We prayed for sun in Seattle.
That's a mighty big prayer if you recall that Seattle's normal is rain. And the weekend of the conference was no exception.
Except for the fact that the rain was mixed with snow.
From the time Kim and I arrived in Seattle on Thursday afternoon until the time we walked out of the Sunday morning worship service at Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue, it either misted, rained or snowed. And that was fine with me because I miss rain like crazy! Believe it or not, sunny days can grow a little monotonous, and that's what we are blessed with in southern Arizona most of the time. So Kim and I bundled up, toted our umbrellas, and enjoyed the rainy days of the Satisfied...at Last Conference.
But Kim and I had prayed for at least one sunny day to explore Seattle after the conference.
And look what we got!
Actually, by the time we had been driven to the Marqueen Hotel in Seattle on Sunday afternoon, checked in, and dropped off at Pike Place Market, the rain had stopped. We were afforded a rain free day and a half to explore the Emerald City!
Everything starts with food for Kim and me, so the first stop on our itinerary was Lowell's at the Pike Place Market. We divvied up a fish and chips platter and a fish taco plate. To die for!
Then we headed into the market to examine the fish, flowers, and more food!
We also stopped at the Pike Place Starbucks, the first Starbucks, for coffee and souvenirs.
The next day -- Monday -- was even sunnier, but still crisp and cool. It was a perfect day for donning jackets, gloves, and hats and walking the entire city. And we just about did cover every block of Seattle!
We started off with an uphill climb to Kerry Park in the Queen Anne section of Seattle, my favorite. Here we earned a perfect view of the city with Mt. Rainier peaking through in the distance.
After walking through Queen Anne and oohing and ahhing over the beautiful old homes there, we headed downhill to the market again. I couldn't wait to bite into the warm, soft pastry of another favorite: Piroshky, Piroshky!
Piroshkies are warm Russian pastries filled with any combination of a variety of tasty ingredients. We had the popular favorite, beef and cheese, but we also tried a ham and cheese and a green onion and cheese roll. Oh...my...goodness!
Of course, then we had to hit the streets again to walk off all that fattening deliciousness! So we headed to the pier and caught the ferry to Bainbridge Island, where we walked all over the place.
By the time we had returned to Seattle it was time to eat again, of course :)
So we walked through the bustling city streets, looking in windows and enjoying the setting sun, until we found the next favorite on my list, Top Pot Donuts.
Exhausted in that good and satisfying way, we headed back to our hotel, via Pagliacci's Pizza of course, and settled in for the evening. We had been blessed with a sunny, safe, and yummy day in one of the loveliest cities in our nation. It doesn't get much better than that.
The next morning we took a taxi to the airport to catch our respective flights home. But not before we ate one more fish dinner at the Lowell's at the airport. You just don't get fresh fish in Arizona, you know.
And that, dear friends, is our trip to Seattle in brief. It looks like my son may be moving to Seattle for good one of these days, if things continue to progress the way we think they will (only God knows for sure!). And I could not be happier. I have no delusions that my son will live down the road from us. I'm pretty sure that's not God's plan for him. So if he is to move far from mom and dad, I'd just as soon it be somewhere like Seattle, so we can enjoy visiting him in a nice part of the world. I love Seattle.
Just love it.Labels: Speaking Engagement, travel
