Sleepless in Seattle

I'm not really in Seattle . . . but I was. I AM sleepless though. It is 4 a.m. and I can't sleep so I thought I would take what little time I seem to have these days to share some experiences and photos of our latest trip.

I've always refused to move but after spending some time in this happening city, you just might convince me. Granted, September is its nicest month. There was not one drop of rain, the sky was blue and to the people of Seattle, they were ecstatic to bask in the glory of high 80-degree days. Me, not so much. That was one slight, insignificant downfall. I was looking forward to wearing my cute cardigans and jeans. Oh well. Can't say I was extremely disappointed.

Day 1:  We arrived at our hotel a little after 9 p.m. PST - or after midnight to our EST bodies. We were t-i-r-e-d. But the boys got a second wind when it came time to press the elevator buttons and raced to our door to put in the card key. Stop! What's this little silver button outside our door? CTH and BBH were fascinated to see our own little doorbell. The door opens and once again, stop! Neither one of them could tear themselves away from the bathroom. Not because they needed to use it but because they thought it was the coolest thing ever. With the huge bathtub, the water closet with its frosted glass door and wait . . . what's this remote for? With a click of a button, a TV screen lights up the mirror. Finally, I drag them out with the suggestion that they come see what's waiting for them on the bed. Two child-sized robes and pairs of slippers and for each of them, a little stuffed Husky. You would have thought BBH had died and gone to heaven.

Then back to the bathtub.

By the time all this was done, it was probably about 2 a.m. EST. We had some adjusting to do!

Day 2:  All of us are early to rise. Still not having adjusted, we were up at 6 a.m. PST. Out of bed and away to Pikes Place Market . . . uphill a mere one block away but listening to the boys, you would have thought we were asking them to walk three miles. And CTH refused to wear his jacket (it was refreshingly chilly in the mornings.) Most of the merchants hadn't even arrived but some were already bringing in the most beautiful produce and gorgeous, colorful flowers. On our stroll through, we stopped and grabbed a half-dozen of the hot, fresh mini cake doughnuts that were just being ladled out of the deep-fryer. Then we made our way over to one of the city's countless Starbucks.  You cannot turn a corner in Seattle without seeing a Starbucks. CLH grabbed his coffee and me and the boys had hot chocolate. They really know how to make hot chocolate! And that was consistent throughout the many Starbucks we visited. After a little exploring (with a lot of up and down hill treks) and a lot of complaining (I'm so cold. Why couldn't we come here in the summertime? My feet won't walk anymore. Can I get a bus?) we headed back to the hotel for a little rest. But as those with kids know, the pool must be checked out and yes, it was heated. I must admit, it was pretty magnificent and the view was to die for. 

                          

Remember: It's still early and about 55 degrees. And BBH is obsessed with his robe.

That afternoon, we went our separate ways. CLH took the little men to see his beloved alma mater football team, the Washington Huskies, and I went on my merry way to the Nordstrom Flagship Store!

                         

 

Day 3 - 8: I'm running out of time this morning so I'll do a quick recap of of trip. We went to the annual Bumbershoot Festival, lots of live music, all kinds of food, outside art structures, etc. It's held at the Seattle Center right under the shadow of the towering Space Needle. Of course we couldn't miss that - we zoomed to the top and dined at the revolving restaurant. Beautiful view, very cool. We visited CLH's brother (CDH) and our niece and nephew. We saw Mount Rainier in all its glory. We oohed and aahed over the Pacific sea life, including a giant octopus, at the Seattle Aquarium. We crossed the border into British Columbia where we went whale watching. We cheered on the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field (we even ran into CLH's 2nd grade teacher's husband - who would've thunk it?) The boys crawled on the Freemont Troll and we saw the Lake Union houseboats and Gas Works Park. We learned about the city's history in Underground Seattle. We visited the Seattle Art Museum and the Boeing Air Museum. I know I must be leaving something out. We packed a lot into our trip and had a fantastic time. This is definitely a place that I would recommend to visit - in early September when it's not raining.