Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Weekend in Seattle

For Memorial Day weekend, we made a trip to the great Northwest.  This was our first time visiting Seattle, and it was truly a beautiful city.  As California girls, we felt a little odd packing for rainy weather on Memorial Day weekend, but we figured that the rain was part of the Seattle experience.


The city is very lush and green, and there is so much to see and do.



Before heading into downtown Seattle, we stopped by Jimi Hendrix's old house.


A whole lot of jamming took place on that porch!  His studio was located on the left side of the house in the backyard.
We drove into downtown and stopped at the famous Pike Place Market, which is referred to as 'The Soul of Seattle'.


It was established in 1907, and today it has a wide variety of merchandise: fresh seafood, flowers, produce, jewelry, crafts, and more.



The very first Starbucks is located along Pike Place, which is a very happening spot.  We waited in the long line for a cup of cappuccino to warm us up on a cold day.


While waiting, a group of talented musicians entertained us.


On Sunday, we went wine tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle, a charming winery that is popular for summer concerts and events. 




After stopping for some lunch at a local Phở restaurant (serving Vietnamese rice noodle soup, which was delicious!), we made our way to the wharf where the fishing boats are worked on and taken out into the sea.


We had a group of very knowledgeable tour guides with us; our uncles are retired deep sea fishermen.


One tough sea captain...


Three fishermen reminiscing...

Monday was the big day at the Seattle Center.  Our uncle's band was performing at the Northwest Folklife Festival.  They were GREAT! 



The venue was packed with people, and we had a great view of the Space Needle from the park.


The Space Needle was created for the 1962 World Fair, and today it is a distinct landmark of Seattle.


We rode the elevator up 520 feet, and we were given a great view of the trees, mountains, waterways, and buildings that make up the city.



Back on Earth, we enjoyed good friends, family, food, and music.



   
Seattle....a lovely city to visit!

6 comments:

Mona said...

Hi guys! Sounds like you had a great time! I've always wanted to go to Seattle. My kids and I are always planning a road trip there. Pike Place would be our first stop. And Starbucks. Pretty awesome that you had such knowledgeable guides, too, and great to see family. Glad you had such a good time and glad you're home safe. Mona

Red Rose Alley said...

Thanks Mona! You and your family should take a trip there. It was so much fun :-)
~Jess

Anonymous said...

Hi gals!
What a surprise to see you were so close to me on the memorial day weekend! I was actually there on Monday of that weekend---right there in Pike Place Market and the City with my husband. Were you there on that day? If so, we could have passed right by each other and not known it. I would have loved to have met you gals and given you a big hug in person! I hope that you had a fabulous time and it looks like you did! Thank you so much for visiting our beautiful area. I hope you had fun and also hope that some of my postings will bring back some great memories of your trip! My post today is of Beechers Cheese. I am sure you probably went in there. Looks like you kept busy during your time here. There is definitely a lot to do! Have a beautiful day! xoxo Kim

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I just continued reading your post and saw that we were, in fact, both there in Seattle on Monday! :) xoxo Kim

Harvest said...

Looks like you all had a great time. I love Seattle - was there a little while back - it's a great city with so much to do and see. Can't wait to get back there one day. The pictures of the Space Needle are terrific, and how exciting to have fisherman uncles to show you around. Thanks for the post and bringing back fond memories.

Red Rose Alley said...

Kim~ We were downtown on Monday, but we actually went to Pike Place a couple days before that. It would have been so great to meet you in person! We did not stop by Beecher's Cheese, but I wish we had because we love cheese ;-) Maybe next time. Have a great weekend!