Seattle Trip Deets

I have such vacation-head right now. This means I want to jump out of my life and start a whole brand new one. It usually takes a few days for this feeling to wear off, so in the meantime I'm doing some soul-searching, trying to figure out what the brand new life would be...more on this later.

Seattle was so incredibly fun! A big thanks to Janeypants, the JP family, and Techno for showing me around town and allowing me to invade their weekend. I love that no matter how much time has passed between visits, we can always pick up right where we left off. Heck, I hadn't even met JP's husband and kids yet but I feel like I've known them forever! What an incredibly generous, kind, and welcoming family. JP, it was obvious Doll hit the jackpot when you went out there...it's great to know you did, too.

The trip was everything I wanted it to be and more. I spent time with my friends, caught a Mariners game, took some nice pics around the city, drank some great microbrews, and spent a lot of time enjoying the outdoors. The weekend in review:

1. Thursday night Techno and I walked around downtown for a bit. We ate dinner at the Crab Pot, a fun seafood restaurant by the water. They dump the food right on the table!

2. On Friday JP and I walked around downtown again, then hung out in the Seattle Center. I must be the luckiest person ever because it was the perfect day for sightseeing. The views from the Space Needle were amazing; I still think all of the mountains (Rainier especially) are paintings.

3. Friday and Saturday afternoons were spent in the fake mountains. (Yes, they are still fake even though I was on them.) We went for a 16 mile bike ride down one and a 6 mile hike up and down another. It was surreal. I still can't get over the beautiful scenery. From the blue skies, the trees, the streams, and the waterfalls, it was all too much for me to wrap my head around.

4. Saturday night we headed off to the game. Our seats were in the upper deck above home plate, which is one of my favorite places to sit. There's no better way to take in a new stadium and I must say, Safeco is a great one. It's a shame the Mariners aren't doing well; the stands were empty and the crowd was sort of quiet. Then again, I've never visited a team with fans as obnoxious as NY.

The other reason why it's a shame the team isn't doing well is Ichiro. He didn't get much action in right field, but the plays he did make were outstanding. It amazes me when a player exudes talent even when they aren't doing anything. Ichiro is no exception.

5. I spent Sunday morning by myself taking some more photos around town. It never occurred to me how much I need alone time, even on vacation. It's nice to be aware of it now.

I don't think I've ever written about my love of Jimi Hendrix. My list of favorite things has always been random and a bit vague, I guess because I was afraid of picking the "wrong" thing for so long. Jimi was probably the first musician I allowed myself to love without fear. I mean, how can anyone listen to Castles Made of Sand and not "melt into the sea?"

The Experience Music Project was pretty cool, but it was his statue over in Capitol Hill that got me. It made my heart sing.

You know what? I'm going to end here...I'd like to hang with Jimi for a while.