Christmas in Seattle







 Home is no longer a particular place for us. It used to be our wonderful cape cod home in a typical midwest neighborhood complete with a split rail fence. But now we are empty nesters, and the baby birds have really spread their wings! Denver, Seattle, and Seoul, South Korea! I'm thinking about investing in the airline industry. 
  Home is now wherever we make it happen.  "It" is coordinating work schedules, airline tickets, B&B's, rental cars, local activities and the desire to be together.  This Christmas, it was in Seattle where our daughter has made her home in the Green Lake neighborhood.  We began Christmas Eve with an absolutely inspiring gathering at the nearby Ballard Church.  I felt like BC captured the vibe of Seattle: casual, rockin' music, fun, accepting, and tolerant of all who walk through their doors.  Christmas Eve was good food, good wine, candle light, and the much longed-for company of two of our children and a dear friend. (Korean Alex didn't make it home this year.)
  Christmas Day was cooking together, sharing heartfelt and thoughtful gifts, and a walk around Green Lake. The path around the lake was packed with happy people, families of all backgrounds and sizes, out enjoying the cool weather and soft, grey skies of the Pacific Northwest. 
  The few days after Christmas were spent exploring this unique and inviting city. Discovery Park , located on Magnolia Bluff and overlooking Puget Sound, is a 534 acre park filled with hiking trails and views of both the Cascade and Olympic Mountain Ranges.  In the neighborhoods, coffee shops are plentiful and it's easy to spend 2-3 hours in the warmth and comfort of Seattle's finest with a good friend. Every few blocks, the aroma of a fresh brew fills the air. Walking along the Sound near Olympic Sculpture park is both lively and peaceful at the same time. Lively because of all the people enjoying the outdoors; and peaceful.....because of everyone enjoying the outdoors!  I cannot say the same for Pike Place Market, but this is a definite must when visiting Seattle.  A trip on the Washington State Ferry took us to Bainbridge Island for a leisurely afternoon along the waterfront, with musicians playing in bookstores and coffee shops. While there, we took a short drive out to the Japanese American Internment Memeorial at Pritchard Park to learn about this painful piece of history in the Pacific Northwest. 
   And the icing on the cake for our trip to Seattle?  Sunday Brunch on top of the Seattle Space Needle. It was a wonderful way to see Seattle, and all the places we had been while visiting 'home'.



  




Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for your comments!

Popular posts from this blog

UP and Northern Michigan Camping

Image
Wilderness State Park  Pictured Rocks, UP    Just finished a beautiful trip Up North of restoration, relaxation, and reflection.  We started at the tip of Northern Michigan at Wilderness State Park for some camping and bike riding. Our site was perfect, on the lake, falling asleep to the gentle sound of the waves. We went pretty basic on this trip: an REI two man tent, camp chairs, bikes, a small cooler, and a tabletop Weber charcoal grill .     Cooking while camping is wonderful, as long as you're organized. My camp box served us well: cooking pots, utensils, hotpads, matches, charcoal, and an electric teapot! Yes, we chose an electric site even though we tent camped. There's something about instant (as in instantaneous) coffee on a fresh, cool morning, ready within a few moments of waking up! It's also helpful for washing dishes. We did pretty well on our meals! Chicken Curry with rice was the most challenging. We grilled...
Read more

8 Things to Keep You Healthy, Living in Quarantine

Image
Celebrating 60!    This is for anyone who is beginning to realize that going out for dinner and drinks with friends is not going to happen for quite some time.  I just celebrated turning 60 on Zoom with family from all over the world, toasting at extreme social distances, telling stories and giggling all the same.  We are all finding ways to adapt to the new normal, and with a little discipline, can take advantage of this time in quarantine. Hopefully, by taking care of our physical selves, we will keep up our morale as well.    After several days of connecting with friends via the internet from other parts of the world, checking in, saying hello, etc., I started reading some really good articles in French about how people are coping.  As I was looking up vocabulary that had long ago escaped me, it occurred to me that reading articles in another language was not only great for gaining a better global perspective, but it also challenged me ment...
Read more

Denver...why is it so special?

Image
Chautauqua Park, Boulder, CO Hi everyone!  This spring I had the opportunity to travel out to Denver for a visit with my 26-year-old son.  It was one of those trips that I didn't want to end, and I left feeling like this is a place I would love to live. What is it about Denver that makes you just want to be a part of it?  Part of this amazing energy?  What makes Denver so special?   First of all, it has so many options, all within an hours drive, and thanks to my downtown Denver host, I was able to experience amazing restaurants, great rooftop bars, hikes in fresh fallen snow, and local venues that make Denver what it is: a must-do destination! We experienced three areas of Denver that all contribute to the energy of this state capitol. The 16th Street Mall is the one that is most familiar.  Start at Commons Park, which is found on the banks of the South Platte River and happens to be the birthplace of Denver. W...
Read more