Going up to Seattle

We spent the whole next day in the water park. We were even allowed to use the park after we checked out of our room...so we did!

Hayden had a ball splashing everywhere. He couldn't get enough.

We went down all the slides and floated in the wave pool until we were water logged and ready for our next adventure.

Before leaving we checked out "Scoops" a spa just for kids under 12. It was darling! Here is Natalie sitting on the pedicure (ice cream sundae shaped) bench. The boys spent some time in the arcade while Natalie and I picked out our souvenirs. Next stop Seattle...

Dan was able to get a room on trade that was just 2 blocks from the Space Needle...so we walked around a lot.

Not sure what these cool structures are called but they are part of the science exhibit there. We took the Monorail to downtown Seattle and did some shopping.

Here are the kids and I posing on some of the sculptures near the Space Needle.

We spent an afternoon hanging out at Pike's Place Market. Got some fresh berries to enjoy as well as a nice fish and chips meal. Dan also found some cool Scrooge McDuck comic books to add to his collection. The kids love it when he reads them his old comics.

Andy and Taly drove down to spend the afternoon with us. We went up to the top of the Space Needle. That was fun...I haven't done that in years.

I think we had the most fun trying on all the sunglasses in the gift shop!

One night I stepped out and got some great night pictures of the Space Needle.

Father's Day Fun

Last Sunday on our way to the Great Wolf Lodge in Washington, we stopped off at a rest area for a picnic lunch.

The entrance to the lodge is really fun with huge wolf carvings and lots of rustic touches everywhere.

The lobby has huge vaulted ceilings with a clock tower that expands three stories tall.


Here is the check in counter...it was just like Disneyland...waiting 30 minutes in line. Fortunately, although check in wasn't until 4 pm, we got to play in the water park while we waited for our room.


Here is the other side of the lobby. Through the windows you can watch all the action in the water park.

For the price of a regular room (4 person occupancy) plus the extra person charge ($30) , I was able to reserve the kid cabin room with beds for all three kids in a cute cabin.

The kids were so excited to see that inside our room was a little cabin just for them with bunk beds and their very own tv. Natalie was sure to call dibs on the top bunk!

Our room also included a log cabin bed for us and a fireplace in the corner.



So that concludes the first part of the tour...I'll be back to post some fun water park photos later.

Seattle Collage

Last Sunday we all took off for a fun get-away up to Washington...for Father's Day, I surprised Dan and the kids with a night at The Great Wolf Lodge, just south of Olympia. It was so much fun. Then on Monday we drove up to Seattle to see the sights. Today we went up the elevator to the top of the Space Needle with Andy and Taly...of course I have lots more pictures which I will post tomorrow...and maybe even the next day. (If you want to see this collage up close, click on it.)

Our lunch on the Willamette

Last year for my birthday, Dan gave me a certificate for a cruise on the Portland Spirit. I lost the certificate and just recently found it back in January. It's a good thing I found it when I did, because it expired in February! I made reservations for April 19, thinking that we would have better weather if I bumped it up a few more months...

While we didn't have the sunny weather I was hoping for, it was much better than the rain mixed with snow the folks at weather.com were predicting. The morning was cold, but the sun was out (and by "sun was out," I mean occasionally it would peek out from the clouds), so we were content with that!!!

After boarding, we were shown to our table and given some warm tea.

Our lunch was yummy. I had the grilled herb chicken and Dan had the beef shoulder entree.

On the ride back, we stepped outside for some up-close sight seeing.Here we are on the bow of the boat, just about to pass under the Marquam Bridge (my least favorite to travel over!) with the Hawthorne Bridge in the distance.

Here's the famous Portland landmark. I remember when it used to say "White Stag" instead of "Made in Oregon."

Here's a very ominous picture of the Steel Bridge. We passed under most of the bridges south of the Steel bridge. Fun Fact of the Day: Apparently the Steel Bridge is a railroad bridge (lower deck) owned by a railroad in Oklahoma and in order for it to lift up and allow ships to pass under it, they need to get special permission from Oklahoma and therefore the Spirit of Portland generally doesn't go under it.

Here is one of the recognizable towers you see on the Burnside bridge.


The Old Spaghetti Factory. Lots of fun memories here. I remember the first time I went to eat here was with the high school youth group (for Jason Birman's birthday I think!) Anyway, I'd pick this location over the Clackamas location in a heartbeat...even if it takes twice as long to get to! Dan and I always order the salad with creamy pesto dressing and the spaghetti, half meat sauce and half mazithra cheese with browned butter....so, so good and of course spumoni ice cream to finish it all off! Mmmmmm!


Of all the big fancy newer homes along the water, I think I'd rather live in this old Spanish-style estate... you know, if money were no object. Nice hu? Just a wee little thing, right!!!

On the return trip, we got to ride with the Captain and watch him "park" the boat. He has a separate control out on the deck that allows him to steer the boat up close to the sea wall. Doesn't he look just like a captain should?

After disembarking from the boat, Dan and I walked down to the marina and took some pictures of the dragon boats. He is going to be designing t-shirts for the Leatherman Tool Group's dragon boat team and needed to get some visuals.

Right after I took this shot it started to rain and...snow!!! So we ran up to Riverplace and then back to our car.

Are you kidding me? These photos were taken about 7:15 last night after dinner! I had to run out to the pump house and turn the pump back on so the pipes to the pool don't freeze!!!

The poor Rhododendron thought it was spring and was trying to bloom!!!

Fortunately, I hadn't planted these Dahlias yet and just brought them inside the house to warn up in their little pots. (See procrastinating can be a good thing!) This morning when I woke up there was still snow on the ground! Weird, weird, weird!!!