So before I being typing ANYTHING this morning, here is my view from the breakfast lounge.
WE'RE IN SEATTLE!
Yesterday began with some very cranky cats, some exceedingly cranky hotel staff, and an attempt to put us on the hook for an extra $150 pet cleaning fee. Michael put paid to that right away, and we got on the road pretty darn early for us, about 8:30 local time. No, Michael still hasn't let any of us drive, and it would appear that he doesn't mean to. I'm not thrilled about it, but at least it lets me take all the beautiful pictures.
Speaking of which...
A slightly illegal sight seeing stop was well worth it. These are the mountains just on the border of Idaho. Which, I must tell you a story about.
Sarah: "So what states are we driving through today?"
Me: "Montana, about half an hour of Idaho, and the whole of Washington."
Michael: "No, just Montana and Washington, the GPS isn't taking us through Idaho."
Me: "It has to take us through Idaho. Idaho goes all the way up to Canada. Look, see? (pulling out a map)"
Michael: "Thats all well and good, but the GPS doesn't show us routed through Idaho."
Me: "Crazy Serena the GPS? Trust me honey, we'll be in Idaho."
And so we were. It was a really beautiful half hour of Idaho though, lots of mountains.
Oh my god does this end of the country like mountains. It also likes glorious vistas and water and bridges and tunnels. I was one happy bunny.
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| And windfarms. Man do they have a thing for windfarms. I love it! These are on top of a mountain. |
Now I am not a complete rube. I've seen mountains, my father drove us through the Appalachians on our way down to Florida, and I've been to Telluride Colorado which is a town in a valley between two mountains. But when we drove through the Cascades yesterday, my jaw literally dropped. As in 'hung rudely open'. Which I didn't think actually happened to people, I thought that was just a cartoon conceit. I was proved wrong when Michael reached over and chucked me under the chin because my mouth was hanging open.
They filled up the sky they were so tall and steep. I couldn't stop marveling at them. Gods hand is in all His works, but sometimes you can tell the things he made with real pleasure, and these mountains are one of them.
Out the mountains, across a bridge, through a tunnel, and then...
Our first glimpse of Seattle.
Seattle is a bit like a cross between Chicago and Boston, according to Sarah and myself, and just about as much fun to drive in, which is to say not fun at all. We got lost looking for the hotel less than a block away from the hotel because SERENA is a CRAZY *ITCH! I'm looking forward to setting that damned GPS on fire when we finally get to Duncan. Let me show you how much not fun driving here is.
You see that hill? It is a STEEP FREAKIN HILL! Which would not be so bad if every other street wasn't a one way and you can't turn left and your only option according to SERENA is to drive into the bay.
Now when I was a kid, I used to ram around on an awesome four wheeler up north in the woods and hills of the Traverse City MI area. And one day going up one particularly steep hill, I managed to pull the machine backwards on top of myself. That particular experience comes back very painfully in a mitsubishi lancer driving up these terrifyingly steep hills. It does not help me that I have what I feel is a very rational fear of poorly designed buildings falling over on top of me. I'll send you a picture of one later today. So my arrival in Seattle was scary for me, entertaining for everyone else.
While trying to find a pet friendly hotel in the area, Michael gave Holiday Inn a call. Apparently, because we've stayed there so often over the course of the last year, we got bumped up to an executive suite for the same price as a normal one, so we are living large in the city. Part of the perk was a half price bottle of wine, which we had with our absolutely exceptional dinner, served to us by a fellow Michigander. And by we I mean Sarah and I. And by Sarah and I, I mean we were only able to drink half the bottle, and after two glasses of wine, I was absolutely silly. Yes, I am admitting it here and now for posterity. Two glasses of wine and I am a sopping mess. Even with prime rib and mashed potatoes inside me. Sarah had this incredible crab macaroni and cheese, and Michael and Cam had butternut squash ravioli and texas chili respectively.
Now one of the fun things about me when I'm squiffy is just how adamant I am about NOT being squiffy, which I then belie by giggling like a little loon.
Cam: Drunk Leigh is SO much fun!
Leigh: I am NOT!
Cam: You're not fun?
Leigh: No, I am SO much fun, not drunk! (clearly upset by the allegation of lushness) I can play games and tell good jokes and be witty, see, fun! (right back to insanely happy and humming and bouncing charmingly in my seat)
Cam: See that's the other great thing about drunk Leigh, she's never upset for very long, everything just reverts to ridiculously happy. She just sort of bobs back up to the surface.
Sarah: Like a duck!
Leigh : I am NOT a duck! You guys are so mean, I'm not drunk and I'm NOT a duck!
Sarah: No of course not. You're lovely. And very pretty.
Leigh: Yes, see, thats me. (ridiculously happy again.)
Cam: See, you just flatter her and everything is fine again.
Leigh: What?! NO! (upset again)
Sarah: No no honey, I wouldn't flatter you. You really are pretty. You are the prettiest duck.
Everyone then proceeds to fall about laughing, while I just proceed to fall about in my ill advised wedge heeled sandals. For the record, I am not a big person or a big drinker, so the two glasses of wine doing me (mildly) in was just as much a surprise to everyone else as it was to me, until we checked the label of the bottle. 13%. Pretty high for pinot grigio.
We then retired to our rooms, where we treated ourselves to celebratory "We (actually Michael) drove all the way across the country in three days" dessert of warm cookies, chocolate lava cake and cheesecake and then fell very promptly asleep.
This morning Sarah and I are plotting out things to do, and then we will explore Seattle all the day long. We are staying one more night here in the Crown, and then tomorrow morning heading out to spend a day in Vancouver, where we will meet Uncle David for dinner.
Talk to you soon blogosphere!
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