Toddler Time in Seattle

On July 4, 2016July 4, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Family vacation, Seattle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The joy of my life visited this weekend and we totally rocked it! Mia, my 2-year old granddaughter, was in awe of all that Seattle had to offer an active toddler. From traversing rope ladders to waterfront walks to water stomping, I savored every moment we had together exploring downtown Seattle from our base in lower Queen Anne.

Our backyard is the Seattle Center. Lucky us! Thom and I enjoy it every day when we walk the dogs but it was delightful for visiting Mia. Between the Space Needle, International Fountain, Children’s Museum, Artists at Play playground, EMP, Pacific Science Center, Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, the Armory filled with yummy restaurants and a wading pool tucked away by Key Arena, the Seattle Center holds a treasure trove of experiences for kids of ALL ages.

WP_20160704_14_02_15_Pro (2) — Mia and her Momma enjoying the International Fountain at the Seattle Center

To start the holiday weekend, we strolled downtown and stopped by Westlake Park where they have done an outstanding job adding play equipment, a reading library, and games that everyone from a two-year old to a “seasoned” adult can enjoy. Mia the Magnificent would highly recommend the geodome climbing experience and the bean bag toss. Lunch time at Blue Water Taco Grill was delicious with fish tacos, burritos and lots of chips and guacamole to share. Next up, I had to return some books so the children’s area at the Seattle Library was just the ticket with a friendly librarian offering crayons and encouraging us to take home free books. Perfect for visiting toddlers! They must get lots of donations because they had books to spare. A large puzzle area kept Mia engrossed and provided needed rest time for the adults after our walk.

We saved the Children’s Museum at the Seattle Center for first thing Saturday morning. Thank goodness we had a big breakfast because we were running our asses off after Mia from one cool area to the next as she played fireman, bus driver, sailor and grocery shopper with gleeful abandon. Ah to be young! There were “humongous”, as Mia would describe it, blocks to put together, which Thom couldn’t resist, and a train table where Mia and I had an intense building experience to lay out the tracks for our cars.

Train Table

I want to be a firefighter

Sunday morning we braved the cruise ship crowds as they disembarked along the sidewalk on our waterfront walk past Sculpture Park and then waded through Pike Place Market. Using the stroller to plow our way through the tourists (yes, I am a jaded “townie” who wants them all to get the #&@! out of my way), we sampled fresh pears, jerky, jams, etc. as we walked and admired the fresh flower bouquets. Gorgeous but they weigh a ton and you have to haul them home on foot so, alas, no flowers for me. After a brief stop for Hannah and Mike to get a growler of Rachel’s Ginger Beer for Moscow mules later at home-parents sometimes need a stiff adult beverage-we grabbed a cookie as big as a platter at one of the bakeries across from the market to snack on and made our way to the Monorail. Always fun, the Monorail is a quick ride from downtown, dropping us off at the Seattle Center. Again, packed with tourists, but I was nice and not TOO pushy getting on and getting a good seat to show Mia the urban scenery on the ride home.

Later, after much-needed naps (and perhaps a nip or two of wine by the weary adults, okay me), we were back at the Seattle Center again to check out the new humongous playground by the EMP. With an area for big kids but also one designated for 2-5 year olds equipped with climbing ropes and a slide, Mia kept us busy making sure she wasn’t plunging to the turf and then racing over to try out the super cool swings and musical pipes to bang on.

After wearing us out on the playground, we decided to stroll down to South Lake Union and stomp away the afternoon on the water pad. What a joyful experience that was with water jets spraying us as we ran through them. Soaked and tired, we somehow climbed the Mercer hill home to spend a quiet evening watching Cars and having just a few pillow fights. Sadly, we kissed our Mia good-bye today. Thom cried just a little bit and is already asleep on the couch. I’m not too far behind him. Being a GiGi and NaiNai is hard work!

WP_20160703_20_28_53_Pro — GiGi and Mia watching Cars after their pillow fight. What a great weekend!

Pride and Politics

On June 26, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

There was a sharp contrast between the joy of the Seattle Police Department officer kissing her girlfriend with the crowd cheering them on to the families holding hands as they waved rainbow flags and the smiling faces of every group marching vs. the hateful signs of the anti-gay protestors. As Lin-Manuel Miranda evangelized at the Tony Awards, love is love is love is love…and why people can’t embrace that love is beyond me. Love trumps hate and today that showed as the participants kept on smiling despite the horrible messages being displayed along the Seattle Pride Parade route. Love wins! WP_20160626_12_32_51_Pro

Last year we marched in the Pride Parade with the Seattle Storm contingent and had a great time handing out bam-bams. This year, after serving 352 people in need a hot meal at the Shared Breakfast at First United Methodist for three hours, we decided to skip walking and instead cheer on the Pride along the route. First, we hit the Seattle Center and I was glad to see that many major companies have woken up and were supporting the LGBT community with their presence, giving away a huge array of rainbow beads, wristbands, mints, pinwheels, etc. We signed petitions for gun control and against the I-1515 Washington anti-transgender bathroom initiative. Thom was wearing his “I’m a gun sense voter” so the anti-gun ladies had him pose for a publicity photo. Always the model he is! Hopefully taking advantage of the huge crowds will further these issues that are so vital to protect all people.

There was huge support at Pride by Seattle government agencies and officials from the Seattle Supreme Court to Seattle Metro Transit. Politicians had booths as well as many religious affiliations but the odd man out (literally) was the Trump booth. Unable to stop himself, Thom went off on the staffers because they had the gall to show up and represent their candidate who has vowed to stack the Supreme Court with justices who will repeal gay marriage rights. “How could you sell your souls just because this is the party nominee…that’s DISGUSTING!” I pulled him away to get a cookie from the church ladies and move on to other less stress-inducing booths. I did have to love the “Bill for First Lady” t-shirts and just had to pose with “Bill” after trying out sticking pins into the Trump voodoo doll. Very satisfying indeed.

At the end of the day, Pride 2016 celebrated people. People who have the right to love who they want and be who they are in peace and without violence and hate. Simple. Be kind. To all. Oh, and dance like there is no tomorrow.

The wait is over..cherry liqueur is ready!

On June 26, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn booze, Cocktails, Happy Hour, liquor, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Was it worth the two week wait? You betcha! After the initial pitting of 6 cups of cherries and addition of vodka and brandy, the first week we took turns shaking the homemade hooch every day so the fruit and booze could comingle. Done. Next, I added to the concoction a simple syrup I cooked up and it was time to let the liqueur sit and just be for another week. Done. A__130D (2) (2)

Now, it’s drinking time! I filtered the whole shebang through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, squeezing out the booze-infused cherries into a smooth fruity stress-reducing taste of heaven. Sweet and strong by itself or in the “I’m with Her” cocktail I created to carry me through the election, it is DELICIOUS. Just shake with ice 1 part cherry liqueur, 1 part vodka and 4 parts OJ. Top with a cherry and let the sipping begin! Here’s to summer in Seattle and a Hillary win in the fall. Cheers!

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Signs as Seen in Seattle

On June 18, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I love Seattle. Living downtown we get to wander and see the silly signs that people and businesses post to encourage us to shop and laugh. I try to imagine living in suburbia again, walking by carefully manicured lawns on the clean sidewalks and shopping the ubiquitous strip malls amid big box retailers. No. Thank. You.

Block by block, the streets of Seattle always present a new view, interesting people watching and signs galore. Here are my favorites from today’s walk:

WP_20160618_14_34_21_Rich (2) — They had me at whiskey French toast but won’t turn down a $5 mimosa!

WP_20160618_14_48_43_Rich (2) — Interesting twist on drinking with a fitness angle.

WP_20160618_14_44_29_Rich (2) — I couldn’t agree more-my hat choices are picked with careful consideration to mood.

WP_20160618_14_33_33_Rich (2) — Not often you get voters passionately advocating for a murderer over the alternatives.

Homemade Hooch. What?

On June 12, 2016June 26, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, booze, Cocktails, Food, Happy Hour, liquor, Seattle, Uncategorized1 Comment

Watch out world, I’m making my own liqueur now! Over the past few months, I’ve created a cocktail cart, done my due diligence to research key cocktails (hard work but somebody had to do it) and now I’m moving on to creating delicious, nutritious and fruity hooch. There’s no way for me to avoid my passion for politics in this crazy presidential year, so I’m going to need LOTS of alcohol so, very wisely, I thought why not make it myself? WP_20160612_15_46_26_Rich (2)

With a sale on cherries that are happily now in season and a recipe from my friend Dawn’s blog, I was ready to muddle and mix up some cherry liqueur. Of course, pitting 6 cups of cherries is no small feat so on went the latex gloves as I ripped apart the gorgeous cherries while enjoying the beautiful Seattle day on our patio overlooking Elliott Bay. Needing only one cinnamon stick, I choose not to buy the $10 jar of sticks at the grocery because, really, when will I need another? I am nothing but cheap so we decided to check out Metropolitan Market’s bulk spice section and, sure enough, for only .14 cents, I got the one cinnamon stick I needed. SCORE! I already had the brandy and vodka on the cocktail cart, not being used regularly and, quite frankly, covered in dust. What can I say? My focus has been on whiskey and trying to create the perfect Old Fashioned and I’m oh so close, so my other booze has been feeling a little bit left out. Not any more!

After the pitting session, which my sidekick Thom chose not to participate in and rather just picked out the best cherries to taste, I was off to muddle. Even after quite the aggressive muddling session, I was only able to produce a tiny amount of juice that went into a separate jar for a week while the smashed cherries got the cheerful duty of absorbing the brandy and vodka. After storing in a non-sunny place with a shake here and there over the next week, the boozed-up cherry pieces will finally be reunited with the juice that will be boiled with water and sugar to create syrup. The final leg of the journey requires the mixture to rest for another week before straining out the final product, my very own cherry liqueur.

Then, watch out, it’s drinking time! Since I’m not much of a “shot” girl, I did a little research in my handy cocktail guide and created the “I’m with Her” cocktail to drink throughout the political season. I will be saving the straight shots for the debates and take a shot every time Trump says, “Win bigly” or “Big, beautiful wall”. Trust me, it will help. Can’t hurt.

So, here’s my proposed “I’m With Her” cocktail to celebrate our first female president-to-be. It will be a fruit-infused celebration in your mouth with enough kick to get you through the sure-to-be crazy upcoming political season. Now that I think about it, this cherry liqueur will come in handy to house in a flask (still need to get one of these!) when I stand out in the freezing cold at the inauguration of our first female president. Can’t wait! No, I’m not taking her victory for granted and I will do everything in my power to support her but I can’t imagine the alternative without going crazy so I’ll just be hopeful. And drink. A lot.

I’m With Her Cocktail

1parts homemade Cherry Liqueur

1parts vodka

4 parts orange juice (I would say “fresh squeezed” like the cocktail books like to say but let’s face it, who has that sitting around in their fridge when the need for a cocktail strikes??

Dash of lime juice or bitters-whichever you have just for variety

Prep-chill the glass. Mix-shake the ingredients with ice vigorously enough to skip the gym. Strain into a glass, the prettier, the better. Garnish. ALOT. Fresh fruit or maraschino cherries or a sugar rim or umbrella decoration. Just pick whatever is fun for you. This is a celebration damn it! Enjoy. Cheers!

Many thanks to Dawn who shared this great recipe for cherry liqueur on her blog, First Look, Then Cook. Check out her great food recipes too. She may even inspire me to cook!

Cherry Liqueur

Ingredients

6 cups Bing cherries, pitted
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup vodka
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick, broken

Preparation

Put the pitted cherries at the bottom of a sealable glass jar and muddle them with a wooden spoon or muddler to release some juice. Drain the juice into a separate container and set aside. Then add the brandy, vodka, and cinnamon stick to the muddled cherries. Seal and shake the jar. Let steep for one week at room temperature away from direct sun, shaking every few days.

Combine the reserved cherry juice, sugar, and water in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool. Once the syrup is cooled, add it to the steeping jar, seal, and shake. Then let it steep for an additional 2 to 5 days. Strain through fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into glass jar or bottle. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

3 Chicks in Chicago

On June 7, 2016June 7, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Chicago, Music, Nightlife, Seattle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Girl’s Weekend! My sister Becky along with our best friend since grade school, Patti aka Trish, and I took on Chicago this weekend for a glorious girl’s only experience which featured food, fun, music and, of course, wine. Oh. Yeah. WP_20160604_19_17_07_Rich (2)

We have been best friends for 45 years believe it or not. I know, how can that be??? We all look so young! From swimming at our neighbor’s pool every day in the summers to sneaking smokes in the field between our houses, we have been through life’s challenges and celebrations-divorce, death, weddings, births, businesses, etc. with lots of tears and laughter along the way. I truly don’t know what I would do without these great women in my life.

After meeting up in our amazing suite at the Warwick Hotel on the Magnificent Mile complete with complimentary champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, we headed out for a walk by the waterfront, enjoying the blue sky and warm temps and then through historic Astor Park where the multi-million $ brownstones are to-die-for gorgeous. Next on the agenda was a late dinner at Volare. Even with reservations, the place was packed and it took awhile to get our table and food. A HUGE appletini for Patti and wine for me eased the hunger pains but then the food arrived and LOTS of it–mushroom risotto, caprese salad, minestrone, pasta–all to share and sample. YUM.

Becky and I are the “walkers” with matching FitBits so we got up early leaving Patti to her beloved sleep and took off for a walk by the river from bridge to bridge. Satisfied that we were well on our way to 10,000 steps, we pried Patti out of bed with the temptation of a Saturday brunch at a neighborhood café where we sat outside until the rain began but not before a courteous street dude walked right up to us, declared, “Charlie’s Angels” and walked away. You betcha!

It proceeded to mist on us as we ventured out of the downtown core to the Hyde Park Art Fair. I have no artistic skill whatsoever so am in complete awe of the interesting creations that the artists were showing. I saw an interesting cross necklace made out of antique silverware (only $35!) and pounced on it to purchase. Patti and Becky also wanted one so they are going to order online at: Silverware Artistry. Later we hit the Magnificent Mile and shopped till we dropped at Nordstrom’s (and the Rack), Anthro, Victoria’s Secret and Banana Republic. All my favorite stores and the stars were aligned for us all to find stuff we loved to take home. New Kate Spade shoes. Check. New Anthro white jacket. Done. Ring at 50% off. On my finger.

Nothing says “Girls Weekend” like a concert by awesome artists so, lucky us, got to go see Sean McConnell and Kris Allen at City Winery on Saturday night. I’ve seen Sean play in Seattle, opening for Griffin House at Columbia City Theater and, believe me, he is destined for greatness. His new album comes out July 2nd and he is touring as the headliner in the fall, coming to Columbia City in Seattle on August 19th and Neurolox in Boise on 9/3. Go see him before he blows up and is playing at huge arenas. Seriously, if you like rich lyrics and soulful tones, you will enjoy Sean’s music. Plus, I modeled my new hairstyle after his-seriously. I told him that story after his performance when Becky and I talked with him so she could buy his CD. He laughed.

Next up was Kris Allen and his band who got the crowd engaged, singing and clapping. Thom and I saw him just last week in Seattle at The Triple Door and he was equally entertaining. Singing by himself or with the group, Kris is a true talent that I have enjoyed since he was on American Idol. He is a hard worker with a brilliant voice. I hope he gains a wider audience and enjoys great success. WP_20160604_22_04_53_Pro (2)

After a lovely evening with wine, great food and wonderful music, we once again got a quick Uber (I’ve even made Becky an Uber lover!) and off to the hotel for some rest. The next morning Becky and I again wandered the neighborhood, walking to the lakeshore to get in our 10,000 steps. Then, it was off to the train to South Bend to see Mom. These 3 chicks had quite the time in Chicago and we vowed to make this a yearly event! Cheers! IMG_8119 (2)

Adventures in Boise!

On May 29, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Uncategorized, wineLeave a comment

From discovering an innovative wine bar to shopping downtown boutiques to walking the Greenbelt and more, our weekend in Boise could not have been better. I love my Seattle but, for a small town, Boise has it all even for urban-loving adventurers like Thom and I. Where to begin? With wine, of course!

Boise river view

Bodovino in downtown has an innovative concept for a wine tasting experience that I had never seen before and, you know, I DO get around. You load up cash onto a chip card and then insert loaded card into a bank of wine bottles hooked up to spouts so you can pay for a taste ($1-3), a half glass ($4-6) or a full glass ($6+) of over 140+ varieties of wine. Damn, what a great idea! Hannah and I enjoyed a lazy Friday afternoon sampling the wares. They even have tasty food if you’re hungry. We shared a “Frenchy” flat bread with apples, brie, bacon and honey with a salad. They are opening a branch at the Meridian Mall but they REALLY need to come to Seattle!

After finding the best wine bar in Boise, we decided the next morning to check out The District, a coffeehouse with not only strong caffeine but cozy atmosphere and friendly baristas. Score! Of course, first we checked out the farmer’s market that happens every Saturday downtown. From lemon squares the size of my head to veggies/flowers to crafts, the downtown streets are blocked off for hordes of shoppers. I found a $5 Scrabble tile ring that I just love. We also discovered a hat and accessory shop, Crazy Neighbor, on Grove St., where Thom got the perfect porkpie-style hat he has been wanting to get for so long. They also had great necklaces, scarves and bowties. My kind of store! I love exploring new areas of town-this one is in the Linen District.

M Scrabble Tile Ring from the Boise Farmer’s Market

The District coffeehouse

Crazy Neighbor Hat Store

But after wine, coffee and shopping, it was time to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and great outdoors so on Sunday we walked from downtown to the Anne Frank memorial by the Library! and onto the Greenbelt by the Boise River. Our Fitbits needed to hit 10,000 steps before we stopped so off we went. Not only did we enjoy the water views but the trail took us right by the outside of the Boise Zoo where we were able to catch two giraffes out and about. What a great way to end our fun adventures in Boise!

Musical May

On May 28, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Music, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Thom and I treated ourselves to fantastic musical experiences in May by a wide variety of talented artists, emerging and exiting, that ranged from The Who to Griffin House to Billy Joel to Kris Allen to Jewel to Marie Miller to Gavin DeGraw. WOW. As my mom remarked, “Boy, you get around!” Yes, we surely do and enjoying every lyrical moment of it.

I truly appreciate how hard these artists’ lives are travelling from city to city, leaving behind family and their homes to sing their hearts out for us. Of course, The Who and Billy Joel may be flying around in style but the majority of musicians are probably packed onto rented buses, staying at Arbnb and eating fast food. Tough way to make a living.

Coolest concert moment for me was seeing parents trying to get their kids to buy into the classic music of The Who that shaped a generation or two. Yes, these dudes were OLD but still had clear voices and energy to play for hours. Good for them and better for us! While everyone knows of Billy Joel, I hadn’t played or heard his music for years. As he played hit after hit on his piano, memories in my life that were linked with his tunes all came flooding back to me. He is quite the showman and even strapped on a guitar for a few songs. So much talent! With an opening act as strong as Gavin DeGraw, who was amazing, it was quite the concert. Splurging to share a VIP suite, Thom’s biggest delight was the designer lotion in the bathrooms. Appreciate everything, expect nothing!

Swinging from 30,000+ in Safeco Field for Billy to 100+ The Triple Door, Marie Miller, opening act for Kris Allen, shared with us how she was a late fill-in to sing for the Pope on his US tour last year. She was asked to share her “6 foot 2” song that she felt was rather shallow for such a dignitary but, hey, it was the biggest crowd she had sung for so she went with it and got to sing one other, “You’re Not Alone” that actually had a stronger message. Check her out-great young talent. Kris Allen, American Idol winner, is back with a new album and much improved stage performance with a killer band too. I’m so excited to see him again next weekend with my sister and best friend in Chicago at City Winery. Yes, I do get around, Mom!

One of the most special evenings was sharing favorite indie artist, Griffin House, with my daughter in Boise at the beautiful Egyptian Theater. She actually first turned me on to his music and then Thom and I were able to see him play in NYC and Seattle and now Boise. No, I’m not a stalker-just a music fan! Griffin and his guitar and soulful original songs make for a great evening of music appreciation. Then Jewel came on by herself and two guitars and shared her emotional journey from homeless teen to just separated 40 year old mother trying to make a musical comeback. She has the best voice we’ve ever heard. I don’t usually buy concert apparel but felt compelled to support Jewel and bought matching “Only Kindness Matters” sweatshirts for Hannah and I. And really, ain’t that the truth! If only our politicians would heed this important message. But that’s another story.

Fried Dough & Vino=Happy Saturday

On May 14, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Food, Seattle, Seattle Day Trips, Uncategorized, wineLeave a comment

Malasada French Toast..dripping with bacon infused salted toffee syrup. Holy. Moly. Brunch at Super Six in Columbia City was just the ticket for a rainy Seattle day sugar high. Thom opted for the Hawaiian Loco Moco–a big ol’ bowl filled with rice, brown gravy, beef patty and topped with two fried eggs. Or, as it should be called, the Widow Maker. Today was an anomaly in our usually healthy diet and boy was it tasty! The owner was giving out hot Malasada donuts on our way out. We didn’t want to be rude so we accepted them with a smile. Now that’s world class customer service-free donuts!

After seeking out the Green Eileen store that sells returns/seconds of the really well-made Eileen Fisher line at a huge discount (score!), we meandered down Rainier Avenue and checked out this cool neighborhood just south of Seattle. This is where the hipsters live in more affordable digs. On the main drag is the Columbia City Theater that we’ve been to and enjoyed the intimate concert atmosphere. We’re so excited to see our new fav, Foy Vance, there in September. This Irish lad will, I predict, explode as a superstar with his new album and tour. Ed Sheeran just signed him as his first artist on his new label so he will have good direction. Who doesn’t love that adorable ginger Ed?

But, back to our wonderful day exploring south Seattle in the Sexy Beast, top up unfortunately due to rain/cold. Still, we enjoyed the ride very much in our cozy BMW cockpit. After the yummy brunch, we slid on over to the edge of Boeing Field where Charles Smith of Walla Walla winery fame has his new tasting room. After sugar-laden carbs, bring on the vino! Jet City was packed with wine affectionados tasting and communing. I chose the $10 tasting flight of 8 wines that are more modestly priced ($70 and under per bottle) vs. the $20 tasting flight of more expensive wines. I have a hard time recognizing the value of a $70+ bottle of wine over a $20 bottle-all wine is good to me (even two buck chuck from Trader Joes) so my palate must not be too discerning.

Now, I’ve been happily drinking their Boom Boom syrah for years so it felt good to branch out and sample some other Charles Smith originals. Thom, my designated driver, made fun of the interesting ad copy extolling the virtues of each wine on the tasting sheet including somewhat dubious details of the soil that created these wines including the usual fruits but also: pipe tobacco, fresh bread, lemon curd, crushed granite, and dried hanging meat Yeah. Right. Who cares though because by the end of the 8 tastes, I was ready to buy a few bottles for home consumption and head on home to take a nap. Ahhh….Saturdays are wonderful!

Seattle Road Tripping

On May 1, 2016May 1, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

With not a damn tulip in sight, we drove through the barren Skagit Valley after a brutal commute to get to Anacortes. Global warming is real. Those beautiful tulips popped early and were plowed under by the time we bought our new wheels so we got to view the brown dirt. Pretty. Not to be deterred, we put that disappointment aside and went on to have a lovely road trip. WP_20160501_13_59_39_Rich_LI

Why can’t there be a bucolic winding country road up the coast to get to this sleepy little town? Seriously, driving state route 99 or I5 is not fun especially with the inevitable construction delays and GPS doesn’t program “cute roads” well. So, we survived people laughing at us as we tried stopping at a few places to get a real paper map. It was humiliating. Day Trip Lesson #1 – plot out the trip in advance using an actual map that shows the rural roads.

Luckily, when we got to Anacortes, the volunteer at the visitor’s center was so excited someone stopped in that she heaped maps and tourist brochures galore on us. We now have a stack for our future road trips. Score! After wandering the deserted waterfront shipyards, being the weird tourists who always seek out the less travelled path, we tucked into some seriously spicy fish tacos at the Rock Fish Café. I even got to finally taste Kung Fu Riesling from Charles Smith Winery. Tasty. Can’t wait to check out their new tasting room in south Seattle.

Armed with archaic paper maps and full stomachs, we proceeded to actually find a lovely country road that traverses Whidbey Island, through valleys and farm lands in addition to the coastline. Lovely. We wound up at the Mukilteo Ferry crossing and Sexy Beast got to have her first boat ride. Road Trip Lesson #2 – carry hats and sunscreen because having that top down for hours of driving leads to some serious sunburn. We finally had to put the top up for the drive home. On this beautiful day, fellow drivers looked at us like we were crazy not to be soaking up the rays. Poor us, we can only handle so much sunshine because, after all, we are true Seattlites with pasty pale skin. Looking forward to lots of road trips this summer. Where should we go next?