Seattle, Washington

Here is a look at our trip to Seattle last fall told by a few pictures. 

Top Pot Doughnuts: A must when in the area. I am a huge Krispy Kreme fan and am still on the fence as to which doughnut  I prefer. I guess I will just have to go back to do more "research!"

Freemont Troll: It was a lot of fun to find this big guy. Everyone takes turns taking pictures with the troll. Depending on what time of day you go, you will probably find someone there to snap a photo of you. We were able to find a rock to (re) take photos on our own (the girl whom offered to take ours didn't actually press the button hard enough to capture a picture). While you are in the area- go get some chocolate from the Theo Factory (the tour is amazing and I was SO excited to see their chocolate at local grocery stores here in SoCal)! 

Gas Works Park: This is a nice green space for walking, running, picnicing, etc. You can see the Seattle skyline from here, so get your cameras ready!

The Space Needle: You can not go to Seattle and not take a photo of The Space Needle. I think it's a rule or something. I believe this particular shot was taken near The Museum of History and Industry (definitely worth a visit!) and The Center for Wooden Boats (we did not visit this, but a friend of ours volunteers there and loves it). 

The Athenian is over a century old! It is located in Pike's Place Market and is known for it's brief cameo in Sleepless in Seattle. I love that they have labeled the spots where Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner sat during the scene filmed here.  I have officially sat in the same spot as Tom Hanks...decades later, but still! If you are big Starbucks fan, be sure to check out the first store which is close by. 

It was pretty cloudy during our short stay in Seattle, but I did finally get to see Mount Rainier as we flew home! Spectacular! 

Summer and Fall Travel Plans

We have a lot going on this summer.  Okay, so it's August.  Most of you are thinking, "summer is over."  Not here in Southern California.  The weather is just starting to be cheery enough for me to think it's summer and not spring.

Already this spring and summer we went to Hawaii for a week and to Las Vegas for several days. Check the labels to search for information on these two trips.

Next up on the list:

1) My sister and brother-in-law visit next week.  Okay, so we aren't traveling anywhere, but we will be exploring some new things with my family.  We will be going to Universal Studios for the first time for instance and taking them to local restaurants and beaches.

2) San Francisco at the end of August.  I am so excited to revisit Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, and Market Street.  We are going to eat dungeness crab and bike over The Golden Gate Bridge.  We didn't have time to eat crabs on our last trip to San Francisco, so I am looking forward to chowing down this trip.  On one of our last visits we biked from San Francisco to Sausalito.  The numerous vistas of The Golden Gate Bridge were stunning. I can not wait to do this again!  I highly suggest you do this trip on your next visit to San Francisco.  Rent a bike from one of numerous places around Fisherman's Wharf, then bike one way to Sausalito and take the ferry the other way.  Something new to explore: Alcatraz.  I have been to San Francisco three times, but never made it a priority to take a tour of Alcatraz.  I have since heard from multiple friends that it is a great tour. Sam and I are both looking forward to exploring the old prison.

3) At the end of September we are going on our first cruise- to Alaska!  It leaves from Seattle, Washington, goes to 3 ports in Alaska and ends in Canada.  I am so excited for this trip.  I have never been to Alaska, Washington state or Canada.  So many places to check off my travel list in one trip!  I really need to sit down and research what to do (and what to eat!) in all these places.

4) In October, we will be visiting Palm Springs for the first time. I have been told there isn't much to do in the area, but I'm okay with that. I am looking forward to relaxing at the pool and spa.

5) We visit family in Virginia in November.

6) In January, we revisit Palm Springs with Sam's family.

Next spring, we are hoping to plan a trip to Yosemite.

Any ideas on what to do on these upcoming trips?

Road Trip USA and our next big road trip

Sam and I are starting to dream up another epic road trip.  While browsing Pinterest, I found an infographic with a link to Road Trip USA.  Are you familiar with this site?  It lists 11 road trip routes across the USA and what to do along the way. This is a good way to start brainstorming a road trip.

I think the coastal trips look fantastic.  I have driven (or be a passenger along) much of The East Coast. Last year, for our first anniversary we drove from Miami, FL to Key West.  In a convertible.  It was amazing. I am also quiet fond of the Carolina coast.  Though a trip from Washington D.C to Boston, MA is filled with traffic, it has a lot of history along the way. If you choose to do this route you can end up exploring the museums and monuments of D.C, the food, theater and museums of New York City and the history and culture of Boston. I can't imagine driving the entire East Coast in one trip.  I think it would be more manageable broken up into parts. However, I speak as an East Coaster. If you are from else where, you may want to do all of it, or much of it, at once.

Southern California has been our home for the last 10 months. I have driven the coast line from San Diego to Carlsbad, San Clemente or farther north numerous times. It is unbelievable how much untouched beauty there is along the road. There are so many quaint beach towns along the way. I am very much looking forward to traveling farther north along The West Coast over the next year.  I have heard the drive, particularly north of LA is stunning.

Our next long road trip will be planned around some of the amazing National Parks here on The West Coast. We will drive north along the coast, hitting Redwoods, Crater Lake and Olympic National Parks. We are also hoping to explore Yellowstone and the Tetons on this trip as well.  Sam is a huge fan of Glacier, but we aren't sure we will have enough time to make a detour to see that park as well.

What are some must do's along The West Coast?  Any favorite National Parks? I am looking forward to seeing the diversity of this beautiful coast.  Stay tuned for more information as we continue to plan.