Aaaannndddd I'm back...

It has been a fabulous week with my family here in Seattle. We had a lot of laughs, food and bonding. It had been a long time since we had been on "vacation" together as a group and it was just as much fun as I remembered it.

We did a lot of touristy things. Many of which I had not done before. I will list the highlights of these below with a brief review of sorts for those who may be interested in visiting Seattle in the future:

Space Needle: This is an obvious stop, but I wouldn't go on a day that isn't at least 85% clear. The view of the city and the mountains is fantastic. You can also use a telescope to see my bedroom window.

Experience Music Project: There are two reasons to visit this museum.. the building itself (designed by Gehry) and the chance to pretend you are a rock star. Literally. There are recording studios in which you can try your hand at drums, guitar, keyboard, turn tables.. you name it. It is a total and complete hoot.

Underground Tour: This tour basically explains how the city was built after a fire more or less leveled it in the early 20th century. This is interesting because the way that the city was rebuilt made absolutely NO sense. You will feel very smart indeed.

Leavenworth: This Bavarian (yes, I said bavarian) village is about 2.5 hours from the city - obviously you need a car. It is a beautiful 2.5 hours through the Cascade mountains. The drive is truly amazing, the village is very entertaining. You will feel like you've stumbled into the German section of the World Showcase at Epcot Center - but bigger, and clearly in Seattle, because they have a "Sturbucks." (that's with a "u")

Pike Place Market: This is another must see. If you have a chef in your group, this is super fun. Watch their eyes grow wide and see them run. Don't worry about losing them in the sea of humanity, they inevitably find their way back - dying to show you what amazing purchase they just made. Be prepared to visit the market more than once.