Seattle

After our time at Mount Hood, we spent a night with family in Tacoma - then made our way to Seattle. Jzboy and I came very close to relocating there a few years back so Seattle became a "city that almost was" for us. I find it interesting what they say about all that "weather" Seattle reportedly gets - we have yet to experience that rainy vibe and this was at least our third time visiting. A ploy to keep Californians away, perhaps??

We spent the last 3 nights of our trip to the NW at this lovely B&B. The woman that runs the place is really nice and a terrific cook. She whipped up fresh smoothies every morning, french toast croissants with orange syrup, homemade (& still warm) muffins...perfectly prepared eggs with fresh herbs. You can imagine the coffee! Coffee is like a religion in Seattle.

Here is a glimpse of the neighborhood where we stayed. Spitting distance from some fun shopping, an excellent pizza joint, a couple super trendy pubs, cool music shop...oh yeah...and sushi!


A friend of ours suggested a trip to the Fremont District which ended up being my fave part of our visit to Seattle. We strolled around the lively, artsy, fun area in order to let the early morning fog burn off before visiting the Space Needle. Yes, we saw the "Troll under the Bridge" (thats an actual VW under his left hand)...


and we had a good time blending in with the locals during their lunch break along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. We were right at home sipping our lattes and munching on organic restoratives. It was a beautiful, relaxing afternoon. Loved the Fremont...aka "The Center of the Universe".

Can you believe our luck? Blue skies for our first trip to the Space Needle!


I'm glad that we finally went. The crowds were light, the views were spectacular, and the exhibits were interesting, tricked out and hands-on.

The picture below is proof for my folks that we actually did go on the Seattle Underground Tour. It was a little on the cheesy side. But, fun. It helped that we had an animated actor-guide who sure loved her Seattle!!


There was a huge fire in 1889 that leveled the city - which was built entirely of wood at that time. Because the downtown merchants didn't want to wait for the newfangled brick & mortar city to be built - they set up shop at the city's original ground level while the city was being raised 2 stories higher. The townsfolk thought it wise to deal with their problematic sewage system that was directly related to the comings & goings of the tide. It was fun exploring the underground & hearing the history of Seattle. If you like the ol' Gold Rushy historical thing - def put this on your Seattle things-to-do list.

In spite of my avoidance of crowded places where people constantly bump into you because they are overstimulated and not paying attention to where they are walking...I do love visiting Pikes Place Market. And, here are some pics that will explain why:




I want a collection of these honey bears in my kitchen!

After having worked up a healthy appetite within the colorful, aromatic marketplace - we lucked out with a very short wait at this popular place:


It is a short block away from the Pikes Place craziness, and well worth considering. As you can see, the brunch was worthy of Jzboy's food photography. It was beautiful and delish.


Perfectly cooked, pan seared seabass atop arugula with a spicy tomato vinaigrette & cornbread pudding! Yum.

It was a perfect farewell meal at the end of a most excellent vacation.

Until next time, Seattle.


XO, Wzgirl