Last year I had the brilliant idea of trading in the gifts under the Christmas tree for a family trip and the guys seemed to like the idea. When I started looking around at trip options and cost I found that I did not have enough time to put the trip together within the small window of time that we had to take a trip. So that idea was put on the back burner.
This year I was a little more organized and started pitching the idea of a Christmas trip in the fall. I was looking for locale suggestions and threw out San Francisco, New York City and Seattle as a starting point. Well, Kyle jumped all over the idea of going to Seattle with "go-go architourism!"... so Seattle it is.
Between work, end of semester exams and coaching responsibilities I found some "free" time that fit within every one's schedule, then I scoured the Internet to put together a package deal. Before too long I had three round trip tickets, hotel room on the water, even a rental car... just no plans beyond whatever Kyle wanted to see.
We stayed in a hotel that was literally on the water...
We saw the things Kyle wanted to see...
Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum
The Seattle Central Public Library
Wandered about the Olympic Sculpture Park
Split, 2003
Typewriter Eraser, Scale X
Eagle
Eye Benches
Schubert Sonata
Father and Son
We walked around and saw what there was to see...
Some sections of Seattle are quite hilly
... and we did the touristy stuff...
The Space Needle
Locks Cruise
The cruise left from Elliott , through Pugett Sound to Shilshole Bay, through the Hiram Chittenden Locks, into the Lake Washington Ship Canal and ended in Lake Union. We were the only passengers booked, so we had a private tour and the run of the boat.
Drawbridge!
The Locks!
Boeing 787 Dreamliner's maiden flight
one of the Jacques Cousteau Society boats in for work
...and we ate.
We had a good time relaxing, goofing around and having fun together.
Oh yeah, and drinking a lot of coffee!
What's in store for next year?
I dunno, maybe...
22 hours ago