Seattle Bucket List Update

Remember my Seattle Bucket List?  I wanted to go back and see how much I actually accomplished during our (almost) two years in Washington. 

Here is the original list:

1. Visit Portland, OR - September 19-22, 2010

2. Go to Woodinville Wine Country - March 12, 2011

3. Go to Yakima Wine Country - October 2011

4. Go Camping - July 2011

5. Hike around Mt. Rainier

6. Visit Scuttlebutt Brewery - February 5, 2011

7. Visit Red Hook Brewery - September 5, 2010 

8. Go kayaking - September 5, 2010

9. Bruch at Peso's 

10. Green Lake

11. Bon Vivant Wine Tours

12. Washington Park Arboretum 

13. Museum of Flight

14. Experience Music Project - January 17, 2011

15. Seattle Symphony

16. Cruise to Alaska

17. Woodland Park Zoo - March 2, 2012

18. Visit Leavenworth - October 28, 2010 and November 6, 2010

19. Go to an apple orchard

20. Pick pumpkins - October 16, 2010

21. Go to the top of Smith Tower - March 10, 2012

22. Visit San Juan Island - July 3, 2010 and September 3, 2010 

23. Visit Orcas Island  - September 18, 2010 

24. Visit Lopez Island 

25. Visit Pike Place Market - May 30, 2010 

26. Visit the first Starbucks - May 30, 2010

27. Visit the REI Flagship store - May 30, 2010

28. Eat at Umi Sake - March 11, 2012

29. Try Vietnamese - September 2011  

30. Hike around Mt. Baker - September 14, 2010 

31. Visit Vancouver - June 26-27, 2010

32. Go on the Underground Tour - September 4, 2010

33. Go whale watching (and see whales!) - September 18, 2010

34. See whales from Lime Kiln State Park  - September 3, 2010

35. Hike to the top of Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island

36. Visit Eastsound on Orcas Island

37. Hike Lake Serene

38. Hike to Bridal Veil Falls - September 30, 2010 

39. Eat Ivar's Clam Chowder! - August 30, 2010

40. Visit Mount Saint Helens

41. Go to Victoria, Vancouver Island - August 2011

42. Visit the Olympic Peninsula -

43. Visit Wallace Falls - November 2010

44. Hike Boulder River Trail

45. Ski Mt. Baker Ski Area - November, December and January :)

46. Ski Stevens Pass Ski Area - February 2011

47. See the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum - January 6, 2011

48. Take advantage of First Thursdays (1/12)

49. Try Japonessa - July 2011

50. Visit the Fremont Troll - January 17, 2011

51. Ballard Locks - January 17, 2011

52. Kerry Park (aka the "postcard view" of Seattle - January 17, 2011

53. Go to the top of the Water Tower in Capitol Hill - January 19, 2011

54. Visit Gas Works Park - September 2011 & February 2012

55. Go to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival - April 2011

56. Go on the Boeing Tour & visit the Future of Flight Museum

57. GET A JOB! - February 2011

I accomplished 41 out of the 57 goals ... that's 71.9% of the list.  Pretty good for not actually living in Seattle.  Some of the things we meant to do while we were in Seattle during our last week - like brunch at Peso's and Green Lake, but they didn't work out for one reason or another.  We also did a ton of things that weren't on the list - kayaking around Lake Union, eating at Salumi, going on the Savor Seattle Food Tour, etc.  I think we did a pretty good job of exploring Seattle during our time there and I hope we go back after our tour in Japan so we can finish the list!  And hopefully find a few more things to add to it :)  Can you think of anything I should add to it? 

Seattle Send-Off, Part 3

I feel like I've written for days and days about our last week in Seattle, but we've still got two days to go! They were much more low key, but still need to be remembered!  

We spent Tuesday morning working out and hitting the steam room before meeting up with Mateo for lunch.  He had been in Korea for work and flew in that morning.  We decided to hit up local favorite Salumi.  Owned by Mario Batalli's family, this tiny neighborhood restaurant serves sandwiches made of meat, cheese and bread.  It's definitely no frills, but none are needed.  It's that good.  We went after 1:00 p.m., so the pickings were pretty slim, but we all enjoyed our meal.  J. and Mateo tried the mole salami and I tried the regular Salumi salami.  The sandwiches were so tasty and I could only eat half of mine, so I had lunch for the next day as well!  

We spent the afternoon lounging in our hotel room before heading to happy hour at The Bookstore Bar.  Bag-O and Mrs. B. made it down to Seattle for one last dinner - they just got engaged and spent the afternoon registering at Williams Sonoma and Crate and Barrel.  Bag-O took us to one of his favorite Chinese restaurants in the International District for dinner.  I hate to admit this, but it was the first time J. and I had ventured to the International District.  Thanks Bag-O for expanding our palette before we left!  

Wednesday was our last day in the States ... sad and exciting at the same time.  We started our morning with a trip to Pike Place Market for some chowder and seafood bisque - along with my leftovers from Salumi it was a tasty lunch.  We had a big afternoon planned - we had to pick up our rental car and take our car down to Tacoma to be put into long term storage.  While J. was putting the car in storage, I had plans to hit the mall one last time.  We hit a minor bump in the road when our directions did not take us to the car rental company, but everything worked out and Randy was tucked away into storage for the next 2.5 years.  I got my last round of shopping in and we made it to Fremont to have one last happy hour at J.'s favorite bar with S2 and R.H.

From there, we went back The Alexis to finish packing and get ready for our big day of travel.  We had to be at the airport by 4:00 a.m. so we had an early morning and a really long day ahead of us.

Miss Lucy all ready for her big flight!

Getting ready to send her off ... I was so nervous for her!

And we were off!

Seattle Send-Off, Part 2

Sunday morning we wanted to go to Portage Bay Cafe, but arrived to find a one hour wait.  We quickly jumped on Yelp and found Row House Cafe nearby.  Bonus - they could sit our group of 11 immediately!  They put us in a back room by ourselves which was perfect.  And what a great find Row House was.  We had french press coffee, delicious meals and our waitress brought us an entire tray of baked goods for dessert.  It was amazing.

From there, we had to say a few good-byes which was hard.  I HATE saying good-byes.  We had to say good-bye to our good friends Mr. and Mrs. R. ... our first good friends in Washington.  I had to say good-bye to Mrs. S. ... one of the people I talked to almost every day in Washington (she is moving to Japan in July so that made it a tiny bit better).  We had to say good-bye to Bag-O and Mrs. B.  Bag-O joined us in Japan but Mrs. B. won't be coming until the end of July!  And then we had to say good-bye to G.S., his roommate and G-rant.  It was a hard morning.

We spent the afternoon lounging in our room and planning the rest of our week.  And then R. came over to visit!  We had another big dinner reservation at Umi Sake (another thing to check off my Seattle Bucket List) so I didn't stay sad for too long!  The K13's, their family members that were visiting, J., R. and I met up with M.C., S2 and her husband.  I LOVED Umi Sake.  We had so.much.sushi at our table.  It was awesome.

Afterwards we took Mr. K13's brother and his girlfriend to our most favorite bar in Seattle - The Bathtub Gin & Company.  Mr. K13's family owns a bar and restaurant and his brother runs the bar, so he was interested in seeing as many bars in Seattle as possible.  We were happy to help him with that task :)  I think they loved the Bathtub!  After that we went on a mini tour of bars in Belltown recommended by another couple in Bathtub.  We ventured into a dive bar ... The Rabbit Hole and let me tell you, this place was weird.  But we had a great time.  We played skee-ball for hours and sampled their late night happy hour menu.  Love sweet potato fries!  Also, the more we drank and the more quarters we put on our tab for skee-ball, the smaller our tab got.  It was bizarre, but we loved it :)  And apparently, The Rabbit Hole is owned by the same people who own The Bathtub, so how fitting!

The next morning (Monday) we met up with E. to do the Savor Seattle Tour through Pike Place Market.  I have been to the market several times, but definitely saw it through new eyes on this tour!  I would highly recommend the tour to anyone visiting Seattle - and check for discounts on Groupon!

We started the tour at the Starbucks at First and Pike.  Our group met, we met our tour guide (Brett) and tried a chai tea latte.

J. and I

E. and I

Our next stop was at Daily Dozen Doughnut Company.  I LOVE this place!  We tried the cinnamon sugar doughnuts and learned about the tiles that make up the market floor!

Listening intently to our tour guide ... that's him in the black jacket and hat.  He also had one of the most impressive mustaches I have ever seen, but unfortunately I don't think we got a picture :(

Our next stop was at MarketSpice.  We tried some tea and learned about their inventory.  I wish I would have known about MarketSpice prior to our move ... their prices were so much better than the grocery store and I am sure their product was far superior.  

Next up ... Pike Place Fish!  I stepped out of my culinary comfort zone here ... we tried smoked salmon and I liked it!  It was delicious.  They also let someone from our group go up behind the counter and catch a fish from the fish throwers!

If you look closely, you can see our group member ... he caught the fish like a pro on the first try!

A mural done to honor the Japanese Americans that used to sell at the market when it first opened.  The Japanese Americans made up a huge percentage of the first vendors when the market opened, but during World War II they were sent to interment camps and many never returned.  The murals were put up to honor the market's heritage.  I found it fitting since we were on our way to Japan.

And then we stopped taking pictures because it was rainy and we spent a good portion of the tour outside.  We stopped by Frank's Produce on our way to Pike Place Chowder to try some oranges and apples.  Pike Place Chowder was the highlight of the tour for me.  I love clam chowder and we were definitely spoiled in Washington -- it's got to be pretty darn good for me to like it.  Pike Place Chowder did not disappoint.  We tried their clam chowder and their seafood bisque.  I preferred the clam chowder ... J. preferred the bisque.  

From there we headed back inside to Chukkar Cherries.  This is another gem I had never bothered to stop by.  We tried 4 different things ... YUM.  J. and I went back afterwards to stock up for our trip to Japan!  Then we came back outside to Beecher's Cheese.  You can't go on a culinary tour of the market without stopping by Beecher's.  We tried a sample of their signature white cheddar and then, of course, a sample of their famous mac and cheese.  Between Pike Place Chowder and Beecher's, we had some great warm comfort food for our rainy morning!  

Next stop was Piroshky Piroshky where I went out of my culinary comfort zone one more time ... we tried a smoked salmon piroshky and also an apple cinnamon roll.  Both were fantastic.  Our last stop was Etta's Seafood Restaurant where we had an amazing crab cake.  They were fresh from the oven and the perfect way to end our tour.  

The tour was really not the best place to catch up with E., so we headed back to Starbucks to enjoy a coffee and some conversation.  From there, J. went back to the hotel to take care of Lucy and E. and I  trekked over to Belltown to try The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company (we hadn't had enough food for the morning ...)

They're thing is that they do "weird" flavors ... these were definitely not the best cupcakes I have ever had in my life, but it was fun to go and try them!  We tried the Pancakes n Bacon, the Mexican Chocolate and Almond.  

They also have a map of the U.S. and you can put a little sticker on your hometown:

No one had claimed Indianapolis yet, so I left my mark on the map :)

From here, E. and I parted ways ... another good-bye :(  I had to go down to Pioneer Square to pick up my passport and then J. and I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing.  That didn't last long ... we ordered some pizzas from Serious Pie (another Tom Douglas restaurant) and headed over to R.'s to do our laundry!  The downside to living in a hotel for a week is not being able to do laundry.  

As you can tell ... our last week in Seattle was quite the culinary adventure!  As I said yesterday, just writing these posts are making me hungry and homesick for Seattle!

Seattle Send-Off, Part 1

Let's go back to March.  To the amazing six nights that we stayed at The Alexis Hotel in downtown Seattle while we waited for our flight to Yokota Air Force Base...  

Our last set of movers (remember, we had an express move, a household goods move AND a shipment for storage), came on Friday, March 10th.  On top of sending everything left in the house to storage, we had all our loose ends to tie up.  No matter how well you plan, there always seem to be a million things to do and get rid of that last day.  But we got everything done and made it to Seattle.  Our friends, the K13's had already checked in, the S.'s were there as well and we were waiting for Bag-O and Mrs. B. to arrive later that evening.  

Our first indication that this was going to be a great last week in Seattle?  Upon checking in, we received a complimentary upgrade to an Executive Suite!  If you ever have the chance to stay at a Kimpton Hotel, definitely take it!  The staff was so polite and remembered who we were, the hotels are pet-friendly and they put dog bowls and a dog bed in your room prior to arrival, there are dog bones in the lobby and they have a hosted wine hour every evening.  Not to mention the bar in The Alexis (Bookstore Bar) has an awesome happy hour.  I really can't say enough good things about The Alexis (and no, I am not getting paid to say it!)

Welcoming Lucy, Dually and Whidbey to The Alexis!

We didn't do much Friday night.  We all went up to the K13's room to have a few drinks and us girls went across the street to Boka Kitchen + Bar for a little late night happy hour.  I loved the atmosphere!  We tried the White Peach Cosmo, the mac and cheese and the truffle fries.  I want to say we tried a few other things, but can't find them on the current happy hour menu!  

Saturday, J. and I met up with the S.'s for brunch at Fonte (recommended by the front desk staff).  Yum.  I had the pancakes with blueberry compote and a mimosa (we were on vacation!).  I can't remember what J. had to eat, but he had the most amazing Sage Latte.  I was slightly disgusted when he ordered it ... a latte with sage, really?  But it was so good.  I wished I had my own.  

From there, we wandered through Pike Place Market where I picked up one last bouquet of flowers to brighten up our room and headed back to the hotel.  Once again, the Alexis staff went above and beyond and found me a vase for my flowers :)  We decided to wait for Bag-O and Mrs. B. in the Bookstore Bar and headed off to Smith Tower when they arrived.  Going to the top of Smith Tower has been on my Seattle Bucket List for ages so I was so excited to finally go up there!  And the view did not disappoint.  

The shipping yards

CenturyLink Field all decked out for the Sounders

I turned the corner and was surprised to see the Space Needle peeking between two buildings!

Close-up

Looking out towards Bainbridge Island

Looking over to downtown, Queen Anne and Magnolia

Mrs. S. sitting on her throne :)

Afterwards, we headed back to the Bookstore Bar for happy hour and pretty much sampled everything on the menu :)  G.S., his roommate and G-rant also met up with us for the evening!  It was so much fun to have everyone down in Seattle for the night!  

It was Mrs. S.'s birthday so we celebrated with a big dinner at Local 360.  I'd heard a lot about the restaurant, but I have to say that I was not impressed.  We did have a big party (18 people), but we had one server and our meal took over 3 hours.  I also made a last minute switch to my dinner order after hearing our waitress describe their fried chicken and was extremely disappointed to receive a dish that looked and tasted nothing like what she had described.  The slow pace of dinner made us all extremely tired but we ventured down the street to Belltown Pub for an after dinner drink.

And then, on our way home, we ran into Seattle's own superhero - Phoenix Jones himself!

J. and Phoenix Jones

(and his sidekick)

Tommy, Mr. K13, Phoenix, the sidekick and G-rant

And now I'm homesick for Seattle!  Check back tomorrow to hear about the rest of our weekend!

Belgianfest

This past Saturday, we spent the day in Seattle at the Third Annual Belgianfest!  The description from their website touts Belgianfest as:

"... highlighting the fascinating beer culture of Belgium by showcasing 60+ Belgian-style beers crafted by Washington breweries.  Featured beer styles include Tripels, Dubbles, Saison, Wits, Abbeys and Lambics.  All of the beers will be brewed with Belgian yeast."   

  Unfortunately, J. came down with the cold I had last week, so he didn't get to taste, but he was a trooper and came along to DD.  We brought G.S. along with us, met up with Mr. and Ms. B., and S2 and her husband.   

We had SO much fun.  I am not a huge beer drinker, but after spending Summer 2008 in Europe, I found I really liked Belgian beer so this was right up my alley.

We started our morning off with a quick lunch at Potbelly (yum) and then headed over to Bell Harbor.  We were given ten tasting tokens with our admission and a tasting glass.

I started with the Dubbel and Trippel from Anacortes Brewery.  We've visited this brewery several times before as it's in Anacortes and the man who started the brewery and used to be the head brewer is also connected to the Growler community.

I had the Belgian style Tripel from Boundary Bay Brewery.  We've eaten here when we visited Bellingham so this was on my must-taste list!

Elysian Brewing Co. had eight beers on tap (!), including two Tripels, but I got a recommendation from the guy pouring beers and was not disappointed with my choice - Bete Blanche Belgian-style Tripel.  

I tried the Donkey Deux from Georgetown Brewing, the Menage a Frog Belgian Trippel from Issaquah Brewery, Belgian Dubbel from Lazy Boy Brewing, The Giant Made of Shadows from Silver City Brewery and Spring Fever from Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Co.

As you can probably tell by the above list, I like my Trippels!  I also really enjoyed the Spring Fever from Snoqualmie.  I will definitely be looking for that in the grocery stores and restaurants soon!

Afterwards, we took in the gorgeous weather and hung out on the pier for a bit.  Warning ... picture overload coming up!

Skyline from the pier

Mt. Rainier made an appearance!

Mr. and Ms. B.

Just posing for the camera

This one is my favorite!

And I like this one too ...

Me and Ms. B.

G.S. and Mr. B.

Mr. B.

I love this one.  That's S2 and her hubs in the background!

Close-up!

Awww

They're in love :)

And then we walked up to Belltown Pub for happy hour and the Purdue v. IU game watch.  The Purdue Alumni Club of Puget Sound hosts game watches at Belltown Pub during football season and sometimes during basketball season as well!  And we love Belltown Pub and their awesome happy hour menu!

Washington Wine Country - Day 2

We slept in on Day 2 and had a delicious breakfast before heading out for our second day of tasting.  Staying with parents = the royal treatment :)  We headed back into downtown Yakima for our first stop of the day - Gilbert Cellars.  Their tasting menu features 5 wines and you can also taste their limited release wines for an additional fee.  Their menu features mainly red wines, so again, if you aren't a big red wine drinker you might want to skip Gilbert.  However, if you like reds .... go!  The tasting room is super cute, the service was fantastic and the wines were delicious.  It was a great start to our day. 

I loved the writing on the windows

M.C., R., me

(I'm looking a little special here)

After Gilbert, we headed to Dineen Vineyards.  While I really enjoyed all of the wineries we went to, we had the best time at Dineen.  They were hosting their annual open house and we got the royal treatment.  They had a cheese and cracker bar, free tastes (which were more like half glass pours), a buffet of delicious salads and pizza straight from the brick oven.  It was amazing.

The view from Dineen

The tasting room

Grapes on the vine

Dineen Vineyards truck

After we'd eaten our fair share of pizza, salad, cheese and tasted our fair share of wine, we headed off Windy Point Vineyards. 

The tasting room was in such a neat building.

With a fabulous view ... 

I bought two bottles of wine here and am very excited to drink them with J. returns!

And with that, we headed back into Yakima to have dinner with M.C.'s parents.  We loved all the wineries, but the highlight of the trip might have been our home-cooked dinner ... it had been awhile since we'd had such a delicious, home-cooked meal (and complete with dessert!)  

I told you, staying with parents = royal treatment :) 

Have any of you been out to Yakima Valley?  Do you have any winery recommendations for our next trip?