a wonderful weekend in washington [part 1]

so...MHD and i usually take a trip in august by ourselves to somewhere where we can escape the heat.  this year we had to postpone the trip a bit so we could move MDE into her dorm at texas a & m [that will be another post, of course].

about 5 or 6 years ago we had travelled to seattle...had a terrific time, stayed in a really cool boutique hotel that is located over a steakhouse [the inn at el gaucho]. on that trip we did the 'tourist' things--the space needle, pike place market, a fancy dinner on the waterfront, shopped and ate.

so when we decided to go to seattle again, we thought of it differently.  this time we just wanted to go and rest.  moving and getting MDE to college was tiring, not to mention emotionally draining. 

whenever we can, and we are flying somewhere that is at least 3 1/2 hours away, MHD likes to 'cash' in our miles to travel first class.  wow!  what a difference it makes...it may not be the first class of years gone by--but you cannot deny the pleasure of having room to move.  not one bit of claustrophobia is felt.

the seattle airport is relatively small and very easy to navigate.  plus i love it when the rental car desks/cars are on site.  so, needless to say, flying and getting to our hotel was a piece of cake.  we checked in about 6pm seattle time [8pm fort worth time].  we were travel weary, hungry, and feelin' kind of lazy...so we just went to the restaurant onsite.  

the stunning lobby

it was fabulous.  MHD had a gnocchi appetizer and salmon with a lobster sauce for dinner...and i had a fabulous grilled peach/basil/bleu cheese appetizer and the most wonderful halibut.  it came on quinoa...but that is just one grain i haven't fell in love with yet, so i skipped it.

the next morning we were up early...still livin' on fw time.  so we walked to pike place market pretty early.  many of the vendors hadn't even set up yet, but it was nice because it was not crowded at all.  we strolled the market having no idea where we were going for breakfast...and then we happened upon lowell's.  

it was kind of a gray morning...but this was our breakfast table view--

the breakfast itself was sooo yummy!  MHD ordered dungeness crab omelet with chopped tomatoes and parmesan cheese, a short stack, & coffee.  days after, he begged to go back--but it was kind of pricey, so i nixed it...but boy, was it good.  i ordered 'the combo'--two eggs, bacon, and the most delicious vanilla cinnamon french toast & coffee.

if you have never gotten to experience the pike place market, i wish i could do it justice.  it is absolutely beautiful--flowers, fresh fish, fresh fruit & vegetables everywhere...the most wonderful colors and smells.

my $5 bouquet of dahlias...

after breakfast, we walked around a bit and then headed back to the hotel for readin' & relaxin'!  we wandered to the 4th floor pool.  it was actually quite chilly and although they had a fire pit, we choose to recline on some chaises--

rooftop view

i know it is hard to tell...but do you notice anything on the rooftop on the building in the right forefront?  look closely--

it's set up for a rooftop wedding with a view!  how beautiful...

now...we staked our claim on these chaises [really there was only like 4 people out there], MHD got us some coffee, i was borrowing his ipad to read a book, and before you know it...this happens--

i guess i was tired! 
the whole day was basically spent like this...
reading and doing nothing.  


we decided to take a little walk with no intended destination...but then we came across this--

a giant paella!
talk about the right place at the right time!
this great spanish store was celebrating their anniversary and treating passerbys and shoppers with a hearty helping of paella.  it was wonderful.

excuse the photo skills...i was trying to get the 'whole picture' of the paella and store


this helping of paella became our lunch and we headed to a wine tasting place that we found last time we visited seattle.


that fun experience and much more will be shared tomorrow...