Springtime in Seattle

Kurt's bench in Viretta Park

The ride to Bainbridge

The View from Docs

The Beach in Edmonds

Rick's Old House

Dinner at the Space Needle

My pedicure.

The Space Needle

The view of Lake Union from our hotel.

We just returned home last night from the most wonderful trip to Seattle, just the two of us. It was so awesome to recharge our batteries. We didn't have to do a single thing. It was so totally relaxing, that I don't think I'll need another break until I go to Denver week after next... Thanks to Meagan, who watched the boys after work on Friday and all weekend, and thanks to Tim who let Logan play hookie, and watched the kids all day Friday, we would have had to cancel our trip if they hadn't helped out.

Rick and I visit Seattle several times each year, but this was our first visit in the spring, and the weather was more than agreeable. The temperatures during the day, were in the upper seventies, a virtual heatwave, I even got a bit of a sunburn. It seems like a completely different city in the sunshine. Wherever we went people had huge smiles on their faces, and there where lots of exposed white limbs everywhere we turned.

We did all the things we usually do when we visit, but this time we also drove to Edmonds, WA to visit Rick's childhood home. We also saw his grade school and stopped to watch a baseball game at the local high school...Rick was in heaven. He pointed out what used to be the old "Candy Corner" where he would buy penny candy (man, he sounds old), and we even ate breakfast in a quaint restaurant that used to be a furniture store he worked in as a teenager. We spent some time walking the beach he played on as a child, and then made our way back to the city. It was a delightful morning.

Of course, we made our way over to Bainbridge, because we have a love affair with Doc's clam chowder...it is out of this world. If you ever go to Seattle, it is worth the hour long, round -trip ferry ride just for that. http://www.docsgrill.com/ Also, an author I enjoy reading, Susan R. Sloan, is a native of the Island, and although she renames the places she writes about, once you've been to the island, there is no misunderstanding her inspiration. I found this out quite by accident on my last visit. I had just finished reading this book http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/susan-r-sloan/isolated-incident.htm on the flight over, it was like walking into the book--very strange, but very cool. There is also a darling candy shop on the island that sells the most delicious cherry cordials, so I had to get some to eat for the ride back to city. This time we took the car over on the ferry, we enjoyed the view from the sun deck on the way to the Island, but took a much needed catnap in the car on the return trip. We got back to the city just in time to change clothes and meet an old Las Vegas friend at the delightful Zig Zag Cafe http://zigzagseattle.com/, on the Hill Climb below the market. It was wonderful to catch up over yummy mandarin vodka martinis...

We also managed to squeeze in a pedicure for me, visits to two museums, shopping at the Market, a visit to the space needle, a two hour treasure hunt for the tiny Viretta Park, which is a makeshift memorial for the late Kurt Cobain, and so much more.

We are already looking forward to our next visit, and hope to explore even more.
My pre-trip challenge is to talk Rick into visiting the grave of Jimi Hendrix....