Outfit Details:

Penfield Jacket (last seen on the blog here, also love this similar one), Current Elliott Shirt (old, similar here), 7FAM Shorts, Calypso St. Barth Tank, Nike Sneakers (last seen here, also love them in lavender here), Ray Ban Sunglasses

Thomas and I knew we definitely wanted to venture out of Seattle and do something outdoorsy one of the days we were there. We had a list of places, all within 3 hours or so, and had a hard time narrowing it down, as there are so many beautiful places to explore. But it was the color of the water at Diablo Lake that really drew us in. From what we saw online, we couldn’t believe the color of the water! It reminded us of Banff, another spot we’re itching to get to. Diablo Lake is about a 2 and a half hour drive northeast of Seattle. We woke up early that morning, packed our day bags and decided we needed a great mini-roadtrip breakfast: donuts! We went straight to Mighty-O (another wonderful reader recommendation) for a box of donuts and coffee before hitting the grocery store for some snacks and to-go lunch we could enjoy picnic style.

As we started to get closer to the lake, we could see flashes of bright turquoise as we drove nearer and nearer. When we finally arrived by mid-morning, we were so antsy to get out of the car and take in the beauty all around us. It was a bit more crisp than the warmth we had in Seattle, but it was the kind that feels perfect when mixed with some afternoon sun. After hitting up all of the scenic spots, we found a quiet area on the lake near a campsite with picnic tables on a dock, which made for a great lunch location. We set-up our salads and sandwiches, munching away while kayakers floated past us.

I brought out this old red Penfield jacket (that also comes in navy and black), last seen here, here and here, and paired it with white denim shorts and a simple navy tank. I bought it early last year before our trip to Alaska and have worn it countless times since. It’s light enough as a layer on crisp days in the summer or fall and also works with a few more layers underneath (like here), including my Patagonia fleece and a thick sweater. I also found a few other, very similar, options like this one, this one and this one.

We spent the rest of the day driving around the lake and finding rocky beaches and spots to relax. We had hopes of renting kayaks, but sadly we learned that you have to bring your own, as there are no vendors on the lake. It was still worth the drive just to get out and be surrounded by such beautiful landscape and nature. Around 3pm, we drove back to the city, arriving just in time for some cocktails before the sunset.