Seattle
I think the death of my grandmother motivated us to plan a trip to visit our only surviving grandparent (Zach’s paternal grandmother) in Seattle and I’m glad it did because we had a great trip.
Zach, Isaac, Charlotte, and Zach’s parents left for Seattle at 5:00 AM on Saturday (8-23-08) and arrived in Seattle at about 7:20 PM (Utah time). By all accounts the children did well and the trip up was uneventful. I flew with Nicole that evening leaving Utah at about 9:20 and also had an uneventful trip.
On Sunday we went to church with Great-Grandma, and were blessed with a special treat because she was one of the sacrament meeting speakers. She gave an excellent talk. After church and a quick change of clothes, we went to DeFord and Charlene’s (Zach’s aunt and uncle) for dinner. We spent
the day at their house visiting with several of the family members who were in the area and eating blackberries right off the bush. Isaac and Charlotte enjoyed a run in the rain and playing with toys.
On Monday we drove out to see the fish ladder and the locks. The kids enjoyed watching as the water level was lowered and gates opened so that boats could move from Lake Washington into the Puget Sound. They also enjoyed watching the fish swim through one level of the man-made ladder to move between the two bodies of water.
Our next stop was at a little park on Queen Ann Hill. It’s our favorite spot for photos because you can get a great shot of the skyline with the space needle and the tall buildings together. We used to go to Alki point which is located across the Puget Sound, but from that angle you can see a big gap between the Space Needle and the rest of the skyline. Charlotte was disappointed when she discovered that the park we took her to had no swings or slides, but had a good time anyway. Isaac enjoyed himself, but would run and hide behind grandpa each time he saw a dog.
Then we went downtown where we ate fish and chips, bought pepper
jelly at the Pike Street Market, and visited a little music store just outside of the market. The kids got to try a variety of instruments (mostly Xylophone type) and grandpa serenaded Nicole on the guitar. We bought a harmonica necklace for Charlotte which she happily wore and played as we walked. We thought it would be fun to set her next to some of the street musicians with a hat to see if we could earn our parking costs back.
That night we went back to DeFord and Charlene’s for dinner and family night. The kids enjoyed running around in the back yard. Charlotte started picking up half rotten apples and licking them so I picked her a fresh apple which she happily munched for at least a half an hour.
Tuesday we mostly spent at Great-Grandma’s house visiting with her. We walked to a nearby park where the kids enjoyed playing. Isaac was very proud when he mastered walking across the rope ladder. Each time he crossed he cheered and then ran to the other side to cross again.
Tuesday night we all went out to the Olive Garden and had a nice meal with DeFord and Charlene. They came back to Great-Grandma’s house and talked.
Wednesday was spent in the car with all of 7 of us and all our luggage. The kids did well to mostly entertain themselves. There was no crying or whining from either of them and not even one "are we there yet" or "I’m bored." Nicole cried a few times, but slept and ate for most of the trip. Click here for a slideshow of our Seattle trip.
