I Love Seattle -- Part 3 of 3

One morning we got up early and caught the ferry to Bainbridge Island.  My parents called this island home when my father was stationed there in the Navy after World War II.  It is such a quaint little island.  I would really like to go back, rent some bicycles, and spend some time exploring.  We walked for as long as we had time for before heading to the ferry to take us back to the city.  Before leaving though we bought some sandwiches and drinks at a bakery so that we could have a picnic lunch on the return ferry ride.

And of course a trip to Seattle just wouldn't be complete without a stop at the original Starbucks where the coffee craze all began:

Finally, we made one last swing through the market before heading to the airport.  I'm so glad we did because all of a sudden we noticed one of the floral stalls selling sweet peas!!!  They were gorgeous, and I would have been content to take a picture and bring that home; however, my daughters decided they were each going to buy a bouquet and take a chance on the airport allowing us to carry them on the plane.  Being the prepared girls that they are, they just happened to have small baggies and rubber bands in their luggage.  We filled the baggies with water and rubber banded them to the flowers.  Right before we were to go through the airport security, they emptied the water out of the baggies, sent them through the security check, and immediately upon the other side, they refilled the baggies.  No one seemed to even balk that they wanted to hold them throughout our flight.  And once home, we put them in a vase, and enjoyed their beauty for several days.  It really was a perfect end to a perfect trip.

I Love Seattle -- Part 2 of 3

Additional highlights of my Seattle trip were of course a visit to the Space Needle:

The weather was quite pleasant when we were at the top and we were afforded a nice view of the city:

We made time for tea and crumpets one afternoon .... very delicious!  I now need to find a good recipe for crumpets:

I have some very kind cousins living in Seattle that gave up an entire afternoon/evening to show us the sights that we wouldn't have otherwise been able to see on foot.  They took us to the Ballard Locks where we were able to watch some kayakers making their way through the locks:

Besides taking us to a wonderful little quilt shop and treating us to a delicious dinner, they also took us to a park where we had a different view of the Space Needle, as well as a nice sight of watching the ferries returning from one of many trips across the sound:

I Love Seattle -- Part 1

For Mother's Day this year, my two oldest daughters gave me a vacation.  I think that is possibly one of the nicest gifts I have ever received.  The vacation took place a couple of weeks ago when I flew to Seattle, Washington, to meet them for three days of fun.  We stayed right downtown where we would be within walking distance of many venues.  After we ate lunch at Ivar's (a very famous fish and chips spot) on the water, we of course hiked over to Pike's Place Market.  A trip to Seattle just isn't complete without a stop here.

There are so many vendors, but what really caught my eye, were all of the flower stalls.  Pretty much as far as you could see there were fresh flowers for sale.  They were being sold in bulk or in pre-made bouquets at amazingly reasonable prices:

Nearly every direction that you looked ladies were carrying around bouquets that they had purchased. 

Many more vendors fill the market such as the famous fish mongers, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, jewelery, t-shirts, etc; but in my mind, the flowers stole the show.

It's the Little Things that Count

I have been traveling a bit over the past week.  In fact when I climbed on the airplane on Wednesday morning I counted that it was the sixth plane for me to step on in a week.  But the traveling has all been very fun.  My first spur-of-the-moment trip was to Colorado Springs, Colorado.  My brother-in-law and sister-in-law invited me to come spend a couple of days.  Between good conversation, fun shopping, good food, and great walks, it was a wonderful visit.  They have the gift of hospitality down perfectly, even down to leaving me cute chocolates and pretty flowers by my bed.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

I am home from my little vacation, and had a great time. As I mentioned in my previous post, it was a working vacation; but I so enjoyed seeing all of the kids working so hard, and getting to interact with them. It was a gymnastics summer camp, and boy were those kids tired by the last day (which was today). This is a unique gymnastics camp because it is held in an actual "camp" setting. We have campfires, roast marshmallows, sleep in cabins (well I didn't sleep in a cabin), eat in a cafeteria, take canoes out on the water, etc. I am totally exhausted though, and am looking forward to a couple of days just getting back into a routine, tending to my gardens, making chickens, etc. It is great to be back. And by the way, this photo really is where I have spent the past 5 days:

Going to Camp

Today I am packing up my Airstream and taking a little vacation. Actually it is a working vacation since I help out at a week long summer camp that my daughter attends; but it is still a fun time. I won't have a computer with me, so obviously I won't be able to make any posts. I'll be back on Friday, so please come back for a visit then.

(Where I am going looks absolutely nothing like this picture, but wouldn't it be fun if it was)