Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Seattle!

This past weekend my friend Kristi and I took a long weekend off of work and road tripped across Washington state to Seattle. I had previously made an attempt to visit the city with my friend Brittney, however we were deterred to Portland instead due to a mountain pass being closed due to bad weather (I think there was even an avalanche of sorts!).

Now, I've already gotten a lot of slack for something I did on this trip.... or should I say, didn't do. I forgot my camera at home! Probably the worst thing you can do on a vacation. :( Kristi's camera battery died on the first day, but she bought a couple of disposables to capture some of the moments of our trip.

(Side note: When was the last time you've used a disposable camera?!)

Until I get pictures from her, I'm going to borrow some pictures from internet to highlight what we did.

This is where we stayed:

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When Kristi sent me the link to this Travelodge, I was a little worried, since the last time I stayed at a hotel with the doors having access to the parking lot it was in Spokane and shady. But I was pleasantly surprised! The receptionist was super friendly, the rooms were clean, smelled normal, and it was quiet. I would definitely stay here again. The only downside was that it was about 6 miles from downtown. Luckily there is a good bus system in Seattle and we took advantage of it every day we were there.

Kristi and I bought City Passes that gave us access to all of the major attractions for a discounted price. We really concentrated on seeing as many things that the city pass offered to really get our money's worth. SO... here's a breakdown of events.

Friday: We got to Seattle at about 1:30 pm and couldn't check into our hotel until 3. We didn't want to waste any valuable time, so we got the bus downtown and went to the famous Pike Place Market.

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This was like a farmer's market on steroids, with fresh flower vendors, jewelery makers, inventors, fresh produce, restaurants and bars, etc., etc., etc. It was a lot of fun seeing the fishmongers throwing huge fish across their stand and yelling and singing at the same time. I bought some fresh made pasta, some massive English pea pods, a Washington grown peach, and a tote bag to put it all in. That night we went to an INDIAN RESTAURANT!! I have been having Indian withdrawals since leaving England. Even though I make Indian all the time at home, it just isn't the same. Cedars is in the University district, so we had to take a different bus to get there, but it was worth it. I had the vegetable tikka masala, a garlic naan bigger than my head, and vegetable samosas. All washed down with a Kingfisher beer. Delish.

Saturday: We started the day off right with breakfast at Jack in the Box. I had an egg and cheese biscuit, as usual. We then went shopping and I bought MORE souveniers. I found some really cool mugs hand made in Washington for Paul and myself. These I can show you a picture of!

I love these mugs because they were designed so there is no handle, you just slide your fingers into the crevace and whatever you're drinking will warm your hand. These will be perfect for hot chocolate during one of those cold winter nights!

We went to the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Science Museum (Pacific Science Center), and the most well known of all: The Space Needle. The view from the Space Needle was impressive, even though my first impression of the monument was not. I expected it to be bigger and flashier, pretty much like the one in Vegas at the Stratosphere. At the gift shop, I saw they had some of the hand made glass bowls that I had been seeing in shops all over Seattle. These are also advertised as being made in Washington and so cute! I saw a pattern I liked and had to have one.


The pattern looks like pebbles in flowing water. Love it! I like souveniers that are functional and locally made. While I haven't decided the function of this bowl yet, it looks pretty. Maybe I'll use it to house some delicious M&Ms....

Another thing we did on Saturday was pig out on CRAB!!!! We really wanted the seafood experience in Seattle, since it's so local, fresh, and popular. We went to Fisherman's Restaurant, which some say is the best seafood in Seattle, and located right on Pier 57, so it had a great view. We didn't mess around and ordered the CRAB FEAST. After a bowl of clam chowder, half a bucket of steamed mussels and clams, half a sourdough loaf, a salad, and about 3 pounds of crab, I felt like I was participating in a challenge on Man vs. Food. We. Were. Spent.

Sunday: Sunday was used to finish seeing the things left on our City Passes. We hit up the Woodland Park Zoo and went on a Harbor Tour. Both fun things, but by this point in time my feet were about ready to fall off. Fitting in a recommended week's worth of activities into 3 days was kind of intense. I definitely want to go back and spend more time there, esp. for shopping, exploring and eating!

Yikes, this is way longer than I anticipated. Kobe is patiently waiting for me to be done so I can continue reading him Sarah's Key as he is anxious to know what happens next.


Goodnight!

5 comments:

  1. SO JEALOUS...1st of all!
    Sounds like you had an amazing time. If you go back or see a mug like that again...buy 2 mail them and I will pay you for them. That bowl is like the one I bought in Portland...remember...it was made out of ash from Mt. St. Helen! Beautiful! And finally...I have to buy that book if Kobes is reading it too! I miss him. Kobe...WAVE WAVE WAVE WAVE!

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  2. I almost forgot...the hotel...bahahaha.. I want to stay at that hotel in Spokane again..It smelled amazing and made me feel so safe...bahahhahaha!

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  3. Love the dish! m&ms would look pretty in that bowl :) CRAB oh goodness I cant image how good that was. Do you really read to Kobe? Sooo cute

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  4. No, I don't actually read to Kobe, but it would be funny and cute (and weird?) if I did. When I read in the yard in the lawn chair, he usually sits by me and is very calm and quiet, unlike in the house, where he seems to want to bark ALL THE TIME.

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  5. I love those bowls! They had some pretty nice things like that at the Capital A'Fair here in Bis last weekend - of course, pretty pricey though!

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