Seattle!

For Charles' 30th birthday we celebrated with a trip! We flew to Seattle and spent a couple days before boarding an Alaskan cruise. Seattle was so much fun! We squeezed as much as we could into those two days.

You cannot visit Seattle without at least seeing the Space Needle. We did not visit the top, but it was neat just to see it from street level.

We also rode the Monorail. It only has two stops, but it's historic. Plus it was right near the Space Needle. The other stop isn't far from Pike Place.

Pike Place was interesting to see. It was so crowded, but had tons of great stuff! If I were a local, I would come here all the time to buy flowers. They were gorgeous and inexpensive.

Charles thought about riding on the Ferris wheel, but it was about $15 a person. We decided to skip it. Maybe next time! The area around had a bunch of piers with restaurants and shops to check out.

To get out of the rain (which didn't last very long), we visited the aquarium. It was a little pricey, but most are. They do offer a military discount...score! They had a part where you can pet a starfish. We also watched feeding time in one of the big tanks.

To have a great view of Seattle from all angles, you can visit the Sky View Observatory. It was a little cheaper than the Space Needle and higher up. We saw all of downtown (including the Space Needle), the water, the port, and everything in-between.

In the summer, we love visiting the local ballpark for a game. Luckily the Mariners were playing the second night we were in town. And it was even better because they had fireworks after the game. It rained a little at the end, but it was a good time.

One of our first stops was the Woodland Park Zoo. Since becoming a member of the Sacramento zoo, we can get into other zoos at a discount. This zoo is one of those discounted places. We had a lot of fun walking around and seeing the variety of animals. I was happy to see a bear. It was the only one we saw on our whole trip, including our time in Alaska.

The zoo had an antique carousel that we rode. It was a nice break from walking.

If you know we at all, you know I love watching Diners, Drive-in's and Dives on the Food Network. And whenever we're planning a trip I see if there are any spots that were featured on the show. In Seattle there were 6 places to choose from. For our first meal, I decided on Voula's Offshore Cafe. Our hotel was about 3 miles away and we decided to take a bus. But then we couldn't figure out where the bus stop was and started walking. And continued walking. I was not wearing the right shoes and was kind of grumpy and blistered by the time we got there. Plus, they had no pie. The food was fine, but I was a little surprised that it was featured on the show.

Our next food adventure of note was at Pike Place. We enjoyed some Russian pastries. They were quite tasty! The line was long and I was surprised that Charles agreed to stand in it, but it moved fast.

My co-worker, who used to live in Seattle, recommended that we try Ivar's. They have several locations in Seattle...some more fast food and some sit-down. We walked by Acres of Clams while near the Aquarium and decided to have lunch. I do not eat seafood, so this was mainly for Charles' pleasure. I just had a chicken Caesar salad. Charles enjoyed his food and the view was gorgeous!

Last, but not least, our hotel was amazing! We stayed at the Maxwell Hotel. Right away you are greeted with beautiful style and colors. I loved all the different patterns and mix of colors they use in the lobby. And I want a pineapple mosaic in my house now! The room was comfortable and the bed was plush and offered a wonderful night's sleep. I hope to stay in one of their hotels in the future.

Sans labor in Kentucky

Charles and I spent Labor Day weekend in Kentucky. Why Kentucky, you might ask. Well, it was close and we've never really been there.

We stayed at a very nice B&B called the Scott Station Inn. It was very much like staying with family. The owners were very welcoming and friendly. The breakfasts were delicious and the room was comfortable. I highly recommend a stay here. The owners are actually looking to sell the B&B so they can move closer to their daughter. I considered it for a brief second. But then realized I have absolutely no reason to move to KY.

On Saturday night, we went to a Lexington Legends baseball game. The pitcher threw a no hitter which has never been done in their history. And there were fireworks. Minor league baseball games are always a good time.

On Sunday we visited the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. It was a nice "living history" museum. We walked around and saw a pumpkin patch, cats, goats, apples and more. It rained a little bit, but it was nice to walk around. We ate lunch at a local deli. Charles had a really interesting sandwich. It was ham, Munster cheese, and apple butter wrapped in a tortilla and put in a panini press. It was pretty tasty! After that, we rode the riverboat in the rain, which was very relaxing.

I love visiting small town America. It's so peaceful.

Our MN Trip

For Memorial Day weekend, we traveled to Minneapolis and Northfield, MN. My sister, Courtney, graduated from St. Olaf College this weekend which is the main reason we visited.

Our flight was delayed about an hour getting out of OH due to bad weather over MN. But we made in to MN with very few bumps on the flight. We stayed at a nice French hotel chain, Sofitel. I highly recommend this hotel chain. The room was comfortable and the hotel was very chic. Lucky for us, we had a great deal from Priceline.

Friday was spent sightseeing. We ate breakfast at a neat little local place, the Zumbro. I had french toast and Charles had pancakes. We headed to the Mall of America and walked around that for a while. They had an H&M, so I was very happy.

After the mall, we visited a sculpture garden with the iconic spoon with a cherry sculpture. They had a bunch of neat pieces of art and a garden.

To end the evening, we went to a Twins baseball game. They played Detroit and since my Dad is a Michigan native, I was secretly cheering for them. They have a very nice park.

On Saturday, we spent the day in Nortfield. We visited my sister's school and the downtown area. We were going to listen to a lecture, but the chapel was packed. We ate lunch in the Caf; St. Olaf supposedly has the best cafeteria food in America. It was pretty good, but I think the selection was not as fancy as some of the things I've heard they have. They had a very nice "Illumination Ceremony" that we attended before going back to the hotel.

On Sunday, we had a full day. We woke up early for church. Then we went to an art reception at St. Olaf. We saw some of Courtney's artwork and some various other pieces. Afterward, there was a Jazz Brunch with some very tasty food. And after that was the big event--graduation!

St. Olaf holds their graduation outside. Unfortunately, this year's weather was sunny and quite warm (90+ degrees). For most of the ceremony, we were in the shade, but the sun moved. It was a nice ceremony. For dinner we ate Indian food and then got popsicles and ice cream at a local eatery.

We flew back to OH on Monday afternoon after a stop to walk around Lake Harriet.

We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in MN. I would recommend a visit for anyone. They have quite a bit to offer in Minneapolis from art to sports and many things in-between.

Baseball parents

My husband is coaching, yet again. This time he is coaching a six and seven year Coach Pitch team with a few people from this office. Who doesn't love the all-American sport of baseball? It's fun to watch the kids play because they aren't very good and they get distracted very easily. But they also get so excited anytime they get a hit, make it to a base or run across home plate. Very cute.

What is not so cute---their parents.

Some of the parents are fine and normal. There are a couple that are VERY annoying. One dad likes to yell at the kids and make them feel like crap when they do something wrong. And I feel like reminding him that they are young, have never played together before or at all and they are still learning. He'll even yell at other people's kids. That would not fly if I had kids on the team. Another parent almost got into a yelling match with the ref over a foul ball. Pointless! Some of the parents are even bribing their children with money to get on base or to get a hit. I think that takes away the whole point of good sportsmanship and the fun of the game.

On Friday night they had a game. I went with Charles to watch and show some support for the kids. I've been to a few games before this, but a one thing from this game is still bugging me. They were playing the #1 team in the league and actually pulled out a win! To better appreciate this, I should inform you that Charles' team was the worst or second to worst team in the league.

At one point, our team was in the field. Charles was out there with the kids in the outfield to help guide them. The ball was hit to the outfield and one of the kids got it. But then he froze. He wasn't sure where to throw it. Charles was telling him to throw it in the infield so they could call time. But the kid wasn't listening or whatever. One of the parents on the sidelines was yelling/swearing at Charles and calling him names because she thought he wasn't telling the kids what to do. It made me so mad! I really wanted to go over and hit her. Or at least say something. I just couldn't believe she would be rude enough to talk about my husband with me sitting right there and swear in front of a bunch of kids. I also couldn't believe she can not realize that these are 6 and 7 year old kids and they don't know what to do because they've never really played before so you can't blame the coaches and  our team was winning, by a good margin, so what's the point of yelling at anyone anyway?

I'm still mad and I've had the whole weekend to get over it.

One of the other coach's wives stopped coming to the games because she got fed up with the parents yelling at the coaches and talking badly about them and her husband. We decided we would sit on the other side and watch the games so we wouldn't have to listen to all the stupid parents.

So advice to all you parents out there...appreciate the coaches that volunteer their time, practice with your kids, be supportive and realize that it is just a game and they are there to have fun.

Date Day--Vintage Baseball

Last summer, when we visited Connecticut , we attended a vintage baseball game. Vintage baseball teams play baseball with old rules (1860's to early 1900's). They wear vintage style baseball uniforms and use old style balls and bats. It's a lot of fun to see the game how it used to be played.

Turns out that Dayton has their own vintage baseball team. They had a home game on Saturday, so Charles and I went for our date day. They play their home games at the historical park here (which is on my list to tour soon). We brought out the picnic blanket, sat under a tree and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.

If you're looking for a unique outing for a date or for the family, try looking for a vintage baseball team in your area. This site might help in your search: www.vbba.org

*I shared this post on Under the Table and Dreaming