Seattle

A couple of weekends back we took a long weekend trip to Seattle. We've been there countless times now, and invariably end up at the same spots but I love it each and every time! The weekend started with a trip from hell being stuck on the Coquihalla for 3.5 hours while it shut down to traffic due to adverse weather conditions (in mid-November - this is why any of our winter guests are strongly advised to fly right on into Kelowna!). So what should have been a 5.5hr journey was 9 hours!

We wanted to put in some tourist time on this trip, rather than just shopping till the credit card reaches it's limit. (But we did spend some time at the mall and I feel awesome because 80% of the Christmas shopping is done - in mid-November!! A very successful day and presents have even been mailed!!)

Pike Place Market on a easy Sunday morning

We drove downtown for a lazy Sunday morning stroll - and lucked out with a car parking spot RIGHT in front of the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market! We weren't even trying, we just got stuck in traffic and someone pulled out right in front of us! It would have been rude to pass up the opportunity!

We also stopped by the EMP museum in the Seattle Centre. For starters it's the most incredibly funky looking building on the outside - reminds me of a giant space age jellybean sitting at the foot of the Seattle Space Needle!! Inside it's all about Music, Sci-Fi and Pop Culture. There were exhibits about Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix (both Pacific Northwest artists) plus an Battlestar Galactica exhibition with costumes, full size ships, interactive exhibits and props. A great basement exhibit about the Lure of Horror films with clips, artifacts and recorded interviews. But probably my favourite bit was the Avatar Exhibition - with tonnes of information about the creation of the film, behind the scenes footage of filming, interviews and props  - we watched clips of the film with the final version and several of the in process versions running concurrently so you could really see how it developed into such a polished finished product - an amazing film (And to think at the time I really wasn't bothered about going to watch it!)

So nice to get away! To spend some time together away from work and regular life!