Seattle

Seattle, WA

Seattle | You've Got Flair

A few months back my mom asked if I wanted to be her plus one on a work trip. OBVI. The time finally came and last Wednesday, we hopped on a plane and headed for Seattle.

Traveling with mom means good wine, good food, and lots of quality time with her ♥. Although we live in the same city, we often go about a month in between visits so spending time with her is extra special. In addition to wine, food, and time, my mom has colleagues all over the US who love to see her and show us around their city. This trip was no exception. We had some excellent hosts.

The week before we left, I came down with a nasty cold. Getting sick sucks but before a trip? No thanks. I tend to have major OCD before leaving town and think everything from cleaning the fish bowl to making sure my bed is made are important to me. Being sick really interfered with this OCD plan so I felt very rushed while packing and preparing for the trip. The long flight to Seattle DID NOT help. When we arrived Wednesday night I felt like my cold was back where it started and was so motion sick from the plane. Not a good way to start the trip. 

Luckily, everything turned around on Thursday morning. Who knew 10 hours of sleep and a Benedryl could do the trick?! 

We started our day with Starbucks (Seattle is where it all started!) and made our way to Pike Place Market, a public market, open 365 days a year, selling everything from flowers to fish. The flowers were gorgeous and so cheap! I wish we were staying longer or else I would have gotten a pretty bouquet for our room.

The Market Theater Gum Wall was pretty gross, but....SO COLORFUL! I kind of loved it. Apparently, it started in 1993 and was deemed a tourst attraction in 2009. Its even listed on Google Maps!

Next, we headed to the Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum and the Space Needle.

I finally caught up on my Project 52 prompts and loved how "abstract" turned out at the museum.

Is it weird that I have a fascination with tourists in tourist destinations? Taking pictures in a museum isn't ideal. The lighting is made to appreciate the art, so instead of shooting the art, I shoot the tourists. 

I suppose if you're going all the way to Seattle, you should go up in the Space Needle. After going up in the Needle, I don't think its totally necessary if you have to wait in a long line. Don't get me wrong, its a very cool sight to see! But wasting 30 minutes standing in line is taxing and I don't have a lot of patience so....theres my pro tip. Go early or skip it. 

But since I made the trip up...

We ended our touristy day with pasta & pork shank at an Italian restaurant, Tulio.

Friday was a day to myself. I dropped my mom off early at her conference and I headed back to the Pike Place Market for some more pictures. Afterward, I nerded out and went to the Volunteer Park Conservatory and then walked to the Seattle Japanese Garden. If you're new here, know that I just love plants and conservatories are my happy place. I took so many pictures that I had to them justice by putting them in a separate post. 

On Saturday, we went to a great lunch at Rays on the water then went over to see the Ballard Locks, which link Puget Sounds with Lake Washington. A very cool sight to see if you are in the area! Afterward, we headed to my mom's colleague's boat and took a spin on Lake Washington! 

Can you spot Mt. Rainier off in the distance?

We ended the day at Sushi Kashiba in Pike Place Market with the BEST bottle of rosé and a crab roll that would change your life. Have you ever seen the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi? Chef Shiro of Sushi Kashiba completed years of apprenticeships at Yoshino Sushi in Tokyo under the one and only, Jiro Ono. 

Not pictured, the crab roll because I downed it way too fast. 

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