Seattle - May 2008
Dora got some unexpected time off so we logged onto opt2travel.com and hit "last minute packages" which let's you input a city of origin and returns all the pkgs available from there. We chose Seattle, WA because it was north of home and HAD to be cooler LOL. I have to say opt2travel was awesome and I will definately use it again for all my "last minute" travels. For approx. $300 we got air fare, 4 night hotel stay, and a car rental.
First impressions? They really love their parks in Seattle - they are about as crowded as Kuta Beach in Bali and Waikiki in HI with people just sitting around on benches, the grass, curbs, etc soaking in the sun. We found out later that sunny days are few and far between so when they have 'em everyone makes the most of it. Oh the joys of living in CA! :)
Another highlight was dinner @ The Crab Pot in Bellvue where their specialty is large clambake style pots that are literally dumped out on the table in front of you. you're provided with a cracker, mallet, and board on which to pound your dinner out of it's shell!! LOL it was so fun. . . and delicious. One morning we drove a couple hours north to explore Vancouver. We found ourselves at Stanley Park -- their version of GG Park in SF complete with museums, gardens, restaurants, aquarium and a GREEN GG bridge. Everyone here seems to love the parks too! maybe i've just not explored the parks back home but i've never seen any this crowded. We didn't really have a "plan" so we drove around the city and then looked up vancouver on Rachel Ray's Tasty Treats site to find a spot for dinner: Sequoia Grill at the Tea House. Wonderful views, ok food.We tried to get out to the San Juan Islands but got distracted by an Outlet mall on the way. By the time we got to the ferry we found out that we only had enough time to take the ferry there and back again. We ended up driving around the city of Anacortes and admiring the beautiful seaside homes.
One of the most popular spot in the city for tourists and locals alike is the Public Market @ Pike's Place. It's a blend of fresh fish/seafood market, street vendors, bakeries, and of course coffee shops. We spent our last morning walking around, eating baked goods from the 3 ladies bakery, shopping, and pondering how a big city like Seattle could NOT have a Hard Rock Cafe. We also visited the original Starbucks store. - Ruthe
