Thanksgiving in Seattle

Safeco Field, home of Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners!

I promised Monday updates and pix from my trip to Seattle. It was a wild Thanksgiving week in the Emerald City for my brother, sister-in-law, and me. We expected typical Seattle weather: 40ºF and raining. What we got was 5 days of winter wonderland with rain freezing to snow and sticking! It did wonders for travel around town, but thanks to use of generous Uncle Bill's Chevy Tahoe, we got around just fine.

Highlights of our week include: day trips to Bainbridge Island via ferry and Vancouver, Canada; naps on the couch after overeating; movies on the big-screen TV; rummaging through family books and paintings; and impromptu snowball fights with cousins and siblings!


Me with the backdrop of Lions' Gate Bridge in Vancouver's Stanley Park

It was nice to get out of the country for a few hours. Craig's wife Gena was on a quest for a Harvey's Restaurant. So hunting down the only Harvey's in town made for a nice tour of the city. Wouldn't you know that the popular Canadian hamburger chain of Ottawa can only be found in Home Depots in British Columbia? Along the way, we got to see the beautiful waterline, sports arena, gastown, and Chinatown in Vancouver.


Here's Craig giving his seal of approval to Harvey's

We toured Stanley Park for the afternoon of increasingly heavy snowflakes, incoming fog, and lowering temperatures. Did you know that the park is as big as downtown Vancouver? Lots of hiking trails and sites to explore. Here's some totem poles from First Nations around BC.

After dinner with Gena's cousin, we braved the worsening roads back to Seattle. If it weren't for the 4WD, we may have had to stay the night. They run a tight ship at the US Border at Blaine, WA. We took an in-depth tour of their facility during the middle of the snowstorm. If you want the same tour, just make sure to leave important travel documents at home before you go!;)

Back in Seattle we were treated to tons of food from Uncle Bill and Aunt Shari. While the days are getting shorter anywhere above the equator this time of year, our days were even shorter with 10am sleep-ins each day. But with delicious breakfasts and short outings in the afternoons, we kept things simple for the rest of our vacation there.

As a parting shot, this photo sums up our activities for the week: Uncle Bill catching naps where/when ever, Craig catching up on the latest biz, Gena and Aunt Shari exchanging stories and recipes, and yours truly behind the camera! Until next week!