Seattle/Portland
I spent a week in July traveling in and around Seattle and Portland. It was a really great trip and, despite a little homesickness, I wish it had been even longer.
A group of my friends who are now spread out all over country are trying to fly to have vacations in one place every year, year and a half or so. The first was visiting Scott and Kathleen in Florida February 2012, and this was centered around seeing Mary and Cory in Seattle. Not everyone could make it, but there were 7 of us, so that's a pretty hearty group.
The most fun we all had was probably tubing down the Yakima River. The landscape around us was so alien and amazing, like tubing on Mars. The water was icy cold and seemed pretty clean, and it wasn't too crowded. We just baked in the sun and drank Rainier beer and laughed. Super awesome.
The Sub Pop Silver Jubilee was happening while we were in town, so we walked around that for awhile, although we missed all the bands I cared about due to having to get to the beach in time for low tide. We checked out awesome tide-pools and poked at all the jellyfish, barnacles, and crabs.
We checked out the Pike Place Market, did private room karaoke, went to a speakeasy and a barcade, grilled on the rooftop. I had a Seattle-style hot dog from a street cart- that's a hot dot covered in cream cheese and fried onions, and it's incredible. I tried several new berries (gooseberries, tayberries, marionberries), fell in love with in-season cherries and other stone-fruit, and ate and drank amazing foods and boozes. My fave bar was probably the Unicorn (and the basement is called Narwhal, natch), which looked like a circus and had drinks with names like Unicorn Jizz.
I hopped a train to Portland alone and met my aunt and uncle there. We went second-hand clothes shopping, to brunch (of course), to food trucks. We drove to Mt. St. Helens and marveled, and saw some awesome Bigfoot stuff on the drive back in Estacada. I spent time with my lovely friends Eric and Chad, who now live out there.
So yeah, it was a great time!
A group of my friends who are now spread out all over country are trying to fly to have vacations in one place every year, year and a half or so. The first was visiting Scott and Kathleen in Florida February 2012, and this was centered around seeing Mary and Cory in Seattle. Not everyone could make it, but there were 7 of us, so that's a pretty hearty group.
The most fun we all had was probably tubing down the Yakima River. The landscape around us was so alien and amazing, like tubing on Mars. The water was icy cold and seemed pretty clean, and it wasn't too crowded. We just baked in the sun and drank Rainier beer and laughed. Super awesome.
The Sub Pop Silver Jubilee was happening while we were in town, so we walked around that for awhile, although we missed all the bands I cared about due to having to get to the beach in time for low tide. We checked out awesome tide-pools and poked at all the jellyfish, barnacles, and crabs.
We checked out the Pike Place Market, did private room karaoke, went to a speakeasy and a barcade, grilled on the rooftop. I had a Seattle-style hot dog from a street cart- that's a hot dot covered in cream cheese and fried onions, and it's incredible. I tried several new berries (gooseberries, tayberries, marionberries), fell in love with in-season cherries and other stone-fruit, and ate and drank amazing foods and boozes. My fave bar was probably the Unicorn (and the basement is called Narwhal, natch), which looked like a circus and had drinks with names like Unicorn Jizz.
I hopped a train to Portland alone and met my aunt and uncle there. We went second-hand clothes shopping, to brunch (of course), to food trucks. We drove to Mt. St. Helens and marveled, and saw some awesome Bigfoot stuff on the drive back in Estacada. I spent time with my lovely friends Eric and Chad, who now live out there.
So yeah, it was a great time!