Travel Talk | Sleepless in Seattle

Hello Friends!

Yes it’s been a while. I have a ton of travel drafts sitting in my computer waiting to be wrapped up and hopefully they’ll be done soon. But, I had to tell you about my weekend in Seattle!

Seattle had been in the works at the beginning of the year for a fall trip. I actually was planning to come here the first weekend of October but after getting some unsettling medical news earlier this year, I moved the trip to the back burner and ended up in Honduras that weekend. And in a beautiful twist of fate, my sweet roommate Rachel lives in Seattle and invited me to visit. I consulted my calendar on the flight home from Honduras and my next free weekend was Thanksgiving. That worked for her and I only ended up here just under two months after I’d planned. Everything happens for a reason, I tell ya. And for that, I raise my rose champagne I’m drinking as I write this with my last few hours here and Rachel gets some work done.

Friday

Friday morning dad begrudgingly drove me up to O’Hare so I could catch an Alaska Airlines flight to SEA. Wouldn’t you know Alaska is headquartered in Seattle and Rachel works for them so that facilitated an easier trip! This was my first flight with Alaska and I have to say I was rather impressed. I took another airline to Honduras last month and was very disappointed. My standby seat ended up being in Premium Class which meant I drank a coffee and Bailey’s rather than just a coffee. Their in flight movie selection was honestly the best I’ve ever encountered. I watched Space Jam and Hot Pursuit, and daydreamed flying over mountains like I do when I fly to the west coast. My bags were on the carousel by the time I came downstairs–part of Alaska’s 20 minute bag guarantee. Rachel was already waiting and there were hugs all around as we loaded my FOUR BAGS into the car.

After a quick change at her house, we drove out to Little Si to hike. I asked Rachel for an easy hike for this hearty but flat land living midwestern girl. Unlike when I’ve hiked in Colorado, I didn’t have any elevation issues, I just had “I’m clearly out of shape” issues. But after an hour and a half of me slowing Rachel down with my necessary breathing breaks, water sips, and story telling, we reached the summit of Little Si and wow. Wow to the views and wow to the fact that I was so dang sweaty! Honestly quite a workout. I’m still sore 48 hours later. We came home for showers, lunch, and champagne toasts. Then we drove drove into the city for a beer with Rachel’s sweet cousin Emily, to see the skyline, and Meredith Grey’s house. You knew there would be Grey’s Anatomy stops, right?

On our way back to the house, we stopped at Salt & Straw for a little ice cream treat and taste the local flavors. Most of you know I don’t do ice cream or most sweets but every once in a while if I find a less than sweet flavor, I partake. I enjoyed a split scoop of cinnamon chai spiced eggnog and Beecher’s cheese with peppercorn toffee. We made one last stop at Trader Joe’s where I learned that one of my favorite wines, Chateau Ste. Michelle, is grown here. The winery is close so we decided to add it to our plan for Saturday.

Saturday

I’m still tired thinking about Saturday. I woke up INCREDIBLY sore from our hike. So sore I texted Rachel from my bed to ask if she had any pain killers. I usually wait until I absolutely can’t bare a pain anymore to take something if I do at all but I knew our list was long so I needed to start well. Two Tylenol and a full face of makeup later, Rachel, her cousin Emily, and I were on our way.

First stop? The Promised Land, aka the original Starbucks. it’s much smaller than I’d expected but still big enough and with enough merch to take my money. I was also pleasantly surprised to see they had eggnog lattes. They’d disappeared from Chicago for a while so whenever I can have them, I do and my stomach be darned. Coffee to drink, coffee beans, and a new mug in hand, we set off to World Market to take on their second day of Black Friday sales. I grabbed a few items for a few friends who’s gifts are care package like and wished dearly I had my own house to furnish and buy things for. Maybe one day…

Emily headed off to work as Rachel and I made our way to our next stop–a quick walk through the Public Market. Not much was open yet–don’t worry, we went back Sunday–so we made it through in no time at all and headed off to one of my direct requests, The Great Gum Wall. A few of my friends have been there recently per their Instagrams and as much as I’m literally repulsed by others’ gum, I couldn’t not go. You know, content. We probably spent 30 minutes there, most of it me remembering how to blow a bubble. Long gone are the days of frantically chewing bubble gum because dad didn’t like us chewing because he didn’t want us to mess up our teeth. Rachel loves taking friends there and was glad that I asked, even though I think it’s gross. Our last stops in the Pikes Place area were Beecher’s Cheese for a breadzel for me and Piroshky, Piroshky for a jalapeño and sausage piroshky for Rachel.

We loaded into the car and headed to Chateau Ste. Michelle for a little 10:00 AM wine tasting. We posted up at the main tasting bar for a feature flight tasting with Pete. We HIGHLY recommend him if he’s there. Their current flight includes Aligoté, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. When we got to the Merlot, I definitely had to try to not turn my nose up. The very first time I had wine, it was at my best friend’s sister’s apartment in a London-themed coffee mug and it was Merlot. I didn’t enjoy it. I mention this to Pete and he says to give this a try because it’s not very tannic. My ears perk up because I know what tannins are thanks to Amanda’s wine notes on Wine & Crime. So of course I tell him about Wine & Crime. You know, the Lord’s work. Pete also offered us a taste of their rose and their port. Never having enjoyed a port before, I was pleasantly surprised at this dessert beverage and took a bottle home. Please pray I’ve packed it safely…

We headed back into the city for the craziest but most joyful hour of the trip. My Colorado cousins were in Seattle visiting their oldest son Peter, who’s attending Seattle U, for Thanksgiving. Some of my fondest memories growing up were Brad and Mickie’s visits and now I cherish every moment with them and their sweet kids–who clearly don’t listen and won’t stop growing up. We met at Ivar’s Fish Bar for clam chowder. The chowder was great but the company was even better. I’m counting down the days until I get to see them on an extended layover in March. But it was all too soon they had to head to the airport and we had a ferry to catch. Lots of hugs and “see you soon”-s were exchanged as they returned to their cars and we headed to the ferry terminal.

We boarded our ferry–another request from this Grey’s loving gal–and headed to Bainbridge Island for the evening. My cousin Mickie grew up on this island and she gave me a few suggestions for our time there. We stopped at one of her recommendations, J’aime Les Crêpes, for dinner. Almond and honey for Rachel. Grilled chicken, spinach, almonds, and lemon vinaigrette for me. I have such fond memories of going out for crêpes with my Grammie so this was really nice! Mickie also recommended Mora Iced Creamery next door but we were so full so add that to the list for next time! We wandered through a few shops where I found part of my mom’s Christmas gift and I promptly ordered the rest. So that’s a whopping one gift I knocked out this weekend. 93945u8944839 left to go. One last beer at Bainbridge Brewing before we left the island and headed back into Seattle.

Or last stop of the evening was the Space Needle, which I’m pretty sure no first time Seattle visitor should leave without visiting. As we approached the ticket counter, Rachel asked if I’d be okay if she didn’t go up. Knowing that this costs similarly to the Sears Tower in Chicago and that most of my out of town guests want to go on their first visit, I totally understand. While I had to make friends with a stranger for photos, I headed up the long ramp to the elevator. My dad had highly recommended eating at the restaurant but that’s currently under construction and the gentleman at the ticket counter said there weren’t any current plans to reopen. So add that to the next time it’s open list. Our elevator took us to the observatory that had indoor and “outdoor” views. This is where I made friends with a couple and we took each other’s photos. Mine didn’t turn out great, but that’s alright. Not every photo can. I then took the stairs down two floors to the rotating viewing and FaceTimed my mom so she could see the view with me and we could talk about our day…and I could brag that I saw our cousins. As much as I love my iPhone 11 Pro Max, I have never loved it more than using it to get cool night photos of the Seattle skyline from the Space Needle.

Sunday

Today was a much slower day and I enjoyed it. Rachel was going to church and Emily picked me up and we went to World Market for day three of their sale. No complaints from me. They have free stroopwafels which I’d just had for the first time yesterday and am already in love with. I didn’t need anything so I passed my coupon on to Emily who needed some wine glasses. We then trekked up to Meredith Grey’s house again, this time in daylight, for a quick photo and drove over to the locks. They were supposed to be drained for maintenance but they weren’t so it looked just like the locks between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan to me, but I was glad for the steps.

We drove back to Rachel and Emily’s neighborhood in West Seattle to stop by their farmers market. We tried some cider and I looked longingly at some meats and cheeses that I can’t bring home on my redeye and then to work for an entire day. I don’t want to throw a rack of lamb in the work fridge. We came back and had a cup of coffee before coming home to figure out what Rachel and I would do with the rest of our day.

We’d decided on a local fish stand for lunch only to find that they’re closed from thanksgiving all the way through the new year. So we walked back to a Mexican restaurant we’d passed called Cactus. It’d caught my eye because there was a huge fire pit inside and today was the only rainy day we’d had during my visit so I wanted to be somewhere dry and warm. We enjoyed chips and queso, margaritas, tortilla soup, and enchiladas while discussing our travel dreams over the next year. Then we drove downtown one last time to see if we could find souvenirs for my family.

After grabbing them, we headed home for the last time so Rachel could work and I could write. It’s with a heavy yet grateful heart that I type this with Mumford & Sons playing in the background. I’m not ready to leave. We’ve already started the list for the next visit with island hopping and whale watching. Get ready, Seattle! I will be back!

I hope your Thanksgivings gave you a reason to remember what you’re grateful for and were filled with delicious food. I’m so grateful for my weekend with Rachel, my ability to travel, the fact that H&H brought us together, and that I was able to visit one of my New Years resolution destinations this year. Bring on the rest of 2019, my last trip of the year, and two visits from my sister before 2020!

xo.