Seattle Adventure

One of the perks of my husband traveling is that he builds up points for free plane tickets, another perk is that when he goes some place fun I get to join him by using those free tickets!!!! The weekend of October 10th I got to go to Seattle, WA to spend some one on one time with my honey (he had to work part of the time so I got a little me time...that was nice!!!)

What a Happy Fella....I seem to really like birds.
I had lots of pictures of them....who knew???

Donnie has been to Washington State several times and absolutely loves it. The Donner is one of those people that could live anywhere and be happy, he doesn't have attachments........that was until he went to Washington State......it happens to be is one of those places that he would like to move to......ummmmm that is a LONG ways from IOWA!!!! I will have to admit I can understand his infatuation, the scenery is beautiful and the people are beautiful (very friendly and laid back) just the way we like it.

Downtown Seattle

don't be looking for the Space Needle I didn't take any pictures of it

I am not a very good tourist

A little vertical action for your viewing pleasure

By the farmers market there is a park that has this view....Wow!!

I left MCI (Kansas City) on Thursday morning at 6:45 a.m. (I know....very early) and arrived at SEA (Seattle/Tacoma) at 9:30...first thing I did was get me some coffee....I was in the land of the highly caffeinated......when in Rome!!! The Donner picked me up we got some breakfast at Jack-in-the-Box (only the best for the Donner's woman) and then met Mike (The Donner's co-worker) and went to where they were going to be giving their training. Once we had established where they were going to set up Mike thought I needed to see Downtown so he dropped me off at the original Starbuck's (it is located at the Pike's Peak Farmer's Market) and left me to fend for my self among the bohemians. I must say I have never seen so many dreadlocks (now saying that, you would have thought I would have taken a picture of them.....wrong) it had a very artsy feel and I loved it. There were stands that had big bunches of flowers for $5 and all kinds of yummy looking fruits and veggies (I wish I would have had a kitchen), booth after booth of jewelry, t-shirts, and any kind of craft you could think of but my favorite ones were the fish marketers. The fish stand workers were putting on a show selling their wares in the most vocal ways...singing, yelling and giving each other a hard time....the energy in the whole market was so exciting.

Pikes Peak Farmer's Market...not quite like my hometowns that is for sure



Still the farmer's market...they had this lush foliage on over the city

The Fish Marketers

Hello little crabs, you look yummy

Park view of the Farmer's Market

One of my favorite things to do is to peruse through antique shops and boy did I have a lot to choose from. I strolled through a book store while I was there picked up a book and a journal.....I needed something for documentation of that great weekend, I was so jacked up on coffee I wasn't going to remember with out help.....that being said I ran through Starbucks....again (yeah I was bouncing off of the walls) then headed to a park by the ocean and jotted down a few thoughts and read my book as I sipped a Pumpkin Spice Latte (I love fall....you get to enjoy yummy things like Pumpkin Spice Lattes!!!) while I waited for the Donner to come and get me.

The Original Starbucks

The inside of the original Starbuck's

Some functional park art

What I call a perfect day

Friday I had the day to myself and Mike told me of this lovely little town north of Seattle (thank God we had a GPS in the car) called Snohomish (Sno-ho-mish now run it together.....Snohomish....very good!!!) and it was a Junk shopping girls dream!!!! There is shop after shop of exciting things to look at.....Antiques, home decor, wine, CHOCOLATE!!! It was very quaint and everyone was so friendly, in fact I met some people whose daughter is living in Fairfield, IA (that is about 30 min east of Ottumwa...my hometown). What a small world!!!! Snohomish is just the kind of town I would like to move to; small, quaint and colorful. After a great day of adventure I met the Donner at the hotel (by the ocean.....I was living the high life I tell ya) and we walked up the hill to have the best seafood dinner I have ever had.....I am ruined for ever having fish in the Midwest.......even the Donner liked it and he doesn't care for fish.

Downtown Snohomish

could you see me walking down the streets?

The River walk in Snohomish

I had to have a picture of the giant chicken

Sign by the hotel showing the Puget Sound

Our hotel was in Mukilteo right on the water

What a pretty name for a place to rest our heads

The scrumptious restaurant Arnie's

We got to sit by the sign

You have to love a restaurant that has a giant metal crab on the side of it

Seared Ahi......ahhhh YUMMY!!!

This was my first experience with raw fish...it was a good one!!

The best Salmon I have ever eaten

Donnie thought I was nuts because I was taking pictures of my food

after 3 glasses of wine I needed documentation that is wasn't a dream!!

Key Lime Pie...........not only was the food tasty it was pretty

What a view of the Puget Sound

The ferry docked right by our hotel

I had to have a picture of the mossy rocks

Saturday I got to sleep in and boy was it great....I had a morning of cable, a good book and cat napping.....I was in heaven. The Donner worked until noon and then we hoped in the car on a grand adventure. We headed east via the Northern Pass (Snoqualmie pass) and drove to Yakima, WA and the changes in the terrain were amazing...we saw everything from lush greenery and mountains to desert valleys (what an amazing country we live in....it can change in a matter of miles). We stopped at the Yakima Visitor Center and visited with the lovely ladies manning the place, loaded up on chocolate covered cherries, maps and brochures then headed for the Southern Pass (Chinook Pass) and that is where I fell in love (I am a mountain girl) with Mt. Rainier. It was so beautiful covered in snow with clouds looming around it as it stood there in all its glory....I told Donnie over and over that I was done taking scenic pictures then we would go around a bend and I would scream "STOP" I need a picture of that (I wish we would have had Donnie's camera mine did NOT do the things I saw justice). After 6hrs in the car oooohhhing and aaahhhhhing we made it to a hotel where we spent the night then got up the next day puttered around Seattle then headed home.

The valley east of the Snoqualmie Pass (don't you love these names??)







Striking a pose in front of the valley view....what is up with my hair???

I was glad I had the wrap, it got colder as our trip progressed

West of Yakima.........first of many stops to adore nature

Something about running water.....ahhhhh

This picture does not do this view justice

More running water......aaahhhhhhh

What a handsome fella...he is all mine

That is the road we were on....

yeah it was a little scary but nothing compared to where we were going

This is a hill compared to our next bend in the road

Mt. Rainier.....that is beautiful!

Look at the SNOW.........I LOVE SNOW!!!!!

The silhouettes of the trees make me giddy they are so pretty

That my friends is some majestic beauty!

Thank you Jesus!!!

What a great time we had enjoying the beauty that our glorious God created and reconnecting as a couple. Life has a way of taking those most precious things and making you forget how important they are by filling your time with duties and obligations. I discovered that I need to make trips like that mandatory, an obligation to what is really important in life.