Sunshine in Seattle

When Jason's family decided to copy our honeymoon and take a vacation to the Oregon Coast, I decided pretty early on in the planning that our little family should add a couple of days in Seattle to the beginning of the trip. The waterfront was unthinkably under construction and closed the first time Jason and I went to Seattle, and I felt like he and the kids needed to experience one of my very favorite places in the world. Plus, it really isn't that far from Portland to Seattle and it just seems wrong to me to do one without the other. So we spent Thursday night through Sunday morning with my Favorite Aunt Patsy, and even talked my Dad into joining us for a couple of days. Yay!!!

First stop - Ivars. I like to say that I only eat fish when I can see the ocean. But, truthfully, I really only eat fish when I'm at Ivars.  

Iconic pictures under the Ivars sign.

When you eat fish and chips at Ivars on the waterfront, you have to eat outside and feed the seagulls at least half of your chips. It's just what you do. I was so glad Mick and Dahlia enjoyed this tradition.

I could stare at this view for days and days. But... there were other things to do and certainly other things go eat. So we had to keep moving.

Next stop - Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. They've moved locations around the corner, but even for a purist like myself, it hasn't changed the experience. They still have the totem poles, the huge assortment of colored rocks you purchase by the bag, the fortune teller machine, and the most charming collection of things you never know you needed all crammed into one small space. I don't even know how to describe it, you just have to go explore.

My Dad paid to play the pipe organ and Jason somehow captured the exact moment the organ started to play. Hence, the startled look on my face.

Mickey had one very important item on his Seattle "to do" list - visit the first ever Starbucks. For a kid who doesn't drink coffee, he's kind of obsessed with Starbucks. So we hunted down the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market. 

And while we didn't wait in the forever long line to get a drink at THE Starbucks, we did cross the street to another Starbucks so Mickey could have his treat.

I love all the fresh flowers at Pike Place and I always wish I was on my way to my wedding or something so I could pick up a beautiful bouquet for a ridiculously cheap price. But, since I wasn't, I did make Dahlia pose by the dahlias. Classic.

Also classic - the fish throwing guys at Pike Place. I think this was one of Jason's highlights of the trip. He never talks to strangers, ever, but he made an exception and asked for a picture with The Fish Guy. And I'm so glad he did because what a great shot! Coming soon to a Christmas card near you....

After the market, we made a quick stop for waffle cones (because it really was sunny and warm that whole day in Seattle and ice cream became kind of a must) and took a ferry ride . Such spectacular views of the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier. I love to be on the water. We rode the ferry to Bainbridge Island and then turned around and rode the ferry back.

It's pretty tempting to get straight back on when you arrive back at the Seattle waterfront and just repeat. But we were all getting a little tired by this point, so we took the train back to our car and ate dinner at another classic Seattle favorite, Denny's. Then back to Tacoma, where Jason and the kids watched America Ninja Warrior and the World Poker Tournament on TV with Patsy and Hal, while I sat down and promptly fell asleep. (Seriously, who watches poker on TV?) Pretty much a perfect day.