Grape-leaves, flowers and beers! Oh My!

Silverdale, the best of both worlds:

1) smallish town feel, two car garage, no traffic and everything I need within a few minutes

2) including Seattle.


This Saturday was our first trip out to the big city since we moved here - and we had a wonderful day.

We took the ferry from Bainbridge Island and got to Seattle just in time for lunch. We stopped at McCormick & Schmick's (come to find out its a rather famous place) and got ourselves some of the most amazing food I've had in a while. We ordered two Sisters Point Oysters, two jumbo prawns and a Poor Boy Oyster sandwich - an amazing experience. The oysters were fresh and sweet (including the ones on the Poor Boy), with no grit or "chew" and the prawns were cooked and chilled perfectly. I highly recommend going there, and for the best prices, go for lunch.

Since this was Chad and my second time to Seattle, we were able to just putts around the city. We did a little shopping, we did a little sight-seeing, we did a lot of eating and we went to the Seattle Aquarium. The shopping in and around Pike's Market is pretty wonderful - no matter what you are looking for, you will find it, especially if it is a hoity-toity item - LIKE GRAPE LEAVES!!! I finally found them. We also stumbled across a Mexican market that sold every dried chili pepper and condiment I'd been looking for.


Basically we stayed around the market - hit up the The Pike Brewing Company, bought some flowers and enjoyed some free music on the streets.

Necessary local "need know":

There are three ways to get to Seattle from here. You can drive, go south to Tacoma then north up to Seattle. Takes about 2 hours and you have to deal with your car. Or there is the ferry - the much better, much more convenient route. The ferry leaves from two places here: Bainbridge Island or Bremerton. From Silverdale, to Bainbridge its a 30 minute drive to the terminal and a 30 minute ferry ride, whereas from Bremerton its a 20 drive but an hour on the ferry. The ferry is great - you just walk on and walk off in downtown Seattle. Either way you go its only $6.75 round trip, and you only pay on your way back. (There is also a fee driving, to get to Tacoma there is a toll bridge, about $3 to cross, and if you really need your car you can take it on the ferry with you).