Silverwood 2010

We took Jordyn and Jeylin to Silverwood this past August for the very first time.  They were excited but also very nervous about riding the roller coasters.  We managed to get them two go on two, Timber Terror and Tremors...but that was it!  They both screamed their heads off.  We didn't take Kierra because she would have been too small to ride anything but the kiddie rides and we would have not be able to experience enough to make it worth our money.  We'll go again in a couple more years with all of them.  Even though it was CRAZY busy and we were only able to get on a couple of rides, we still had a blast!  The kids were tuckered out by the end of the day too.  We stayed in Spokane and did school shopping the next day too.  It was a nice mini-vacation.

Seattle Day 4

Day 4: Sunday, August 16th

MAIN EVENT DAY!!!  The only thing planned for this day was our main reason for the trip.  My long awaited chance to watch the Mariners play the New York Yankees!!!  I have wanted to watch the Yankees play as long as I can remember.  Only two things could have topped this day and as of this publish date, only one of those things is still available....watching the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium (the since retired stadium) and watching the Yankees play the Red Sox at Fenway park.  Don't worry folks, that is definitely on my bucket list!  Brad and I have actually looked at tickets online and we're seriously contemplating it somewhere in the future.

In February, when Brad and I were starting to think about planning a family vacation for the summer, we weren't sure where we wanted to go.  We knew we couldn't afford an extravagant destination such as Disneyland or Hawaii but we wanted to do something fun and interactive just the same.  We had considered a couple options such as, traveling the Oregon coast (I made this trip with my parents at the age of 5 or 6 and had a blast) and other places.  I was busy at the computer trying to come up with more options when Brad, {watching ESPN as usual} yelled down the stairs that Ken Griffey, Jr. had decided to come back to the Mariners organization.  We immediately had our vacation destination...and no need to determine which date we were going...we already knew.  They had to be playing the Yankees!  We found the dates...which worked perfectly because the kids were on summer break and it would be one last fantastic trip before school started up again.  We decided that we would splurge a little bit on our tickets and guarantee great seats.  Fortunately for us, Brad's brother Sam lives in Olympia and he and his wife Amy decided to come too.  Sam purchased the tickets opening day and we had great seats...left field line, about 16 rows up from the field!  Unfortunately, a week or so before the game, Sam and Amy realized they couldn't make the game so they sold their tickets :-(  From there, the rest of the trip just sort of planned itself....and voila! here we are on game day...

We woke up early, had breakfast and started packing our goods.  Since we were headed home after the game, our van had to be packed all day with our belongings.  Not a bad deal since the entire day was going to be spent at the field.  We left bright and early...found a great FREE parking spot and even had enough time to stop at Krispy Kreme for coffee and donuts before the gates opened.  We were all dressed in our Mariners garb (yes, I love the Yankees but I also love the Mariners...it really was a win-win situation for me...and, I'm not stupid enough to wear Yankees clothes unless we're watching them in New York)!

We lined up early at the gate and anxiously waited.  Finally, the doors opened and it was a mad dash to our seats to watch the teams warm-up. 

Alex Rodriguez was warming up right in front of us.  I took TONS of pictures!  We even witnessed Derek Jeter tie the all-time record for hits by a short stop with #2,673.  {On a side note, it was fun to watch the kids' amazement when the Yankees won the World Series...they thought it was awesome that we watched the best team play that season!}  Before the game, we walked around the park and took in everything.

We had our pictures taken with Moose...

...and at center field.

The kids played in the playground and just had a blast.  They were soooo excited to be there...as was I.

The game was awesome but it went by at a fast rate of speed.  I was bummed.  I could have stayed there for at least another week.  We enjoyed our favorite foods....fresh squeezed lemonade, hot roasted peanuts, chocolate-dipped strawberries & garlic fries!!

We watched the Mariners defeat the Yankees by a large margin and just had an overall great time.

Alex Rodriguez warming up

Jorge Posada

Derek Jeter

He was looking right at me...I was very noticeable in my bright pink Seattle shirt!!!

Ichiro gettin' a hit

Griffey swinging for the ball...

...and then holding up on 3rd

Then it was time to leave.  The drive home was bitter- sweet.  It's always nice to come home but it's always sad leaving your fun times behind.  I guess that is why I take so many pictures.  I want to remember every moment.  And here is one more of Mt. Hood...not as visible as the trip over but just as beautiful and massive.

We did have a long drive home for various reasons (car-sick kids, cranky kids, hungry kids, well, you get the point), but eventually we made it.  Even though Brad insisted on driving across the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge...aka the floating bridge..that goes across Lake Washington from Seattle to Mercer Island.  For those of you who know me, you know I don't like bridges very much.  Not sure why, I just don't...but he just loves to torture me.

We all had a great family vacation and can't wait to do it all again in another couple years...except we'll probably skip the zoo next time ;-)  So, with summer just around the corner this year....I'm wondering where we should go...hmmmmm.....

Seattle Day 3

Day 3: Saturday, August 15th

This day was not quite as busy as Friday as we only had three major items planned....Pike Place Market, the Zoo, and a tour of Safeco Field.

We had planned to spend the morning at the Market and head for Safeco after lunch and hit the Zoo up last.  A very relaxing day...uh huh sure?  Because really, what more relaxing place is there than Pike Place Market on a Saturday morning in the middle of August???  Actually though, it really wasn't that bad.  The hardest part was the kids were less than thrilled with the adventure of a busy market that smelled of fish and no one was buying fish so of course, no flying fish.  It was a let down but I think more so for us adults than for the kiddos.  They did enjoy the fresh apples we bought and I got to step inside the first-ever Starbucks!!

When the market had lost its appeal, we realized we were way ahead of our schedule.  Even though it was a less-than-busy day, we still knew what time we needed to be at certain places.  Luckily for us though, we found that we could hit Safeco for an earlier tour than we had originally planned if we could just hurry...and so hurry we did.  We were just a smidge late for the tour...just missing the meet and greet with the tour guide so really nothing of too much interest. 

Let me tell you, for those of you interested in seeing the inter-workings of a baseball field, this tour is awesome.  It was pretty inexpensive, very knowledgable and of course fun.  The only downside...actually, two downsides were our less-than-thrilled guide who wanted to breeze through everything that he was literally pushing the group ahead of us out of rooms AND the fact that we and another couple had gotten lost.  We stopped to take pictures and because the before-mentioned guide didn't like to stop for such nonsense, we turned around and the group was gone.  Yep, it took us a while but we finally found them...but not before we considered joining another group we found.  We learned some cool facts and even sat inside the Mariners' dugout.  I think Bradley even sat where Ichiro sits.  The kids were entertained but oh how I would have loved to lay in that grassy infield...but, no walking on the grass allowed...bummer :-(

Jeylin taking in the veiw from the upper deck

Each Suite at Safeco was named for legendary players...from Ty Cobb to Lou Gehrig and Sandy Koufax to Mickey Mantle.

View from the Owner's Suite I believe.

Kierra Nielson...future journalist...inside the Press Box.

A 2nd Strike foul ball that missed some journalists but left a lasting impression on the wall behind them.

This is the infamous family picture which caused us, and the couple who took it, to lose our tour group.

Walking out of the tunnel onto the field...this was an AWESOME feeling!!

The kids...being ever so careful not to step on the perfectly trimmed grass :-)

Sitting in the dugout.

Ichiro's seat.

I'm thinking about this time we went to eat lunch but honestly, I can't remember where.  Hmmm, who knows?  I guess it's possible we skipped lunch and headed for the zoo though.  That was fun {**to be read in major sarcastic tone**}!!!  The Seattle Zoo was honestly, one of the worst I think I've been too.  Now with that being said, I haven't gone to many...actually, I think I've only gone to two others...but, it really wasn't that great.  In fact, many people I have talked to, weren't even aware there was a zoo in Seattle.  Well, there is and since we had tickets from the City Pass Booklet, we went.

While driving to the Zoo, you realize that you are still in the middle of the city...the residential part of the city.  We're talking several different small parking lots all on opposite sides or walking distances away from the zoo, no street-side parking because like I said, residential area...and small city streets and busy traffic.  Holy toledo Batman...it was crazy!  After driving around for about 10 minutes looking for a parking spot, me freaking out at the closed-in streets and near misses of pedestrians and other traffic and of course, three kids complaining from heat and boredom and possibly hunger, we decided to skip the zoo, head for the hotel and take a nap, and come back later.  Since we had yet to use our night-time Space Needle pass, we figured we'd do it all together.

Once back, we found a great parking spot in the main lot, but of course not without some great Nielson family luck.  While searching through the back pack (on Brad's back) for my larger camera lens, I opened the zipper too far and out fell my huge lens on the concrete sidewalk.  Fortunately, it only cracked a little bit around the rim that holds the cap on.  The lens itself was OK (since I was able to take the picture at right) but it still ticked me off.  Once inside the zoo, we were sorely disappointed.  It was hard to find anything and very small exhibits.  I think the zoo tried to keep the look of a more "natural" habitat so the trails were interconnected and even with a map, it was hard to maneuver.  I think we visited half of the park and then headed out.  Maybe under less stressful situations, the zoo would have been relaxing but I soon realized that (at least as an adult), once you've seen one giraffe, hyenna, hippo, lion, tiger, monkey, etc...you've really seen them all.  But for future reference, I think we'll stick to the Portland Zoo...it's much better!

Since it was starting to turn dark, we headed for the Space Needle.  We were very excited to take this trip up since neither Brad or I had been to the top at night.  We parked in our usual lot, jumped out, and I pulled out the camera to take a picture from the ground, only to realize that CRAP!!!...my camera battery had died.  I had forgotten to charge it when we went back for our nap and after taking the pictures at the zoo, I had drained it.  Even more frustrating that I drained it at THAT zoo...ugh!  So, we took a few pictures with our cell phones but that was about it.  I was so bummed because it was absolutely beautiful up there at night.  But, this just means we'll have to go back and do it again sometime...with a fully charged camera battery.

Now, onto day #4...the main event and driving force behind this particular vacationing spot...

Seattle trip...revisited.

I noticed that I didn't finish the posts for our entire Seattle trip...how crazy of me huh?  I guess once you see the Crab Pot, everything else just pales in comparison.  So, here is a quick final run-down of Day #2 from our first family vacation...

After the Crab Pot, we went home to sleep off our fabulous dinner...but of course, in true Nielson family style, it didn't go quite as melancholy-ish as it sounds.  After dinner, Brad realized that our parking pass was about 10 minutes or so shy of expiring so off he took, on a dead run up the streets of Seattle, heading toward the Tram.  I had told him the kids and I would be behind him and we'd meet him back at the Space Needle since our City Pass Book allowed us a chance to go to the top at night too.  Once he left, I thought to myself..."What in the HELL was I thinking?"  Me, traveling the streets of Seattle....alone...in the early hours of the evening...with one stroller and two kids in tow...seriously????  Apparently Crab Pot feasts make a person feel like they are invincible...definitely making a mental note of that for the next time we eat there.  You know, the type that goes something like this..."Note to self: Eating large quantities of seafood do not make you less-vulnerable to muggings nor does it empower you with superhero capabilities."  Well, too late now since Brad was already out of ear-shot and besides, I was pretty sure I remembered the way back.

I was right, I did remember the way except for one small detour.  Instead of taking the elevator up from the pier which would take me directly to Pike Place, I took one a few blocks done so I had to walk up and take another elevator.  On a much more pleasant note, I was completely amazed by how kind most people were when they saw a frazzled country girl dragging three kids along from elevator to elevator.  Once we made it to the mall to get on the Tram, I was beat from the uphill push of a stroller.  We stood in line for our turn and met a very nice couple with their two daughters.  The guy was so incredibly polite he helped get us in the Tram and settled...even meaning he had to sit away from his family because it was PACKED!  I was very grateful for his help.  We made it back safe and sound and met Bradley right off the bat.  Boy was I glad to see him.  Since we were both so tired from that significant venture, we decided to see the Space Needle the following night.  So, we headed for the hotel and a good night's sleep.

The Infamous Crab Pot

In the months proceeding our Seattle trip, Brad and I made sure to watch every episode of the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food in order to find one restaurant that we could splurge on...and by golly, we definitely found it.

For those of you who have never heard of The Crab Pot, I suggest you check it out. They are most known for their feasts. These feasts include many different varieties. All the food for the feast is boiled/steamed together, thrown in a large stainless steel bowl and then dumped on the middle of the table for your eating enjoyment. Each hungry person is equipped with a wonderful plastic bib, a wooden mallet, and a wooden slab to crack the crab shells open. It's such a wonderfully fun experience. We had decided in advance to order the largest "feast" they offered and share that between the two of us and some with the kids if they wanted. We ordered “THE ALASKAN” and it was fantastic! We even managed to stay at the budget!

Here are some pictures of our experience...

Brad getting ready to "feast"

Myself preparing for the big catch

Jordyn's all geared up to start whacking some crab

Jeylin can't wait to tear those legs apart

Kierra just liked the photo op

Ready, set,.....FEAST!!

A close up of our meal....thrown across the table.

Just a goofy picture of Jeylin after dinner :)

Seattle Day 2

Day 2: Friday, August 14th

This was the busiest day of our vacation! We had so much we wanted to accomplish that we were non-stop moving all day. Busy but oh so fun! Since I am writing this post almost 4 months after the fact, I might not have as much detail for the story but I will try my best.

This day started with a very early rise from Momma! I woke up at I believe 5am so I could get my shower out of the way and get my hair done before I needed to start getting the girls ready. Since our hotel didn't offer a continental breakfast, the kids ate Capn' Crunch berries in the room....from our stash of previously purchased food. It worked out perfectly because there was no need to leave the room and we could all get ready without the disruption. Oh yeah and the in-room (or bathroom) coffee pot was a blessing too :)

We finished getting the kids ready for the day and were getting all the final items packed in the backpack for the day when I realized that I had forgotten to empty my camera's memory card before our trip! I couldn't believe it! On a 4Gb card, I had only a few pictures remaining....and the card holds over 900 pictures!!! We rushed to the nearest Wal*Mart so I could transfer the pictures to CD and here is where the day takes an ugly turn...

Since we were on a very strict schedule, we left the hotel a little early to account for this added trip. In this particular Wal*Mart, the photo center was located in the back. As I raced through the store, I remembered we also forgot to pack umbrellas. Hello dorkus!! We're in Seattle and I forgot to pack umbrellas...yep, I'm a smart one. Oh well, we're at Wal*Mart, we'll pick them up on our way out. Anyway, I go to the Photo center and notice they have 3 different computers for the processing of memory cards. Since we were early, no one else was in line. Great, I thought....wrong!! The first computer stalled and so I went to the next computer...same thing again. When I asked the "associate" for her help, she completely ignored me and told me that it would load in a short while. Five minutes later, nothing! I again tried the original computer I was on since the third was of course out of order. At this point, the wonderfully helpful and every-so courteous "associate" stated she needed to reboot the system. I figured no big deal, we'll just buy the umbrellas and wait the two minutes or so for the system to load...yeah, not so much. She said it could be 20 minutes or so!! I kept wanting to look at her and say, "LISTEN HERE LADY!!! I AM ON A STRICT SCHEDULE! COULD YOU PLEASE QUIT STARING AT YOUR PHONE AND HELP ME!!!!" but, I managed to keep "some" composure. I was very displeased. Long story short, we left without processing the pictures...oh, but we did manage to get two umbrellas...so I guess the trip was not for not.

During the trip to the Space Needle, Brad tried to calm me down as I stared at my camera screen, risking car-sickness, to delete pictures I think I could live without. We arrived at the Space Needle, found a great parking spot and were on our way! We breezed ahead of the ticket line thanks again to our City Pass Booklets and made our way to the top of the Space Needle. I had forgotten how fast and crazy the elevator ride was....it was such a rush!!! The kids really enjoyed it as well. We walked around and looked at the sites and of course, had a minor melt down from Jeylin because we weren't purchasing a full-course breakfast at the top however, we did give in and splurged for a Starbucks coffee, two waters, a yogurt and a cinnamon roll. They were all deliciously expensive but oh well, we're on vacation right?? Which reminds me, we also got souvenirs from the gift shop too. Here are a couple pictures from Trip #1 to the top of the Needle...

The Space Needle

(Sorry for the weirdness of this picture...I was taking it from inside while they were outside)

I love it when nice people offer to take your family picture...oh and you don't have to worry about them running off with your $1000 camera because really, where could they possibly go??

Next on the agenda was a stop at the Pacific Science Center where we would once again be meeting up with Sam & Amy. First on the PSC agenda was a 3-D Imax experience called Underwater or something to that effect. It was all about fish and such stuff. Highly educational and also incredibly neat to see. It was the first 3-D experience for the kids and it was hilarious to watch them try to grab the images coming at them. Kierra kept the glasses on for a short while but then eventually just sat there and watched the blurry screen without them.

After the show, we actually only met up with Sam since Amy and her family went to see the same Imax showing after us. The six of us toured the remainder of the PSC. It was so much fun to watch the looks on the kids' faces as they saw the dinosaur replicas and all the fun hands-on exhibits. They really enjoyed their time here. Here are the three of them sitting in a dinosaur footprint and a stone Triceratops at the entrance of the PSC...

Leg #3 of the busy journey took us to the Piers... but first to the Tram. We took it from the base of the Space Needle to a shopping mall a couple blogs above Pike Place Market. The kids enjoyed it so much! At the mall, we decided to stop for some lunch and once again, much to Jordyn's dismay, we had budgeted for fast food. I guess all mall food is generally fast food but in our case, we hit the McDonald's. It seemed to be processing the customer's the fastest so that was our choice. We ate and then headed to the ground level to walk the remaining distance to the Piers. We were spending the remainder of our day down there visiting the Seattle Aquarium, taking an Argosy Harbor Tour and eating at the infamous Crab Pot restaurant (to be featured in the following post). The Aquarium proved to be very interesting and fun for the kids. It was so fun to see their reactions to everything.

Can anyone say "Chocolate milkshake???" (Deuce Bigelow)

Hey look, it's Dori...a little fuzzy but still her :)

Don't "wook" at me :)

Jordyn & Jeylin posing in front of the otter pen

The scuba diving fish feeder was posing for the camera as well

A giant starfish

After the Aquarium, we headed for our Argosy Harbor tour. This was something that we had planned on leaving out of the itinerary if we had started to run behind. I am so glad however that we didn't do that because it was a very relaxing and beautiful trip. While waiting to board, we checked out a nearby t-shirt shop, purchased a couple more souvenirs and then noticed that Kierra had fallen asleep in her stroller. She managed to sleep through 1/2 of the tour too. It was very interesting to learn facts about the city of Seattle and to see things around the Harbor that we would not normally see.

Jordyn & Jeylin posing with the giant penguin at the T-shirt shop

The tour before us making it's way back to the dock

4 of the 5 of us on the cruise....Kierra was still sleeping ever-so-soundly

(and once again, where was the guy gonna go that offered to take this picture)

A view of the Space Needle

Little Miss Kierra decided to wake up and take in a bit of the scenery

Part 2...The Crab Pot to come....