We had booked a one night stay in Seattle that was meant to celebrate the end of Jason’s chemo treatment and get away as a family. Instead, he was hospitalized for 12 days and we were left wondering if he’d even be able to go, if we’d need to cancel, or if it would be a girls only trip with my Mom and sister going too. Thankfully, Jason was given the okay to go but we knew it would be a very different trip than planned. Plus, we had no idea it was going to be so blustery in Seattle.
FIRST STOP, GOING TO THE ZOO
We wanted to head to the Woodland Park Zoo as it has been over a year since we last went. After checking the weather reports we realized that it would be best to go the same day we drove down instead of waiting until the next day. It was supposed to get cold and wet. My mom made the very smart call and I’m so glad she did because we had some sunshine while there.
It normally takes us at least 4 hours to get through the whole zoo. This time we did not pack a stroller for the girls, but we also knew Jason would not be able to walk the whole thing without becoming exhausted. Thankfully we were able to rent a double stroller and a personal electric cart. This made a huge difference and was completely worth the rental fee, even with the exchange rate.
The highlight for the girls is always going on the carousel. Evie was also over the moon about getting to see another red panda and showing her stuffie its friend. I am also incredibly thankful that my Mom and sister were with us and more than willing to help with the girls.
WE HAD NEVER BEEN TO TRADER JOE’S BEFORE
So, I made a huge mistake. A major error. I really should have asked everyone, before going, what their favourite items from Trader Joe’s are. You see, we had never been to Trader Joe’s Before and there was one not far from the place we had rented to stay. Thankfully, we found just what we needed for dinner and breakfast. I do wish that I had tried some fun things, or brought some Trader Joe’s must items back home. If you have been to Trader Joe’s, what are you must get items? I need to be more prepared for next time!
After being at the zoo for over 5 hours, we were all pretty tired and just wanted dinner and to relax. The girls had macaroni and blueberries and the rest of us had a yummy chicken dinner. The place we stayed at was not far from the zoo and had 3 bedrooms with a bonus of the one room being downstairs. You better believe we stayed down there to hopefully let me Mom and sister get a peaceful nights sleep in case the girls were up all night.
A CHANGE OF PLANS THANKS TO THE WEATHER
We had hoped to go into Seattle more and check out downtown. We really wanted to go to the market, find the gum wall, see the first Starbucks and so much more. Unfortunately, we had to make a change of plans thanks to the weather. It was very windy, and damp out. It just chilled you to the core. It just wasn’t going to work with how Jason was doing, plus the girls would have been very grumpy. Instead, we went on a mission to find donuts for breakfast!
Thankfully, a friend of ours had recommended Mighty-O Donuts, so we went on a mission to find it. My sister actually searched it out on Google maps first and discovered that there was a boat parked on the street next door which just added to the reason we wanted to go there.
The donuts were amazing and we were surprised to learn that they are egg and dairy free! If you go, try the chocolate peanut butter and french toast. We also really enjoyed the special they had when we were there, which was raspberry lemonade.
This little getaway to Seattle was a bit of a pick-me-up that we all needed. It would have been nice to have had nicer weather, but it just means we need to go back again soon. So, if you have any recommendations for places we should check out next time please let me know! We are always looking for great places to eat, have coffee, or that will be fun for the kids to play at.
Evie + Addie’s shirts and toques are both from Whistle & Flute.
We love the Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett. We all have a great time there. We also love the area by Green Lake Park such neat little shops and coffee spots there. And our favourite photo op and view of the Space Needle and city is at Kerry Park in Queen Anne neighbourhood. It is like looking at a postcard and perfect family photos with the space needle in the background. It’s a must see when we go. Stunning.