Our escape to our North American neighbor to the north was fun; however, it was time to continue on to the next leg of our now cross-continent trip. Seattle, WA is only a 3-hour drive across the border from Vancouver, so Stef and I took our time. After the morning excursion to Stanley Park, we were on our way. Not surprising, the line to get back into the U.S. was considerably longer than the line to cross into Canada a few days earlier. We stopped in Bellingham for lunch and then continued our journey into Seattle, arriving just in time for evening rush hour traffic. Oops! Oh well. It was totally worth it, as the skyline view driving into the city at sunset was spectacular!We had plans to stay with two of my good friends from my North Carolina days – Katie and Dave Johnson – who live just 3 blocks from Pike Place Market in downtown (I am more than a little jealous!). After fighting rush hour traffic for 20 minutes looking for a free parking spot, we finally decided the $3.00 fee for the parking lot behind their build was well worth the trouble. After a fantastic dinner prepared by our hosts and a little bit of catching up, Stef and I met her cousin Miguel Gonzalez (who also happens to live in Seattle) for a few drinks at a swank little place called Vessel.
The next morning it seemed that the cold and rainy weather from Canada had followed us south, so we slept in. Finally around 11:00am, the clouds cleared and the sky was nothing but sun and blue skies (typical Seattle weather…), so we were off to explore The Emerald City! We took in the breathtaking views atop the famous Seattle Space Needle and then toured 
the Experience Music Project. EMP is an interactive exhibit detailing the history and evolution of music and highlighting the Northwest’s influence on music. We found the music lab, an interactive instructional exhibit in which participants can play on different instruments and equipment to learn how each piece can be used to make music. After 4 hours at the EMP, our inner-music geeks were satisfied. If you ever visit Seattle, the Experience Music Project is a MUST!That night, we met up with Katie and Dave after their hard days at work, and we headed to Serious Pie, a gourmet Italian pizza restaurant they have been wanting to try for a while. We found a 1.5-hour wait, so we put our name on the door list and decided to spoil our dinners while we waited with an early dessert. We headed to a sweet tooth’s paradise called the Chocolate Box for some of the best gelato on the planet!
You may remember our friend Ashley Lusk, our friend with whom we stayed in DC and a previous guest blogger. Well, it just so happened that she had planned to be in Seattle the same few days we were visiting to check out the Univ. of Washington’s (aka. UDub) PhD programs. So, the next morning she met up with us, and we took the quick trip down to Pike Place Market to experience the 
flying fish show at the seafood stand and see the original Starbucks. Afterwards we then rode the ferry across the Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island for a stunning view of the city from the water. We then came back for lunch on the water at the Crab Pot. Stef took on their crab and salmon bowl…and won! (ok, so Ash and I might have helped her just a little bit.)
Now full from the savory seafood fare of Crab Pot, we met up with Katie and Dave to take the Seattle Underground Tour. Did you know that Seattle is build upon an old city that once burnt to the ground? It’s true! Our tour guide revealed the fascinating history of Seattle and led us through the dark and often-smelly passageways of the old city that still remains below the Pioneer Square area.After strolling past the Seattle Public Library and marveling at its geometrical-intricate architecture, we all headed up to Capitol Hill for a delicious dinner at Elysian Brewery with Miguel. Of course, dinner would not have been complete without dessert, so I found a frozen custard brownie sundae and the others enjoyed what we have found on our trip to be the newest craze – “designer” cupcakes.
After saying our good-byes to Ashley and Miguel, we headed back to the Johnson’s apartment to pack up and call it a day. We left early the next morning for our next destination...a stopover in Southern Oregon. On our way we paused at a roadside diner near Corvallis to see a childhood friend of mine from Arkansas – Shelly Hardage and her 5-year-old son Skyler. Shelly, a journalist, was very interested in our trip and MonaVie; so we shared the MonaVie opportunity. We even spent some time catching up and reminiscing on old times. Skyler was so thoughtful; he even brought me an acorn from his yard. Thanks Skyler! I will definitely be taking it back to Arkansas with me.After a way-too-short visit, we hit the road again in pursuit of Grant’s Pass, Oregon for the night. We had another big day ahead of us…a trip down the California Coast!
