFW airport just in case we didn't get food on the plane (meaning a real meal and not a snack) we headed for our departure gate and were relieved to find that our plane would again depart on time. Great, no delays in Dallas - at this hour of the day we couldn't afford that. Nestled into my middle seat, which is always my mode when traveling in this threesome, as "middles" don't really bother me, I eagerly awaited "dinner" and the movie. The food turned out to be a dry, cold pita half with a semblance of smoked turkey and fat free cheese stuffed inside. A bright red tiny apple was its only accompaniment. As we reached 30,000 feet the captain greeted us from the cockpit in an authoritative voice and announced that flying time to Seattle would be three hours and thirty minutes. At this point the two already tired faces on either side of me stared at me as if I had two heads.

I assured them that three hours would "fly" by for we would surely be offered a movie, which indeed we were. Just as Julia Roberts appeared on the screen the stewardess handing out headphones declared that we too could see "Notting Hill" for just $4.00. What a bargain. About half way into the movie, which I had already seen but watched again for distraction, James realized that the time difference between Monroe and Seattle was three hours. I had incorrectly calculated it to be two; hence we would arrive in downtown Seattle at 1:40am our "body" time.

The Claremont Hotel on 4th Street proved to be a good spot though at 11:30pm it was a bit quiet. At that point in our evening the YMCA would have sufficed. Needless to say we were exhausted and slept like the dead. We were rewarded for our efforts by a magnificently clear, cool and delightful Friday morning in the city. The teenage son who needs at least 10 hours of sleep continued to do so while my husband and I walked to the Hertz downtown office to procure our rental car. We stopped along the way at Starbucks for the first coffee of the day in the city that put coffee on the map in the U.S. For some reason coffee even tastes better in Seattle; just as pasta does in Italy.

Energized for the day by a double shot of espresso, we drove back to the hotel, grabbed James and headed to the waterfront neighborhood overlooking Elliott Bay. From there we caught our first glimpse of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker and the Seattle skyline in all their glory.

Along the Bay many shops, restaurants and attractions lure the locals and tourists alike. Local seafood is offered at popular places as Elliott's Oyster House and McCormick and Schmick's where diners can eat inside with a view or alfresco on the wharf overlooking the Bay. Boat tours and harbor cruises depart from the waterfront area though we opted to do our sightseeing on foot. From the waterfront area we headed up - climbing a great number of steps to 1st Avenue and the world famous Pike Place Market. This is the oldest continuous working market in the U.S. and houses the best selection of fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, herbs and flowers in the Northwest.

Alice Waters, the queen of "California" cuisine would be in heaven with this abundance of local goodies as I was as I viewed the exciting array of artichokes, tomatoes, asparagus, and herbs not to mention glorious flowers. Lining the stalls at one end of the market were buckets and buckets of colorful arrangements of incredibly lovely flowers, many types not often seen in the South. Cosmos, lupine, peonies, and more all gathered together in massive bundles selling for $5 and $10. I was shocked. The scene reminded me of a wedding as these arrangements were delightful enough for a bride's bouquet. I bought a bunch to brighten our cabin in the Cascades we had rented for the weekend.

The "flying fish" market - the stall where local fresh seafood is sold and packed for shipping, astounded James. The employees are trained to make a floor show of the process; huge whole fish are thrown from one to the other as attentive crowds watch on and cheer. The market is open daily year round.

Arts and crafts of local artists and a number of ethnic restaurants are also located at Pike Place.

Realizing that we had walked quite a bit and that the sight of all this fabulous food had tantalized our taste buds, we decided to stop at Etta's for lunch just across from the Market. We indulged our palates on fresh seafood, local produce and savored a glass of Washington State Chardonnay. As we ate we watched crowds saunter by through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the diner. It was a significant day weather-wise and the entire city was out to enjoy it. Next stop for us was the Pike and Western Wine Shop next door to stock up on vine for the weekend. I had enjoyed the "local" wine so much with lunch that I was eager to learn about more varieties. The shop is filled with offerings from all over Washington and Oregon and, of course, California.

Being wine lovers my husband and I had a ball browsing through the racks and reading labels from vineyards we'd never heard of before. Too bad we couldn't lug any home.

The high point of the afternoon for James was our visit to R.E.I. - Recreational Equipment Incorporated - the new "flagship" store located in downtown Seattle on Yale Avenue. R.E.I. is the Mecca for outdoor gear. And "It all started with an ice ax", as the welcoming billboard reads, when in 1938 Seattle mountaineer Lloyd Anderson being displeased with mail order found his own source for an Austrian ice ax at a lower price. His friends begged him for one too and a "co-op" venture began. Anyone can buy at R.E.I.; but the million or so active members share a yearly patronage refund. The store is immense yet impressively designed. Rock climbers can test their skills on "The Pinnacle" - a 65 foot climbing wall. Bikers can test mountain bikes on an elevated trail with a waterfall that surrounds the store outdoor. This store has virtually everything needed for skiing, backpacking, hiking, camping, biking, climbing and all other outdoors recreation. Branches of the store are found in a number of cities as Austin, Dallas, Salt Lake City and many more. Goods are sold via catalog and the web. We were in awe and all the more eager to hit the trails in the Cascades.

Seattle is a strategic point from which to hop off in any direction and find the outdoors. Many enthusiasts' head to Mount Rainier National Park for a day hike with panoramic views or an overnight at the Paradise Inn. Others go west to the Olympic National Park - voted the 10th most popular park in the nation to drive up Hurricane Ridge or visit the Hoh Rain Forest. Our choice this trip was the North Cascades National Park, with the Mount Baker Wilderness the focal point, easily reached from Seattle on I-5 and Hwy 542. I had visited the area nine years prior and was eager to see the changes if any had occurred to this majestic landscape. Periods of flooding had resulted from years of heavy snowfall.

I had attempted to reserve a cabin at "The Logs" at Canyon Creek where we had stayed on our last trip but with only a few cabins on the complex and the fact that it was Labor Day weekend, it was fully booked. In talking to the owners I learned that "Helen" the floods had almost wiped out the prior owner and the original cabins. This couple, the Cosgroves, had bought her out and rebuilt on the site. From there I was referred to the Mount Baker Chalets and "Dorothy" the manager who offered us a cozy cabin/chalet on the Nooksack River. From the deck in back we would be able to view Mount Baker in all her glory. We arrived in the late afternoon of a perfectly sunny day and Dorothy led us to our home for the weekend. As we entered I could hear the sound of the raging waters of the river greeting us. My heart raced as I felt the power of Nature flow through me. I would be happy here even if only for a weekend.

After watching the sun set slowly over Mount Baker from the deck we claimed our prospective bedrooms then headed out to Glacier for dinner. Dorothy suggested a place called Milano's that sounded great to us for it was an Italian bistro and deli with a good wine list. Upon entering I recalled that my husband and I had eaten here nine years ago when the place had first opened. At that time it was quite small and only served a few dishes. Pasta and pesto was the popular item. Today Milano's is the hot spot in "greater" Glacier, Wa. The menu has expanded to include many creative pasta dishes, tasty baked goods as homemade breads, pizzas and pies and an eclectic wine list. The smell of garlic permeated the place and we were happy. Looking around at the crowd of people I noticed that all of them, young and old, families and couples, were outdoor types. Most were bundled up in Patagonia fleece and jeans with faces flushed from open air activity and weather.

We awoke early on Saturday to scan our hiking guide, visit the ranger station and pick our hike for the day. Which would it be? Skyline Divide or Heliotrope Ridge; Lake Ann or Artist's Ridge; Chain Lakes or Yellow Aster? We chose Skyline Divide for it's picturesque beauty and it's relatively easy length of about 3.5 miles each way. The trail, moderate to steep, climbs two miles through silver firs and sub-alpine glades to a broad ridge top meadow. I was huffing and puffing but the teenage son who plays mean soccer regularly was in his stride far ahead of us. From the meadow the views are wide - to the south we could see the pristine glaciers of the north wall of Mount Baker; to the north the forests of the Nooksack Valley and the greenery of Church Mountain. James forged ahead with a group of post-college climbers he had befriended to a step in Skyline Divide, which climbs to 6500 feet. He was aiming for a summit of Chowder Ridge, which the trail guide describes as accessible on a track "suitable for goats, climbers and life-weary hikers". But he failed due to excessive ice.

Turning back we passed a good number of family groups with gear in tow who were obviously planning to overnight atop the 6500 foot tundra. All the more power to them, I thought. It was a bit too chilly for me; and the skies were beginning to cloud up. Bitter cold is enough of a deterrent to camping for me but cold and wet is miserable. In benign weather I am sure that the experience of waking at dawn to see Baker turn shocking pink is a thrill. When we arrived at the car we felt refreshed and rejuvenated by the activity of the day.

Sitting on the deck back at the chalet with a bit of daylight left my oenophile spouse decided that we should visit of all places the Mount Baker Winery just up the road. Having showered and dressed we were energized and raring to go.

Mount Baker Vineyards produces traditional reds, local whites and fruit wines. This particular day of our visit just happened to be the once a year "open house" in which the winemaker himself and his father the owner were present to offer samplings of all their wines at no charge. How lucky we felt to be able to taste the wines and learn about all that goes into the production from these two men firsthand. I especially liked the '97 Syrah from the Yakima Valley. It was big, robust and loaded with fruit. In high spirits after an hour or so of tasting we headed once again to Milano's where I enjoyed the special of the night, a seafood linguini in a garlicky broth filled with fresh clams,oysters and shrimp. We felt the meal to be a fitting finish to a fine day.

I awoke early to the sounds of rushing waters coming in through the open bedroom window. I thought in my stupor that the river was talking to me. To my dismay I realized it was raining. The rain continued on into the morning so our planned hike to Heliotrope Ridge was in peril. Instead of hiking in the rain we decided to drive up to the Mount Baker Ski Area - the end of the road so to speak of State Route 542, the last 24 miles of which is called the Mount Baker Scenic Byway. The highway winds along the North Fork of the Nooksack River. Trout fishing in the river starts in early June and continues until late fall. The road leads up to spectacular Artist's Point, elevation 5100 feet, in the Heather Meadows area. As we climbed the scene became more and more alpine; the rain came and went but the snow on the mountains became more and more visible. The peak of Mount Baker remained elusive. Upon reaching Heather Meadows we stopped the car to get out and walk around but were hit by gale force winds, which quickly drove me back into the warm car. To my amazement the entire meadow was covered in snow, which blocked many of the hiking trails and the stretch of road leading to the ski area. It seemed to us Southerners more like December and Christmas than September. Mount Baker Ski Area was definitely ready for the ski season opening in November. Downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding are enjoyed here through May, weather permitting.

Wandering back down the road we passed once again through Glacier, said "good-bye" to Milano's and Dorothy at Mount Baker Chalets and stopped at the local gourmet pizza parlor and microbrewery, The North Fork, for lunch before returning to Seattle. The calzones and pizza were yummy; high quality right there in beautiful suburban Deming, Wa. Traffic heading into the city on this holiday Sunday evening was heavy though thankfully the rained had ceased. James and I were eager to shop around downtown Seattle in hopes of working up an appetite once again. We hit all the big stores - the ever-hopping multilevel Niketown, Nordstrom's, Elliott Bay Books, Tower Records and a few more. Time ran out before we could gallery and museum hop. What a shame for Seattle has it's share of fine art and culture.

We raced to our chosen restaurant, The Painted Table, for the 7:00pm reservation we had booked earlier in the day. I had read so much about this place and it's innovative, fresh cuisine. I was ecstatic to arrive on time and begin the meal. Chef Tim Kelley cooks with produce from Pike Place Market he says because "local farmers put so much effort into growing it organically and it just tastes better." He seeks inspiration there he says; his goal being to create a work of art for the palette. Succeed he does. We dined on Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad layered as a Napoleon; local fresh halibut encrusted in herbs with baby vegetables; pasta with asparagus in a light cream sauce. Soft lighting, Burgundy-hued fabrics and hand-painted plates add to the allure of the place. Located in a quiet corner of downtown Seattle in the elegant Alexis Hotel, The Painted Table is a must do if fine food and elegant atmosphere are your thing. The hotel is worth a visit also as it has earned a reputation as one of Seattle's premier hotels.

Perhaps Seattle's scenic spot in the middle of the Pacific Northwest, with her waterways, mountains, islands and straits, encourage those who live in the area to care about themselves and their environment. The natural beauty of the state of Washington fosters healthful living, as does the availability of locally grown products as those seen at the Pike Place Market and other markets all over the state. I am reminded of a passage from A Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson, the American naturalist and writer:

At this time of Thanksgiving and Christmas, may we all be grateful for the bounty of the Earth and the dawning of the Light, for rebirth and renewal in the New Year and the New Millennium.