Every year we try to get away right after Christmas. It's the lull time after a very busy season for the Mr. It's the time we take to re-connect as a family and evaluate the coming year. It's a tradition I have grown to love and look forward to. This year we went to the West coast. It was long trip so I'm breaking it up into cities so every post won't be a mile long. Our first stop was Seattle. This is where we flew into and rented a car. We stayed three nights which I feel was plenty.
One morning we tried to catch the sunrise through the gloom from Kerry Park. Alas we did not see the sun, but the views were spectacular none the less. Kerry Park is on a beautiful street with homes that are are all so different yet all so beautiful. The views were quite remarkable too.
We popped into this fun little antique shop across from the aquarium. It was like a blast from the past with phone booths and all. The kiddos were in awe. Ha.
We went to Ballard Locks with the Mr's family who are from the area and it was so fun. The kiddos were mesmerized by the boats lifting and lowering plus getting to connect with family we had yet to meet was quite special.
Ellie recently did an art project on Chihuly glass so of course it became a must see. I honestly never heard of it before, but so grateful we went. It was quite a dream.
ACTIVITIES:
Ballard Locks - free but parking is not
Chihuly Museum, Seattle Space Needle, EMP museum and Aquarium were all hits with the kiddos and us. We bought the City Pass beforehand to save money. In warmer weather we may have went to the zoo instead of the EMP and would have tempted the ferry. It was a money saver for sure and gave us small breaks of warmth for these southern bones.
Pikes Place Market was fun to explore. Can't believe we didn't get pics with our good camera, but we got plenty with our iphones.
Kerry Park - Beautiful homes and views. Quite place to take in a sunrise.
STAY:
We stayed at the Hyatt Olive 8. The rooms were a good size and they even brought in a nice air mattress for Ellie. The pool is what sold us. If you have kids you know a pool can become a highlight of a trip. They also had a little morning cafe downstairs that had some delicious GF packaged options. It was also walking distance to Pikes Place but the hills can get tricky. We always book through Hotels.com for savings and build up to free rooms.
EAT:
Cinnamon Works for the best gluten free bakery goods. The coffee was great too.
One of the highlight's of the trip was getting to visit Marianne again. We ate at her favorite spot, Cafe Campagne and is was delicious to say the least. Truly felt like a hidden gem, but not too hidden since reservations are a must.
While Marianne and I ate the Mr took the kiddos to Beecher's and had what I heard was the most delicious mac and cheese ever. You can see them make it so that added to the fun.
There was also a donut stand in Pikes Place that the kiddos and Mr loved. It always had a bit of a line so I assume it is a winner.
With The Mr's family we ate at the Crab Pot. It was super kid friendly which was a hit since we had 9 between us all. It's on the pier which made it a little extra fun. Everyone raved about the fish and chips and our waitress was able to guide me on what I could and could not eat on the menu.
BOOTS | HAT | RAIN COAT LAYERED OVER ANOTHER DOWN COAT
