Seeing Seattle

It just so happened that the Girls' Camp where Natalie had been staying for the past four days was half way to Seattle, so Kent planned the nicest little get-away for the family.  We packed our bags and started for Seattle, stopping by the Girls' Camp on the way to pick up Natalie.

 The kids were so excited to see their mom again.

They had so much fun playing in the beautiful outdoors!

Did I say it was pretty chilly there?  I know you can't tell it by the way the kids are dressed, but you can see how far down the mountains the snow still was.  By the way, it was below freezing the first night Natalie and the girls were staying there!  More about the conditions of the camp later!  

We all got back in the car and started for Seattle.  Upon arriving there, the first thing the kids wanted to do was head for the pool.

The kids had such a great time!

Later, after the swim, Kent had theeeee funnnnest activity I've done in a long time--we all rode the DUCK!  (We left Cannon back in the hotel room with one of the girls who rode over to Seattle with us who had tended him many times before.  She had to wait for her uncle, so she gladly tended him while we went to the tour.  We were afraid the weather would be too cool for him.)

 
The guy to the left of Kent is one of Kent's former missionary companions while they were in Guatemala.  He just happened to be there in Seattle for business at the same time, so he went with us.  He was such a nice guy!

Anyway, the first thing was to get the kids their duck beaks--and oh boy, could they quack loudly with those quackers (but, oh so much fun for the kids!)

In our comfortable little seats, we started our city tour.

Soon, our tour guide started the music and we all started rocking that little bus with our dancing in our seats and enjoying our city tour.

An interesting fact we learned was that all new business have to put a certain amount into something artistically and esthetically interesting for the city.  We loved seeing the creativity some of the business people had.

(Man's creation of bamboo.)

I see Lola everywhere!

Soon, we were DOWN by lake and suddenly we were IN the lake!

This brought huge smiles!

This is the place they used for "Sleepless in Seattle," one of my favorite movies!

So fun to see a bi-plane taking off right next to us.

These little lake houses are always in demand to be rented, even though they are tiny.  They actually sit out on the water.

Some people live on their boats.

The pictures don't do it justice how crazy we all were--dancing and singing.  Even disco dancing!  Cameron told me that real Seattle-people don't let friends go on the DUCK because they act so crazy.  Well, we were some of those craaaaazy people, and we loved it!

After the tour, we dropped Kent's friend, Kent, and Ethan off at Safeco Field where they enjoyed a night watching the Mariners vs. the Red Sox. 

Day Two in Seattle.   Today, we got up and wanted to tour the Space Needle.

It is the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Space Needle, built in 1962.  However, it seemed that everyone had the same idea because there were huge lines, so we just walked around the grounds and went inside the little shop beneath it.

Outside, a great band from Ecuador was playing authentic music from their home country.  Kent immediately recognized the music because of the service time he spent in Ecuador doing volunteer dentistry there for the native people.

Kent and Natalie's sweet family

The grounds around the Space Needle are truly amazing.  Among the real flowers and greenery are the wonderful works of Dale Chihuly.  His glass works are just fantastic!

We had to take a picture of the magnolia trees which reminded us of Florida.

Chihuly's rendition of "The Sun" and "The Glasshouse."  We really want to take a tour of his museum and gardens on another trip there.  We weren't sure it was the best place for kids (being glass and all)!  Hah!

Just having fun on the beautiful green grass below the Space Needle.  I miss soft, green grass like this.  Anyone who lives in Florida knows what I mean!

Soon, we were all getting hungry.  Kent had another surprise--he drove until he came to the special place that he had kept a secret--The Rain Forest Cafe!  I didn't even know they had one in Seattle!

The kids were so excited to eat there.  Luckily, we got to sit right by the huge aquarium.

At the end of the meal, you just have to have "The Volcano!"

Do you see all the chocolate on her teeth?  Hah!  Good thing her dad's a dentist!

Ella absolutely was mesmerized by the talking tree.

It was lightly sprinkling, which happens a lot in Seattle, I understand.  So, I told everyone I would go back to the hotel to stay with Cannon.  Kent and Natalie took the kids to their choice--the Adventure Land Park.  Really, I think Kent and Natalie had as much fun as the kids!

Lazar tag, miniature golf, go-carts--you name it.  Since I wasn't there to take pictures, I at least got them to take one.  I love it!  They look like they are out of the "Star Wars" set, don't they?

Then, it was back to the hotel for more swimming--but this time, they had stopped to get goggles.

Day Three in Seattle.   Today, Kent was so kind to do a couple of things he had heard me mention that I would love to do.  The first was to go to the Farmer's Market.  We all loved it there!

The fish area was definitely the kids' favorite, although Ella didn't particularly like the smell.

Ethan was so brave.  What is that coming out of the fish?  Yuck!

These guys put on a real show.  When someone wanted a certain fish, they had a pitcher on the outside who picked up the fish . . .

and then tossed it to the guys behind the tables to weigh and wrap for the customer.  They would call out what was purchased, and a chorus of guys would repeat it as they caught it.  It was so entertaining.  You see how many people there were just watching and loving all the action.

Seriously, I felt I was back in China and had to pinch myself to realize I was in America.  A
Chinese musician was playing a very interesting instrument.

The florists were all Chinese who have such an ability to arrange beautiful creations.

More fish places.

The biggest lobsters and shrimp I have ever seen!

All of the vegetables and fruits were just the finest and most beautiful, all so perfectly arranged.

After exiting the food market, we crossed over the street to the other side.  There, we found all the outdoor eateries for the yummiest treats.

Do you see the scoop the girl is using?  The cookies were seriously gigantic!

Everyone got to choose their special treat.  I chose the ginger cookie--definitely the best.  It took me back to when I was a child and our mother always bought a large bag of gingersnap cookies (about the only thing she ever bought rather than homemade), and gave them to us as a treat along with her homemade applesauce.  Heavenly!  That's how I felt eating that ginger cookie, enjoying every last morsel.

Then, we stopped at the smoothie stand.

Of course, Ella found a horse to sit on.

Kent was a great sport to sit in the car with Cannon while we went through the market because it was still pretty cool and rainy.  So, we brought him back a little treat, too.

I had really wanted to see Leavenworth after I saw this little Bavarian Village on my sister, Joyce's, blog.  It took me back to the pleasant times we spent in Germany.  It truly looks authentic!

We listened to an accordion player and drummer in the town square.

A town greeter posed with us in his lederhose, letting Ella hold his staff.

Of course, we had to stop at the homemade chocolates shop.

The owner was such a nice man--from Australia--whose wife handmade the chocolates.  He gave us lots of free samples.  We bought plenty of his chocolates--they were divine!

This picture has so many stories--first of all, hysterical to find squirrel underpants!  However, the kids weren't laughing very hard, because we saw them right after Ethan and Ella had a little accident running into some breakable items in a store and, let's just say, they will be paying for the items out of their work jobs for the next little while. 

Next store brought a lot of smiles . . . the Hat Shop.

I chose this hat myself . . . then I thought about it:  Crabby Grandma!  Hah!  Hopefully, this isn't true!

Such a relaxing little town with so much to see and do.

Because it is higher in the mountains, the flowers aren't scorched and dry.  They were absolutely beautiful!

We ate lunch in a little Bavarian restaurant . . .

and then, of course, we stopped to get ice cream afterwards.  Where was Grandpa George?  We all thought of him at this time

On the way home, we stopped back at the Girls' Camp to pick up the other car that we had left there.  This time, we actually went back into the forest where Natalie and the girls had stayed.  Exhibit One:  This is the cabin the girls slept in.  Are you kidding me? 

No doors--no windows, and remember, below freezing temperatures.  Can you imagine sleeping on these sheets of plywood as a bed--or even worse, on the floor beneath in a dark cubby hole.  (No electricity at all!)  These had rats inside, too!  I think the people in the Mayflower may have had it better!

Ethan and Ella walked around thinking about their mother staying there.  The leaders actually stayed in tents--slugs and snails and mud inside, absolutely freezing!

My admiration of Natalie certainly elevated considerably after seeing this!  Yeh for Natalie!  I'm painting a pretty bleak picture, but other than the living conditions, the girls had a great time!

Before we got back in the car, Kent played a little football with the kids.

We saw some beautiful scenery and horse country as we drove down the mountains back to Sunnyside.  Seriously, thank you Kent and Natalie, Ethan, Ella, and Cannon, for the wonderful weekend.  I loved it!

Next up:  Last Post About my Visit to Sunnyside