The Hills Were Alive

On Day 3, the hills and mountains around Sun Mountain Lodge were alive with hikers, bikers and wildflower enthusiasts. The Gourmands were on their own to divide and conquer the beautiful environment around us. Armed with sunglasses and my camera, I headed out Kraule Trail with the trailhead just steps away from our Mt. Robinson suite.
























The undulating trail gave me terrific views of the Methow Valley and North Cascade Mountains. Wildflowers were spectacular, and the trail was well marked with signs telling about the geology, flora and fauna of the area. I discovered an old homestead settlement at the end of the trail - now used for dishing up barbecues for horseback riders.












The only wildlife I encountered were Tom on his mountain bike and several black-tailed deer awaiting my return outside my door.

The Chef to Ourselves

After a rigorous day that included spa treatments, significant beer tasting, and shopping in Winthrop, we returned to the Lodge to freshen up, bundle up and meet up in the wine cellar for dinner.


Susan and Duane had arranged a private dinner prepared exclusively for us by Chef Russell, and we were ready for more.




The rigor of the day continued as we worked our way through a fabulous 5-course dinner.









We were greeted with a sampler plate of hors d'oeuvres before sitting down to our first course of house-made charcuteries (special meats) and local cheeses.





After the second course of foraged mushrooms, slow-poached free range egg and grilled baguette, I was pretty much "fed up"!











But the courses continued, and along the way we were served charred antelope and apple wood smoked wild Pacific Northwest salmon.








I couldn't finish each beautifully presented course but somehow found room for dessert (rich chocolate cake with a raspberry pates de fruits and roasted banana ice cream).







As to be expected, every course was paired with regional wines, and we weren't disappointed.

Goin' Into Town

Heidi, Anna, Susan, and I, started the day with back-to-back messages and facials at the resort before heading into town. Naturally, it was important for us to be as beautiful and relaxed as possible before gracing the town of Winthrop with our presence. Speaking of presence, Anna surprised all of us with a fun and generous assortment of colorfully wrapped goodies. Since I love presents, I knew the day was off to a good start!

From the spa, we drove down the mountain into the quaint town of Winthrop in order to rendezvous with the guys for lunch. Our destination: The Old Schoolhouse Brewery. This popular spot is renown for handcrafting an impressive variety of stout beers with high alcohol content. I chose "Double D Blonde" - engineered for the domestic beer drinker and named after the owner's daughter. She must really be something. In any case, it paired well with "Casey's Masterpiece Burger" and his especially good potato fries.

Thanks to Susan, our Monetessori School fund-raising coupon book gave each of us a dollar off one beer. Needless to say, we needed more coupons.

Let's Get Cookin'

We hit the ground cooking on our first night at Sun Mountain Lodge! Trip organizer and fellow Gourmand Susan Jacklin arranged for all of us to participate in an interactive cooking class with Executive Chef J. Russell Bradshaw.

With four cooking stations and three courses to prepare, all twelve in the class had an opportunity to take a crack at the meal. Fortunately, the evening was started with glass of Proseco - just to take the edge off.




The meal was Italian, and the ingredients were simple, fresh and quick to prepare.



We found Chef Russell to be an engaging and very patient instructor! To keep things simple, he and his staff had done all the cutting and measuring before we arrived on site - all we really had to do was turn on the burners, pour, stir, and eat. Every course was paired with a regional wine, assuring that the edge was kept off the entire evening.



The first course, "Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic & Parmesan Cheese" was fast, fresh and fabulous!



Tom and I prepared "Garlic Shrimp" for the second course. And thanks to some mighty vigorous stirring by chefs Susan, Ann, and Heidi, the menu was complete with "Fruit with Sabayon" for dessert.




Bon Appetit!

Sun Mountain Lodge

The Gourmands arrived at Sun Mountain Lodge in time to check into our incredible suites and freshen up before our first official Lodge activity. Tom and I spent one night here over 20 years ago and were quickly reminded of the beauty of the resort and its breathtaking setting. This mountain top spot opened in 1965 and has treated guests to 360º views of mountains, wilderness and valleys ever since.

Sun Mountain Lodge offers year-round activities, ranging from cross-country skiing in the winter to horseback trail rides in the summer. With beautiful decor, gracious service and the promise of fabulous food throughout our stay, I was ready to unpack.

Lost in Translation

The Gourmands made yet another pit stop enroute to Sun Mountain Lodge to became introduced to the award-winning offerings of Lost River Winery. Located in Winthrop, Washington, this boutique winery holds it own within Washington's ever-growing fine wine industry.


Lost River has been producing wines for nine years, using grapes from regional vineyards to produce reds, whites and reserves. We enjoyed our personal wine tasting session with owner John Morgan, a Bellingham transplant who continues to sell real estate while his winery gains notoriety and profitability.


Tom and I especially appreciated and purchased their 2008 Cedarosa (Cabernet Franc), 2008 Rainshadow (Sauvignon Blanc) and 2007 Merlot. But I think our host died and went to Heaven when fellow Gourmand Ben Rolphe indicated he would be buying seven. Seven cases, that is.

Twisp and Shout

Once a year The Gourmands take a culinary excursion together to celebrate fabulous food, special wines, and many years of friendship. In past years the Rolphes, Jacklins, Stanleys, and Thilos, have explored the offerings of Sooke Harbor Resort (Vancouver Island, British Columbia), Napa Valley, and Walla Walla's Wine Country. This year's travel took us to Sun Mountain Lodge in Washington's beautiful Methow Valley. The road trip to our destination was sprinkled with excellent pit stops, including the magnificent Grand Coulee Dam.

Built from 1933-1975, the dam is 550 feet tall and nearly a mile long. The so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" is the first structure created by man to exceed that of the Great Pyramid which was built around 2,595 BC.



Built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation, Grand Coulee Dam is the largest electric power-producing facility in the United States and one of the largest concrete structures in the world.



From the Dam we resumed our journey and headed to Twisp where we satisfied our Sunday brunch appetites at the Twisp River Pub. Situated on the banks of the picturesque Methow River, the popular pub served burgers to some, Eggs Benedict to others and beers to the rest of us. After a particularly cool and rainy Idaho Spring, we especially savored the sunny deck overlooking the river.




Before leaving Twisp, we made a quick stop at the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery. Even though we were delightfully "fed up" with our brunch/lunch at the Pub, we found room to sample the Bakery's famous "Cinnamon Twisp."


Arguably the best cinnamon twist I've ever had, we were thrilled to learn we would be making a return visit on the backside of our Sun Mountain trip.

Trying to Get Back on Track

Mom's Obituary
This is my first blog post in nearly 3 months. I have done some writing, however - just not blogs.

I wrote both the obituary and eulogy for Betty Jean Severeid Breckenfelder who died peacefully last month at the age of 89. I was honored and proud to document the life of my mother. These tasks gave me yet another opportunity to reflect on her very special life and the everlasting influences she had on my brothers, sisters, our children, and me.

All of us have stories about Mom, and there are some really good ones. But no one had more stories - and perhaps no one was a better storyteller than Mom. She had a natural gift for articulating anecdotes in an entertaining, very charming way. Mom was genuinely interested in the lives of those she touched. She looked for the good in people, and she expected to find it. And when she found the good in others, Mom developed just the right phraseology to convey it - then she shared it with everyone. Sometimes over and over. But that was okay, because Mom shared happy observations - always complimentary, and evidence of her great pride in our family and appreciation for others.

I learned so much from Mom - we all did. And I admired her many talents and abilities - singing, cooking, sewing, knitting, craftsmanship, teaching, and yes, storytelling. But perhaps what I admired most was her gift of hospitality. I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who more warmly opened their home or shared their heart more willingly than Mom. Mom was a great entertainer - our home at Christmas time was a virtual holiday Disneyland, and everyone was welcome. Her knack for storytelling and teaching made her historical Teddy Bear programs an absolute delight and a gift to those who heard them.

My favorite Bible passage is Hebrews 13: 1-2, "Let brotherly love continue - do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."

I can only imagine all the angels Mom entertained in her 89 years.

Mom's Obituary