Goodbye Seattle

Mom's flight was early in the morning so after she was off, Whitney and I slept in. I slowly packed, trying to make everything fit until I realized I was just going to have to expand the suitcase and check it. We had a few things we wanted to do just the two of us. It was really nice to have Whitney to myself for a little bit. 

I love the sculptures around Seattle that incorporate the rain! Water streams out of the red watering can in this one.

Whitney and I have very similar tastes so shopping is always a lot of fun. She picked out the skirt and I picked out the top and she ended up getting both. This outfit is perfect for her! She helped me find the perfect hooded sweater that I will treasure for decades.

I had to laugh when I spotted this sign... SO Seattle!

We had some crunchy sushi at Umi and it arrived to our table warm. YUM!

I was so happy to catch up a little bit with Tim! These two are a power couple; they are definitely going places. After hearing about his time in Nicaragua, I slept for a few hours before my red eye back to Chicago.

A million thanks to my amazing sister for making the whole vacation so memorable. This one is going to set me up for a good, long time!

Victoria, British Columbia

Whitney, Mom and I pulled out our passports for a day trip to Canada.

I've never been on a ferry that you drive your car onto! I know it's little, but I thought it was so cool. Mom treated us to a warm breakfast.

One thing we didn't fully think through is that our cell phones wouldn't work without an international data plan. Whitney purchased a map but it's when we drove by a church building that things really clicked. Thank heavens the Church has standardized all WiFi passwords! With a little web searching, we were on our way to Craigdarroch Castle.

Wandering the rooms of this beautiful and historic home is something I just never could do with little ones in tow. I soaked up every minute of it!

While driving around, I spotted this little cupcake shop and asked if we could stop. With no set agenda, Whitney turned the car around and we tried it out. What a cute name, Crumsby's!

Brigitta would have eaten these up, literally!

Because the cupcakes were so small, it felt like just a little treat.

This is what I opted for and the little cup of milk was perfect.

So sweet!

 This place had a really good vibe and I have to admit, I missed the girls. They would have loved it.

The decor was cheerful and bright.

 They had a play area inside and buckets of bubbles outside.

I'd heard wonders about Butchart Gardens and wanted to see it, but at $30.45 per person, we ended up just driving by. In doing so, we missed our ferry ride from Sidney so we booked it back to Victoria and caught the last ferry home to the States. I certainly didn't mind another view of this pretty coastal town!

The ferry ride from Victoria to Port Angeles was nothing short of magical. The clouds were amassed at the base of the mountains. There were only about a dozen people on the deck and there was a silence and stillness that added to the experience. It felt like we were headed into the final scene of Lord of the Rings it was so incredibly beautiful.

That moment in time is my new happy place. I was on vacation in a foreign country seeing something I'd never seen before in the peace and beauty of God's earth. 

It just doesn't get better than that.

Seattle: Sephora, Ladies Who Lunch and Starbucks Reserve Roastery

C'mon now, you knew Sephora was going to happen, right? I was determined to get the Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume since I can no longer count how many times I've asked for a sample. Reagan suggested trying the Daisy Dream since it's a tad lighter and my two other favorite perfumes- Mademoiselle by Chanel and Miss Dior are a bit on the heavy side. She was absolutely right and I invested in a small bottle. Whitney helped me out with a blush I never, ever would have picked out on my own. It's a bit on the peachy side, which usually makes me look sickly, but this one looked like a natural flush on my skin. Mom took my recommendation on a lip gloss and mascara which made me happy. Reagan is always hesitant to play up her lips but we all agreed the Nars lipstick she tried on was a must have. Sometimes it's nice to just be girly for a bit!

We had a little lunch and I know it's a small thing, but just sitting around talking with these people I adore made me so very happy.

Whitney really wanted to take us to a Starbuck's Reserve Roastery. The good people of Seattle generally believe in buying local so it's rare to see any kind of a chain... aside from Starbucks which are everywhere. The Roastery is kind of like a Willy Wonka Starbucks:

Whitney treated us all to a hazelnut steamer and Reagan and I tried out the unisex restroom (again, SO Seattle!). Sadly, it was time for Reagan to pack up and say goodbye. I think we fit in every bit of fun and relaxation we possibly could in the short amount of time we were all together. 

Sunday in Seattle

Having shared a bed with Whitney before, Reagan and I asked for a room together. Whitney used to take off her head gear in the middle of the night when it was bothering her and I'd wake up to a wire sticking out of my spleen. She's also a big time cuddler... to the point it can be a little suffocating. Mom graciously took the bed with Whitney. When two women shared a bed in Shakespeare's day, they were called "bedfellows" and I have to say Reagan is the most angelic looking bedfellow:

Even though Whitney insists she's changed, she's still a bit of a cuddler.

There are very few women I feel perfectly comfortable sharing a bed with, but my sisters are definitely among them.

 At church we got to meet Ken Jennings, the man who holds the longest winning streak on Jeopardy (74 episodes) who also taught a really great gospel doctrine lesson on Galatians. He was kind enough to let me take a picture with him which was fortuitous since I was preparing a Jeopardy game for my own ward that week.

After church we stopped by Kerry Park where Mom caught this picture. I'm so very grateful to Whitney for being such an amazing hostess. Really, no one can top this.

For lunch Whitney made a delicious stew which was perfect with the cool weather and we watched tv, played games and hung out. I was getting ready to head to bed when everyone insisted I go with them to this:

Oh my. First of all, the cathedral is very visible high in the hills of Seattle. I wondered about it the last time I visited. Secondly, the choir was just beautiful. Whitney called them monks and technically they are not, but the sound they make is similar.

You can listen to them online but it's not the same thing as actually being there and hearing those voices acapella and in unison. It was simply beautiful and I'm glad I tagged along.

Seattle: Gum Wall, Underground Tour, Pike's Place

I have been looking forward to going to Seattle ever since my first trip a year ago! I booked my flight to coincide with the week Tim was going to Nicaragua for a free clinic type thingy that will make his resume for medical school look really good. Whitney and I started bugging Reagan to jump in on it and after we both hunted down a flight that would work for her, she relented. Then we had to get Mom on board which thankfully, she did. Whitney tried to get Katrina in on it but alas, Matthew was already planning to be out of town on a guys weekend so 75% of the original Nielsen women would just have to do. 

Goodbyes at the airport with my two babies went smoothly:

Well, sort of. Brigitta really, really wanted to go with. She was not enthusiastic about Brent taking the reigns:

We flew by the fluffiest clouds I've ever seen!

I had a layover in San Antonio which I've actually been to before. I don't remember seeing this circle of suitcases though...

I was excited for my window seat until I saw I was next to this... I thought I was being punked! No window? What's up with that? No spectacular cloud pictures on this leg I guess...

I'll never forget everyone coming to pick me up at SEA-TAC! There were two lanes for picking up and dropping off and then two other lanes for through traffic. They were in a through lane but Whitney threw the car into park and everyone came streaming out to hug me. It was so, so, so fantastic!

Whitney did us up right. Everyone had clean linens, a magazine and a treat. The coconut Ritter Sport is impossible to find and she spoiled me with TWO!!!

We stopped by to see the troll:

Mom and I looking down the bridge away from the troll. I was happy to do some braiding... these clients don't whine about how it hurts or how long it's taking :)

Next we stopped by the famed gum wall. Now that I've been there before, I'm not so grossed out by it.

Just kidding, I didn't actually eat any, but I did contribute. Truth be told, it still turns my stomach a little. However, it makes for some amazing pictures! Doesn't Mom look adorable?

Reagan making her contribution:

There are some drawbacks to the gum wall...

Gum by nature tends to stick everywhere!

Really though, fabulous pictures!

Next we did the Underground Tour. Seattle burned to the ground and so they built the city back up on two levels. Eventually, the lower level was completely covered over but there are remnants. Here Reagan is pointing out a skylight.

Just head underground...

...and here is that same skylight! I can't believe how effective it is. From above ground it looks so dark.

Some of the skylights had these icicle shaped pieces of glass to further fracture the light underground. I feel like this could be cleaned up and made into a piece of art.

 This was a water pipe. The sewer pipes were similarly sized, but square in shape. Thankfully, the plumbing in Seattle has been upgraded since then.

In front of the totem pole at Pioneer Square. The original was stolen from a tribe in Alaska. It was damaged and burned by vandals and replaced with this one.

The parking garage in front of this building has been compared to the sinking Titanic with the way it slants into the ground.

This street, Yesler Way, is said to be the original Skid Row. Loggers would cut and grease timber and then slide it down from the lofty hills to the mill below which operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This road came to divide Seattle's more affluent inhabitants with those who worked at the mill and ran the various hotels, bars and brothels. Reagan is showing her disapproval of this red light district.

One of the areas in the underground tour was connected to a bank. Whitney had to get this photo since Mom's first job was as a teller in a bank.

Since prostitution was illegal, the brothels were billed as sewing shops and our guide cleverly noted it wasn't entirely incorrect since these women were very skilled with buttons and zippers. The most successful madame was Lou Graham who ran a "full service" salon. The picture below is of her (left) with four of her most profitable workers. Hiding in plain sight, you can see why it was a full service salon. Certain clients would ask for "the woman in black" who charged double for services.

This picture shows how everything was built on the higher level after the Great Seattle Fire, and if you look carefully, you can see how the sidewalks are still on the original lower level of the buildings. Eventually they were built over and filled in.

You can't go to Seattle without a visit to Pike Place Market. I love and adore this picture. We were having SO much fun! I could feel my mental and emotional batteries being recharged.

 Have to get a peach! Whitney made the most divine dessert out of these.

Signs from the donut shop where you get the donuts right out of the fryer. Reagan and I kept burning our fingers trying to eat them hot. 

Also at the donut shop. This is so Seattle!

Writing all of this up, I'm still in shock with how much we did in one day! 

Man I love Seattle!