We stayed at two hotels on our trip. One on the way there, and one on the way home.
The former, was just a normal hotel room. I had reservations. It was raining when we got there. We parked just in front of our first floor door. We got a crib from the hotel. It was noisy. The AC leaked, and the floor was wet because of it. Jazmin also managed to leave her jammies in the bathroom, she thinks.
The ladder, was the same chain, in a different city. I did not have reservations. Audrey said "It's like that show, with Anthony Something". What a great way to think about our little adventure. Like that show, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain! We again stayed on the first floor, it was much cheaper, and much nicer. No crib this time, so we had to make do. I thought about getting our crib from the car, but decided not to and that this would work.
Looks like it did work. She got a good night's sleep!
Seattle holds a special place in my heart, and I think I will always refer to it as home. I was lucky enough to be able to take a trip on my own, to my RHS reunion, and spend sometime with my life long friend Taj. It could not have come at a better time for me, or for her. We spend to many years apart between our visits. I needed a little R&R and we both needed a little time together, to bask in each other's light.
Taji has an obsession with knitting. Here is just a TINY portion of her obsession. 
There are several more spaces full.
It rained while we were at a farmers market, and it was glorious. So this was taken thru the car windshield.
I was taking the picture first, and she copied me! 
So once the rain came, we thought it would be best to stop and get some ice cream.
A little Kirkland art, again thru the car window. 
A rare sight indeed... Taj reading. 
Pasta needed to be kneed well.
LOOKIE! Spaghetti!
Our pasta had to be hung somewhere? right?
silly picture taking. at least I knew how to use my timer! (thank you Alison)
and last for this trip, was lunch at where else, but... 
I also took a few pictures of my old house, for nostalgic reasons. 
Looks a bit over grown if you ask me. My Mom always had her yard and garden beautiful.
I wanted to get a shot of a slug, and a squirrel, but the squirrels kept running from me. I used to be able to feed them out of my hand...what happened to NW squirrels? But this one's for Robert. (I actually ran back to the car to get this, and Todd helped me with the macro/micro somethingarather to get it to show up, and not look like a pooty). And it was dark, very very dark. 
After getting in trouble and not being able to watch TV for a few days, or play outside, this is what Audrey did with her time. 
(if you can't tell, she is a drummer) I am still unsure of why the drum is under her chin, other than to hold it but she sure used her imagination, and entertained herself for sometime!
What to do on a lazy August Sunday afternoon? When no one has any plans, and everyone is a little SeaWorld'ed out? Why go to the Cabrillo National Monument of course!!! 
Robert recalls going often as a kid, to jump around the tide pools, but that was before the tide pools were part of the monument. 
The last time Robert and I were there, was when Alison came out to meet PJ back in November '07. So we loaded up our water, and spend a fun afternoon, taking in the ocean, scoping out the sailboats, and spotting lots of little crabs running for their lives from the many tourists that were there. 
(I guess we have to go back in September when the guides say is the best time of year to hang out at the tide pools).
I did however make sure to check the tide charts on line before we left, to at least make sure we were not going there, during high tide. My Gammer would be proud.
Audrey made sure to take adequate notes, for the "What I did during summer vacation" essay she is bound to write in the fall. 
Jazmin sat and contemplated.... something.
Paytin took a nap. 
I have a final thought...
Cabrillo National Monument, you ain't got nothing on Pirate's Cove! Those are some good tide pools!
