Seattle: A weekend away

A couple months ago, Jeff and I were having a discussion about parenthood. We discussed the differences of motherhood and fatherhood. I explained to him that when he comes home from work, he can be done with work; however, my work is the home and I never quite feel done until every boy is in bed (which allows me a fraction of a second of "free time" before I retire to bed and start all over). In that discussion, Jeff realized how often he has been able to get away over the last year and a half (e.g., scout outings, youth functions, two trips with Laurin then Amber, etc.). That afternoon, my mom received a call from Jeff instructing her that she was to accompany me on a trip. After my mom agreed, Jeff called me. I could think of a million reasons why I shouldn't go and "abandon" my post at home; yet, I could also think of a million reasons why I needed to get away too. So...off we went! I have always wanted to go to Washington and Oregon. They were the only two states on the west coast that I hadn't visited so it only seemed logical to choose to visit Seattle and drive down the coast to Cannon Beach in Oregon. We had a blast! Prior to getting married, I would take at least one trip a year with my parents. I had missed doing so. It was so much fun to forget about being a wife and mother and simply be a daughter and friend. I made sure I paced the weekend to allow for ample rest and relaxation as well. We both flew into Seattle and met up at the airport on Saturday (10/8) before we started our adventure. That day we visited the iconic Space Needle and a couple museums (Chihuly Garden and Glass and EMP museum). Before the day was over, we also toured the Seattle aquarium. We had a bit of an adventure navigating all the one-way streets, but we managed to make it out alive. The Garden and Glass museum was breathtaking. I was amazed by the artist's talent and attention to detail.

The Space Needle was everything I expected. It was the iconic Seattle tourist attraction I had to see.

It was pretty chilly and a little rainy up there!

The EMP museum was...interesting, but we still managed to find a couple fascinating exhibits.

I loved the aquarium. I even discovered my new favorite animals...otters! They were so cute! There were two that were tussling (I named them Dallin and Daniel) while one just twirled in the water without a care in the world (I named that one Amber). The other two otters in the exhibit were content to watch the others (you guessed it...Laurin and Jonas). It was the perfect way to end our first day.

The next day (Sunday 10/9), we started by attending the end of mass at St. James cathedral. This gorgeous cathedral was built in 1907. We admired the intricate architecture and the stunning stained glass. More than the building itself, I admired the faith of the people therein. While I do not share their faith, I was humbled by their faithful worship. I am grateful for good people where ever they are and whatever faith they practice.

After the service, we went to the waterfront where we enjoyed a ride on the Great Wheel of Seattle (a ferris wheel that provides a 175 foot tall vantage point of Seattle's waterfront) and a ferry tour around the harbor. I really enjoyed the tour guide on the ferry tour. She provided so much history and fun facts about Seattle.

After we finished up at the waterfront, we headed to the next iconic Seattle tourist stop - Pike Place Market! This is the oldest organized farmer's market in the nation...and quite a busy place! We had to strategically maneuver our way through the myriad of halls lined with delectable produce and stunning flowers to find our way to the Athenian restaurant where we dined on salmon BLTs and fish tacos while overlooking the harbor. It was a fun experience! I got to see them throw the fish and sampled a few products from the produce vendors. We wandered through a couple stores before making our way out to Ellenos Greek yogurt where we finished our market experience with lemon cheesecake yogurt! Even though it was totally crazy at the market, I'm glad we went. You can't go to Seattle without visiting Pike Place Market. asdlk

I thought this sign was hilarious!

Mmmmm!

After being totally stuffed, we decided to walk off our late lunch and yummy yogurt so we headed to the Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront. It was a really nice stroll with some unique works of art.

Once we made it back to the car, we headed towards Queen Anne's neighborhood where our harbor tour guide told us about Kerry Park. It's this quaint little park in a picturesque neighborhood overlooking Seattle. It's the most recognized viewpoint of the Seattle skyline...and the perfect way to end another great day.

Monday (10/10) we left Seattle for the day and headed to Cannon Beach, Oregon. It was a relaxing, beautiful drive down the coast of Washington and Oregon. We saw views that literally looked like a postcard. I think my only regret of this day was not having more time to explore the coast.

A cute little church we encountered on our way to the coast.

The view at Cape Disappointment in Washington.

Still, we made it to Cannon Beach where we had lunch on Main Street and wandered through a couple cute shops before seeing the iconic Haystack Rock. We strolled along the windy beach looking for sea shells and enjoyed hearing the sounds of the ocean.

Before leaving the area, we drove a few more miles south to Hug Point. This was by far my favorite stop! It was breathtaking! This is what I had imagined the Oregon coast to look like. There was this little waterfall that emptied onto the beach. The water then meandered through the sand until it dumped into the ocean. Gorgeous! I also loved the fact that there weren't as many people here. I want to bring the family back here for a vacation!

Just after this picture was taken a HUGE wave washed in. Mom got a little soaked and...

it washed in this crab! There was a bit of a battle between the crab and seagull until another wave came in and took the crab back out.

Mom was pointing to the "beware of sudden high tides" sign in her wet pants.

Finally the day ended and we headed back to Seattle for one last night. The trip all happened so fast! I was sad to see it come to an end, but anxious to get back to my boys at the same time. I'm so glad Mom came with me. We will have to repeat these girls weekends in the future! On Tuesday (10/11), we had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport so we headed back into Seattle to find the mildly creepy Fremont troll and stop at Starbucks. You can't go to Seattle without getting something from Starbucks. I got some caramel apple cider and Mom got some hot chocolate. And just like that the weekend was over. I'm grateful that Jeff insisted that I take this trip and that Mom was willing to go with me. It was the perfect get-away weekend!

View of Seattle from the air.

Mt. Rainier