Washington: Day 3

It was drizzling when we woke up, but that didn’t change our plans.  We put on our raincoats and headed downtown to explore Seattle.  Hayley was so excited to wear her new pink jacket and ride the train.

We parked our car and took the light rail (SoundTransit).  The train started out high above ground, then moved to ground level, and went underground as it reached the downtown area.  


Our first stop was the Columbia Tower to take in the view of Seattle.  Then we walked down to the waterfront.

The kids loved browsing “Ye Olde Curiousity Shoppe”.  (thanks for the suggestion, Aunt Heather!)

The rain stopped and never returned for the rest of the day, even though the forecast warned us of an 80% chance of thunderstorms and showers all day.  We even saw the sun in the afternoon!

We spent a couple of hours in the Seattle Aquarium.  We decided to buy a membership for the year so we can return often.  (it was cheaper to buy the membership than to pay one day’s admission for all of us.)  We even have two free guest passes if any of you would like to join us next time.

Next, we walked up the hill to Pike’s Place Market so we could watch the shouting and fish throwing “shows”.  They did not disappoint.  I was amazed by the gorgeous, huge bouquets of flowers selling for only $10.

You’d think you could find a good deal on fresh seafood in Seattle.  Maybe we just didn’t know where to look, but everything was too pricey for us.
We headed back to the waterfront towards the Olympic Sculpture Park.  Corinne fell asleep in Brian’s arms, and Hayley napped in the stroller.


They weren’t the only tired ones.  We took a little break in the sculpture gardens before walking to the Seattle Center to see the Space Needle. (see it in the background?)



After seeing the Space Needle, we took the monorail back downtown to find a place to eat dinner.  It wasn’t easy.  We wore the kids out searching for a restaurant.  I’m pretty picky.  Too expensive.  Too fried.  Too ordinary.  If we’re spending that much money, I don’t want to be disappointed.  Brian finally made an executive decision and steered us all into a Vietnamese restaurant, much to the dismay of some.  It was a good call.   The food was delicious and it was a new experience.  The big hit was Grant’s avocado drink.

We returned to our condo that night with sore feet and big smiles.  Thank you, Seattle!

Washington: Day 2

We woke up to sunshine and the promise of a warm day (mid 60’s) so we drove to the nearest ferry terminal and drove our van aboard.  We arrived just in time.  As soon as we parked the van, the ferry started moving.

Grant had to check for wi-fi coverage on the boat.  Yup.

In 20 minutes we were docking onto Vashon Island.  We spent the day exploring beaches and other interesting sights.

At our first stop, Brian spotted this bald eagle from the car.  Evan took the camera and got some great pictures before it took flight.

The kids played in the sand rocks near this lighthouse and collected shells and rocks.

A driftwood fort?

She needed her walking sticks to navigate the rocky beach.

We had lunch at the Hardware Store—an island establishment since the 1890s.

The small print on the map reading “bike in a tree” intrigued me, so we went out of our way and into the thick growth to find this landmark.  Moral of this story?  Don’t park your bike in the forest.

Getting back to Seattle was not as quick—we waited in a long line of cars before there was room on a return ferry.  This is our car parked below as the family is heading up the stairs to enjoy the ride from the deck.

This is our view, returning to Seattle.  In the middle of the picture you can see the ramp that connects to the boat for the cars to drive back on the land.

Back at the condo.  After a late dinner, we watched a movie.  I think Hayley and Corinne were the only ones who made it to the end!

Washington: Day 1

Snoqualmie Falls—we stopped here on our way into the city.

The 1/2 mile hike to the beach from our condo through a beautiful, green forest.

The beach!  This is Seahurst Park on the Puget Sound, just south of Seattle.  The water was really cold, of course, but that didn’t stop the kids from wading.

Corinne started a shell collection and came back with a bag full of them.

It was a little windy, but the weather was actually sunnier and warmer than we expected.  (mid 60’s)

This was a good introduction to the beach for Hayley—no waves!   The kids all went to bed excited to explore the next day.  I love vacations!