Edmonds is a quaint northern suburb of Seattle with plenty of shops, cafés, and restaurants. Grab a coffee and pastry at Red Twig Bakery and Cafe, Chanterelle's, or the Edmonds Bakery and stroll down the street to Edmonds Bookshop. If you're in town a few hours prior to the 1pm wedding start time, visit the last Edmonds Summer Market for the season and enjoy food and products by local vendors. The market takes place just a few blocks west of our wedding venue, Edmonds Plaza Room. Some favorite local restaurants include Anthony's Beach Cafe, Demetris, Salish Sea Brewing, Leftcraft, Salt & Iron, and Portofino Pizza.

The Edmonds/Kingston ferry is a brief 30-minute ride to the Kitsap peninsula, with a schedule that runs everyday. Most folks drive their cars onto the ferry in order to visit charming destinations such as Port Townsend or Olympic National Park. It is also possible to walk or bike onto the ferry, and wander around Kingston, a cute little town that serves as the ferry's destination, with shopping, restaurants and cafés.

If you drive onto the ferry and wish to explore the peninsula, Port Townsend is a delightful town with lots of good food and shopping, and one of the Pacific Northwest's many locales rich with Native American history. During your time in town — which is about a 50-minute drive from the Kingston ferry terminal — be sure to tour the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

Hurricane Ridge, located at the north end of Olympic National Park, is a further trek — about an hour and 50 minutes from Kingston — but certainly stunning. On a clear day, you should be able to see Vancouver Island directly north from the peak. On the way in or out, stop in nearby Port Angeles for a cup of locally roasted coffee or homemade lavender ice cream.

Incidentally, for superfans of the Twilight series, a jaunt to the town of Forks (where the movie series was filmed) is another hour and 40 minutes west of Hurricane Ridge. Continue driving further south on Highway 101, which occasionally provides beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, and you will arrive at the Quinault Reservation, designated land for one of the region's most prominent indigenous peoples.

If you choose to continue your journey from this point on the peninsula and back to Seattle, keep heading south on Highway 101 to Aberdeen, hometown of the late rock legend Kurt Cobain, and east toward Olympia (the WA state capital), then north through Tacoma to Seattle. Oh, and enjoy a quick side trip to Ocean Shores on the way to Aberdeen.

Seattle-area activities you might also enjoy (especially for folks who've never been to this part of the country) include:

Pike Place Market — Seattle's own original farmer's market with plenty of seafood, locally sourced produce and speciality vendors for handmade jewelry, clothing, and more. Pike Place Fish Market is also well known for its fish-throwing employees, around which a sizable crowd regularly gathers for amusement.

Take a ride to the top of the Space Needle and get a bigger view of Seattle and beyond. And while you're there at Seattle Center, visit MoPop, the Museum of Popular Culture, where you can take in exhibits on both local and international pop and rock legends (including singer Ann Wilson's dress from the cover of Heart's 1977 album Little Queen, and more).

The Seattle Art Museum, one of the Pacific Northwest's premier galleries, will feature an array of exhibits around the time of our October 8th wedding.

Of course, for those who have the time to so, heading east to Snoqualmie Falls is certainly worth the drive. It holds fond memories for Gregg and I because we went there on one of our first dates in late 2000.