I have been nagging Jacob for months to go somewhere. Anywhere. We both love to travel, but had put "real vacations" on hold in the name of saving money and being responsible.
Jacob kept my begging at bay for a while, pointing out all of the beach vacations we've been on. I pointed out that I wanted to go on a trip that wasn't to my brother's house or his family's house, which I realize makes me sound like the most spoiled girl ever. We are so very lucky to be able to "get away" to these lovely locales, but I was ready to visit somewhere I'd never been before.
Finally, he agreed, and we began brainstorming where we should go.
Though I didn't consciously aim high in hopes that we'd settle somewhere closer to home, it sort of worked out that way.
I said Paris.
He said Seattle.
I said, "Yes!" (To Seattle. Just Seattle.) I know how you freaks think.
Seattle was a great suggestion because neither of us had ever been there; it was an easy city to get to, and there was plenty to do but not too much that we couldn't see most of it in a week.
So after Katie's baby shower and a laaaaaate night of catching up with old friends (because all baby showers should include late nights, am I right?), we somehow managed to make our flight to the Pacific Northwest for a week-long adventure.
We got to Seattle right in the middle of the day, and after navigating the public transportation (all by ourselves!), we checked into our hotel - Hotel Max, a so-called "boutique hotel" where all of the staff members look like members of the Secret Service. They didn't allow us to check-in until 4pm, which was annoying, but the rooms were clean, it was in a central location and they provided a comfortable robe, so it was all good.
Though our day started with a lot of drama and sincere fear that we wouldn't make it at all, we managed to enjoy a half day in the Emerald City and make a few observations about our vacation choice.
1. It really doesn't rain that much.
Seattle obviously has a reputation for being one of the rainiest cities in the country - and living up to the hype, it was pouring when we arrived. But I'm pretty sure it's rained more in Atlanta in the last six months than it will in Seattle all year. When people ask me if Seattle was "rainy," I say no. I think a better description of Seattle weather would be, "unpredictable." It's hard to plan outside activities because it's constantly changing - it rained and the sun shined every single day we were there. When the rain came, we went inside and when the sun came out, we ran to the Space Needle.
And so does Jacob. I'm not quite sure when I developed this fear of heights, that for the most part seems to be relegated to only man made ones (buildings = bad; mountains = good), but it really sucks. What's strange is that despite our shared fear, we also have a "When in Rome," attitude about everything and since we were in Seattle, we never questioned whether or not we'd go to the top of the Space Needle. It was sort of expected that we would. But we still had anxiety about it, we immediately ordered beers when we got to the top and we definitely stayed mostly indoors to enjoy the view, which was lovely.
I want to love this picture, but those smiles are a creepy facade for our complete terror over the wind and the height.
Actually there are a lot of coffee shops, period, but especially Starbucks. Seattle is home to the first Starbucks, and where the company is headquartered, so it makes sense. Jacob made up a not-so-fun game of pointing them with a light punch to my arm and a, "Hey Steph, there's a Starbucks." The game continued all. week. long.
I tend to hate blanketed statements about any team's fans (All "Enter Team Name Here" are mean; "Enter Team Name Here" fans suck!), so I'll only say, of the ones I witnessed on the train, and in comparison to most rabid SEC fans I know, Seahawks fans are lovely. They were polite, respectful, and from what I could tell, completely sober when they exited the train to CenturyLink Field. We asked for a recommendation for a lively sports bar to watch the game and found the same. Touchdowns were celebrated by quiet clapping and tempered clinking of beer glasses, even during the 45-17 beat down of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So far, so good, Seattle.
Nice beard pic! i may grow one later this fall or winter
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