Day 1: Charlene flew in to join us for the second half of the great PNW adventure, and it really made up for leaving the treehouse.  Even though she was suffering from jet lag, we immediately forced her to set out on sightseeing in the Emerald City.

We tried to go up in the Space Needle, but per usual on our trip it closed early.  It looks like Disney World at the bottom, complete with souvenir stores and a monorail.  After some research, I found out the Space Needle was built simply because some guy in 1962 thought it would be cool to build a really tall building with a restaurant at the top for the World’s Fair…

We went to Pike Place Market, which is humongous. Watched the fish tossers, and was transported right back to The Real World: Seattle.  They let a girl catch a fish, so we asked if we could since we’re from Delaware. They told us they were about to close in 30 seconds.  Of course they were, why would we ever get to something on time?  Then they tossed the fish four times to each other right in front of our faces.  Wtf west coast?!? Had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Puget Sound and the classic gray weather.  I ordered the clam chowder and a Naughty Nellie pale ale.  The waiter nonchalantly informed me that Naughty Nellie was the original Madame in  Pike Place Market.  So obviously I made the best choice.  I loved the market, and think they should consider bringing back the whorehouse. Ventured down to Ghost Alley to get an espresso and a good look at the gum wall.  It’s gross and beautiful at the same time.  My main question is where the hell are people getting all of this colorful ass gum?!?  Saw the first Starbucks, which was slightly underwhelming.  Plus the original mermaid had really saggy boobs.  It’s hard to believe that this tiny coffee shop started on the shores of Seattle and evolved into a global brand.  America is really the land of opportunity. The entire time we’ve been here it’s been gorgeous weather, and today it finally rained and was windy and cold.  When I talked to my friend Kellie, she said, “Wait, I thought it never rains there!”  We walked to Olympic Sculpture Park, which was totally weird.  I love all the artsy aspects of Seattle, and need an brochure to figure it all out. Returned to the hotel to relax and look at the Space Needle.  It seriously looks like something out of the Jetsons.  I still can’t get over the origin story.  It’s one of the most iconic landmarks in the PNW and the purpose was to be a floating restaurant. Went to this karaoke bar called Hula Hula.  They boasted the best bar food ever, and it was.  Everyone was super talented, so we were too intimidated to try, but my karaoke song would definitely be Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne. This woman did an excellent rendition of What Does the Fox Say. Ventured to another bar called The Rabbit Hole, which had PBR and skeeball.  We got into a big discussion about how we all don’t want to go back to work, and took a round of Fireball shots.  (Side note: this did not end well.  I won’t go into details, but it didn’t).

Day 2: The plan was to go to Mt. Rainier for the day, but guess what?  IT WAS CLOSED.  Yep, the public domain of a MOUNTAIN is closed until May.  What is happening?!?  Are the PNW gods angry with us for bringing east coast vibes?

Luckily we had discussed another destination when planning the trip, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, Washington.  And supposedly the best time to go is in April on a weekday.  Finally!!!!  The whole way there we joked that with our luck, we would get there and the blooms would have just ended.  And then…  WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?  THE BROCHURE CLEARLY STATES APRIL 1-30!!!!!!!  This trip started feeling like Vegas Vacation, and I seriously considered storming the gates and demanding to see some tulips.  One garden, Roozen Garte, was open, and it was pretty spectacular.   The cashier informed us that they had just cut the blooms two days ago.  Our reply?  Yeah, that sounds about right.  Steve had done some research, and found a nearby park called Deception Pass.  At least this place was up front about its potential disappointment.  It was glorious, so the drive wasn’t for nothing.  Screw the tulips! They also had really helpful warning signs along the trails. 

We spent most of the afternoon there, and headed back to the city to go to the Space Needle again.  First we stopped at the Fremont Troll, and Craig was fascinated.  I couldn’t stop thinking about It’s Always Sunny and the Troll Toll. This time we bought tickets to the needle in advance to avoid any catastrophe.  Thank God, because there was a school field trip in  line in front of us where half the kids were complaining about being hungry and it took them 45 minutes to decide they did not want to go up in the needle.The 41 second elevator ride to the top of the 520 foot high observation deck is terrifying.  I don’t know why I was the only one panicking in the elevator…that shit is HIGH!  After I could breathe again, it’s totally worth it when you get up there. While I was reading the fun facts inside, two guys approached me like it was a bar and asked me what I was doing there.  Uh hello…are we not in the Space Needle?!?  Long story short, they now have a weird story to tell about a girl from Delaware who thinks the Grand Canyon is in Butte, Montana and that it’s pronounced “Butt.”

I love everything about Seattle, and I don’t even care if it rains all the time–that gives me the perfect excuse to lay in bed watching Netflix all day!    We leave for Mount Hood tomorrow, and then finally on to Portland.  Hopefully they’re both open…