Here comes the Sun!

It started as a daily occurrence around 1PM then, gradually, the sun began gracing us with its presence more and more, driving away the snow and rain, bringing with it an amazingly temperate climate and lots of... people. The campground that was once a ghost town in the winter was teaming with bikers, walkers, and playful children. I know one stay-at-home dad that was glad to be able to get out of the 'house' and mingle with others living similar lifestyles and allowing our two girls to release some pinned-up energy.

We made a bunch of friends over the Spring/Summer including people who were from our home state of North Carolina that we had shared a campground with for months without meeting. Evening fires were a common occurrence with an increase of the seasonal/weekend camper coming and going routinely. Often, you could see majestic bald eagles flying overhead or listen to the screeching sounds of coyotes howling in the hills adjacent our site in the evening.

With spring in full force, we were able to take in a Seattle Mariners baseball game and, through the kids club, were able to be on the field prior to the game for batting practice, not to mention getting an autograph from 1st baseman Ty France. Speaking briefly on the kids club - it's a super cool idea most MLB teams have a version of where kids 14 and under receive a free or discounted ticket, swag, and other exclusives for games. Growing up a baseball fanatic and bucket listing baseball parks, I was in heaven (more to come on baseball parks).

There are a few things I'm passionate about - family, sports/competition, and craft beer/bourbon. Alcohol in Seattle is taxed at 25%! But, that's neither here, nor there. The brewery scene in the area was pretty dang good with our favorite being Fremont Brewing located in Seattle in a marina off Lake Union - great selection along with an accommodating beer garden for family friendly afternoons. Of note, near the campground in Sultan, Good Brewing Co. offered good food and a nice draft list, as well, which was a go to for us throughout our trip - that trivia victory is still fresh on my mind!

What is a post about Seattle without mentioning Pike Place Market? Want to see a flying fish? It's not a rare occurrence for those guys and gals at the fish market - every hour you can catch a herring (or some other deceased marine life) fly over the counter into the waiting arms of a fish marketeer. My youngest, being two years old and oblivious, almost met one of these flying finned menaces face to face as she crossed during one of those famous tosses - luckily the fish (and Ellie) was unharmed. Did I mention we like brewery hopping? There are a couple of breweries right there at the market - Old Stove (has great food) and Pike Place Brewing Companies .

I hear someone in the back whispering that I didn't mention the Seattle Space Needle - well, this one is for you. Located in center city, with a majestic view of Elliot Bay, Mt. Rainier, and the entire downtown cityscape, it is well worth the money you spend for the elevator ride up and rotating panoramic views it provides. At the base is an extensive museum offering any merch a tourist might want. while the top provides surreal views along with a fine dining experience on certain evenings - highly recommend.

One of the most important aspects of traveling is our chance for family bonding - our favorite activity is hiking and, to be more specific, hiking/exploring national parks. Luckily for us, the Seattle area has 3 of the best national parks we've been to: North Cascades, Olympic, and Mt. Rainier - I'll get to those on the next post!

Cheers,

Brandon (Dad)