Trolls really do live under bridges.
I was on vacation in Seattle recently (the first vacation in a year and my first trip to the West Coast!) and I came away from the trip a little wiser than I was when I hopped on the plane here in Virginia. Okay, maybe wiser isn’t quite the word…that would insinuate that actual learning took place.
Here’s a lengthy list of thoughts about my vacation. Some of these thoughts are silly but a few of them could actually be relevant to other people. Especially other people planning their own summer trip to the Pacific Northwest.
- There is no need to bring 5 pairs of shoes on an 8 day trip. In fact, 5 pairs is 3 pairs too many. All I really wore all week were my Keen sandals.
- If you’re in a park and the sign says that the loop trail is 2.8 miles long, the sign lies.
- Even though Starbucks was born in Seattle, my iced toffee nut latte does not taste any better there than it does here.
- Vacationing in the Pacific Northwest in August? Bring jeans. Lots of jeans. And a couple of sweatshirts. Do not bring 3 pairs of shorts. You will not wear them.
- On that same note, if you’re staying with family, don’t pack so many clothes. You will inevitably do laundry and not end up wearing 60% of what you packed. All you’ll wear are the same 2 pairs of jeans.
- Top Pot Doughnuts are incredible. The best doughnuts I’ve ever had. If you visit Seattle, you must have at least one.
- If I lived in Seattle, I would be a cow because of Top Pot Doughnuts.
- Small children do not need toys. They are perfectly happy to play with wooden meat tenderizers, laundry baskets and light switches. Save your money.
- Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon (yes, we took a side trip to Oregon) is the most awesome bookstore ever. Followed closely by The Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle. They don’t make independent bookstores like that where I live.
- Farmer’s Markets in Virginia are terrible compared to Seattle. Even the neighborhood market there was far superior to a citywide market here. Fruits and vegetables are also prettier and cheaper there.
- If you want to visit a chocolate factory (Theo Chocolate), you should make your tour reservation before your trip. If you don’t, you won’t get to take the factory tour.
- Coconut cream pie tastes even better when there is coconut baked into the crust.
- Trolls really do live under bridges.
- I’d really like to live in a town where you could walk to small stores and restaurants. It was nice to walk down the block for coffee in the morning.
- Even if my Toyota Camry is getting a little old, it’s still a wonderfully quiet ride. Unlike the Nissan Versa we rented for the week. That thing was obnoxiously loud.
- Smoked pork barbecue tastes just as good in Seattle as it does in Virginia.
- The Atlanta airport is too busy. There are too many people there are any given time. Too many scary people.
- Blackberries are a weed out there. A delicious weed that I would love to have growing out of control in my yard.
- If there hadn’t been a Jim Henson exhibit at the Experience Music Project, I would have wanted my $15 admission fee back. Fortunately a few Muppets made it worth the expense.
- Parking in a city is not cheap. Correction: Parking in a city is not cheap if you’re lazy and unmotivated. It was so much easier to feed the meter than to drive in circles looking for a parking space.
- I don’t know how to drive in hilly, steep places.
- Poison ivy spreads. Despite your best efforts to contain it.
- It’s a long drive from Portland to Seattle via the Oregon Coast. Possibly too long…fortunately it was a beautiful drive.
- Sockeye salmon tastes particularly good when it’s just off the boat and really fresh.
- There don’t seem to be a lot of redheads in Seattle. Is there a reason for this?
- Mt. Rainier is not so easy to see. I didn’t get a view of it until we were on the airplane heading home. Fortunately that was a great view.
- Not eating before a cross-country flight is not a good idea. Two cookies and a bag of pretzels are not dinner.
- If I ever move to a big city, I should open a bakery. The prices they get away with charging are criminal and I’d like to be the criminal in that situation.
- Libraries can make you dizzy. And not from reading.
- Going to Seattle in August when you live in Virginia is kind of like going to Florida in February when you live in Maine. The weather on your vacation totally spoils you and you’re miserable when you get home.
- Rainier cherries might just be my favorite fruit. Too bad they’re almost too expensive to buy here in Virginia.
If you’ve made it to the end of this post and would still like to see more pictures, visit my Flickr page.
Saturday, 22. August 2009 22:56
I love this post. Your vacation sounds like every trip I’ve ever taken to Portland and Seattle… well except that I’m coming from Berkeley, CA where we have the layer clothing thing because you don’t know what the weather will be like in 10 minutes. And now I want a donut… thanks.
Sunday, 23. August 2009 16:55
Thanks for the info. I’m going to Seattle in October and I’ll make sure we visit Top Pot Doughnuts. And on point #4 I can relate. I went to San Francisco in July and froze my buns off.
Sunday, 23. August 2009 17:29
I was browsing foodgawker and came across your post about your trip to Seattle. Since my husband and I are headed that way in September I thought I’d read about it from another tourist’s perspective. I liked your post, and can’t wait to go to Seattle next month.
Sunday, 23. August 2009 18:34
Oh this makes me miss Seattle! I used to live next door to Top Pot donuts on 5th Ave and nothing beats waking up to the smell of those donuts baking!
Sunday, 23. August 2009 21:26
I live in the Seattle area(born and raised here!) and it was nice to hear a perspective from a tourist. We take our farmer’s markets for granted, I could probably find and drive to one almost every day of the week. It does get warm here in the summer even though everyone doesn’t believe it- it’s wonderful if you ever get a chance to be here on a warm summer day. By the way, you CAN see Mt Rainier regularly if you drive on Interstate 5(the main north-south freeway in Seattle)going southbound, I’m sorry you missed it. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Sunday, 23. August 2009 23:07
If you ever come this way again, drive a little north of Seattle, to Mill Creek. There is a donut shop there called Frost. They have awesome donuts. The Salted Caramel is my favorite. You can read about it in my link.
http://northwestnoshings.com/2009/08/19/frost-this/
Monday, 24. August 2009 1:12
I’m a Seattleite, and I loved reading about your trip. Since it seems like we have a Top Pot on practically every corner now, there are a little less of a novelty than they were, but still good. Just went there last weekend.
I’m so glad you enjoyed your trip!
Monday, 24. August 2009 10:57
Had a Feather Boa donut and a hazelnut latte’ at Top Pot this summer on our vacation to Seattle. Best coffee/donut combo EVAH!
Monday, 24. August 2009 16:23
when i first read this post, i was like, IIII just visited the west coast for the first time in seattle! and IIII’M from VA! doppleganger!
anyways, wonderful post, and i, too, think rainier cherries are my new fav. i must go back to eat that donut….
Tuesday, 25. August 2009 13:06
Seattle is definitly an amazing town. I’m a Virginia transplant in Seattle, and there are definitely a good number of perks to living here rather than there. Come back next July!
Tuesday, 25. August 2009 23:15
Top Pop donuts are actually the brand of donuts you’ll find at Starbucks locations – the one I worked for in Boston switched to them around nine months ago. Soooo delicious.
Tuesday, 1. September 2009 12:19
Sounds like you had a great trip.
Tuesday, 1. September 2009 20:17
Thanks to everyone for the compliments on this post. Obviously Seattle (and doughnuts!) struck a chord with some of you.
Friday, 4. September 2009 19:02
Glad you had a good trip in our fair city! It’s always fun to read what people find interesting here.
Tuesday, 13. April 2010 15:24
I love hearing about my city from an outsiders perspective. I also love being a tourist in my own city! How many cities could you say that about? I am sorry that the mountain wasn’t out when you were here. That could be part of our daily forcast, “and folks today the mountain will be out in the early afternoon” It is beautiful in the AM on my way to work from North Seattle to South Seattle – simply amazing that a daily sight could take my breath away every time.