For Ben’s birthday he wanted to visit Seattle with the family. We had plans to go over his birthday weekend, but our airline had a meltdown of dysfunction, so we rebooked tickets for later. The time had come!
We had an easy and comfortable flight over via Delta. We took a car to the airport and settled into the hotel. The kids really enjoyed the breakfast buffet included in our stay.
Friday morning we went to Fremont to explore their weird sculptures and meet up with Ben’s old friend, Ant. He works nearby, so he took a short day and toured the area with us.
The kids and their friends enjoy a game that Ant helped to create, Astroneers. We saw their office displays and took home some freebies with download codes. It was a very cold morning with misty rain. We marveled at the street art and poked in a few shops (not much was open though).
Back in the main part of Seattle, Ben got chowder at Ivar’s on the waterfront (not pictured). Sam developed cold symptoms during the morning and was slow and chilly. I got him a souvenir hoodie to layer up, and we fueled him with french fries. Slightly energized, Sam was ready for us all to do an underground tour “Beneath the Streets.” It had some interesting facts about the city and its history. We certainly learned a lot, but it was a tad underwhelming and not as “cool” as we thought it might be. A solid “meh.” We went to a nearby cafe to warm up.
Next we went shopping. There was a cool toy store nearby where Sam got a folding cube (sounds lame but it’s a sweet fidgety thing). Then Ant drove us to the International district to browse Kinokuniya bookstore and Uwajimaya grocery store. I ate an amaaaaaazing taiyaki. When she passed it to me she said “Be sure to give your fish a name before you bite off its head.” You were delicious, Marissa.
That’s about it for the night. Sam was out of steam and we were all pretty chilly. We said see ya soon to Ant, and went back to the hotel to rest. The kids got boring Subway sandwiches, while Ben and I had some delicious dumplings from Dough Zone Dumpling House. We also gave Sam a covid test (negative).
Saturday was a social day. After hotel breakfast, we took a car down to the Fauntleroy ferry dock. Sam, feeling better but still sick, loooooved the ferry.
Ant and his family live on Vashon island. His wife and I have always hit it off well, and our kids our the same age and similarly well-matched. We were enchanted by the mossy, dense woods of Vashon. The kids were stoked to spend the day playing video games with other kids. I didn’t take many pictures. We had yummy teriyaki chicken for lunch, and they cooked up Japanese curry for our dinner. Then we took a chilly ferry ride back to the mainland.
One extra stop – I wanted to get vegan ice cream from Salt and Straw. Despite the cold rain, it was delicious.
Sunday was our touristy day. Our first destination was the Museum of Pop Culture. We thought it would be a brief visit, but there was so much to see!
Outside the museum was a climbing playground. Sam wanted to play a long time, we had to drag him away because the rest of us were cold and hungry. We also took some quick pics with the Space Needle. Lunch was in the Armory where a live band was playing in the food court.
We rode the monorail across town to meet our friends at Pike’s Place. Lots of fun shops to browse, lots of treats to fill our bellies, and a disgusting Gum Wall where Ben, Jack, and Sam all contributed to the public art installation.
Our bellies filled, we walked to the aquarium. It was on the pier and had a great mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits.
I made everyone visit the kitschy pier shops with me. I bought a Christmas ornament and the kids road the carousel next to a creepy animatronic shooting gallery.
Finally we went back to the International District for dinner. Ant showed us how to use the lightrail, and we passed the Seattle Art Museum (photo-op). Jack wanted ramen in town, so they brought us to Samurai Noodles. It was a hole-in-the-wall place that we never would have tried on our own, so we gladly took our friend’s direction. Jack said it was really really good. I was stuffed and ordered vegan gyoza to be polite, but ate it all because it was so good. We squeezed in last call at the Beanfish taiyaki stall. Finally it was time to say farewell.
We took our time getting to the airport and still had plenty of time to kill. Jack got a hoodie, after not finding any souvenirs prior in the trip. Ben had a final meal of fish and chowder. Our flight home was crowded but smooth. It was an easy end to a fun trip! Ben had a fantastic time soaking up the Seattle vibes and seeing his good friend again. I survived the chill and hardly ate for three days after because we had so much good food. Sam was feeling pretty healthy by the time we got home. Overall we had a great vacation!
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