I love Seattle for many reasons. It's a beautiful city with lots to do, music is everywhere, and you can't beat Mt. Rainier as a backdrop. Seattle is so much different than my home town of Bakersfield. At home, nature is a few hours away, not part of our every day lives. We travel
to nature, whether it's to the beach at Morro Bay or up to the mountains for Yosemite. Seattle is a big city, like many others, but nature seems to be all around. Whether it's heard in casual conversation or experienced as a walk at a nearby lake, nature is part of life here. Yet the best part of Seattle for me is being able to visit my family.
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| Waffles Caffe |
We rarely make it all the way up to that corner of the world, but I am so thankful we made it on this trip. It had been way too long since I'd been to Seattle. Growing up, we'd make the long drive up north for long family vacations. A few times during Christmas break and once or twice during summer. But for Erinn, this was her first visit to Seattle and I was very eager to make a good impression.
After a quick breakfast of gluten-free waffles at the
Waffles Caffe in Yakima, we took highway 90 through the cascades, stopping at
Snoqualmie Falls for a beautiful view. For travelers driving through the mountains, Snoqualmie Falls is only a few minutes from the highway. For visitors to Seattle, it's only about a half an hour. Well worth the trip.
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| Snoqualmie Falls |
That morning started a bit chilly, with a covering of clouds typical of the Pacific Northwest, but soon after leaving Snoqualmie, we were fortunate enough to have the clouds part and the sun shine through, brightening up the city as we drove in. We took advantage of the clear skies and rode the elevator to the top of the
Space Needle, quickly crossing one item off our Seattle to-do list. Not long after, we made it to my Aunt and Uncle's house for a mini family reunion dinner.
That night we caught up around a dinner of salmon, talking about travel, all the cool things there are to do in Seattle, rock climbing, concerts, wine, Bainbridge Island, how badly Portland wishes it was Seattle, and how Erinn and I belong in Washington. We followed dinner with a walk along
Green Lake, joining the hundreds of like-minded people who were also enjoying the beautiful weather, taking strolls of their own. Our own walk took us to the southern end of the lake where the bleachers sit, perfectly situated for kicking up your feet and watching the sun set. Everywhere I looked, people were outside,
enjoying being outside. Running up the bleachers, jogging along the path, lawn bowling at the park, relaxing by the lake.
The next day we did a little more sightseeing. We rode the
Great Wheel, got a crepe at a little shop in the back of
Pike Place Market, saw the
Fremont Troll, checked out some Daleks and Princess Bride costumes at the
EMP, and spent the afternoon with my cousins at
Bitterroot BBQ.
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| The Great Wheel |
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| Fremont Troll |
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| The Iron Throne |
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| You've got red on you. |
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| Exterminate! |
We barely scratched the surface in Seattle. More than anything, our two days there made me wish we could just stay. I know we'll go back again soon, but until then, I'll miss the mountains, the music, the clean air, and my Seattle family.
Recommended:
Around Seattle:
Outside Seattle:
The Ballard area:
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