Space Needle!

You've seen it a million times - the Seattle skyline, flashing across your TV screen. Tall buildings, piers along the waterfront, then the Space Needle. The only tall - and weird looking - structure on the northern end of the city.

Chad and I have been talking about visiting the Space Needle since we moved here, two years ago. It's iconic Seattle - its one of the things you just HAVE TO DO. So, finally, this past Tuesday, we did! We went up the Space Needle!

There really isn't much to say about it. After walking the 1.8 miles from the ferry to the needle, we paid for our tickets (though its not advertised, they do have a military rate of $2 off), walked over to the elevator, took a 41 second ride to the top and walked around the observation deck. It was a beautiful clear day - so clear that you could see Mt Rainier off in the distance! We did have a bit to eat from the snack bar - a delicious razor clam chowder in a bread bowl - cheap and delicious!

I highly recommend going on a clear day, in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week. There was no line at all when we got there, but you can see the way the place is set up, they are used to having LONG, Disneyland like lines. Also, don't think you're gonna spend a whole day there - or even really an hour. Even with going out on the deck twice, enjoying the sun on a bench, having our soup, reading a few signs and taking a bunch of pictures - I think we were there for maybe 45 minutes. I could have stayed a bit longer but Chad had been bored for a while.

The arrow is pointing to Mt. Rainier :)

Upon returning home, I found out that if you are going up around lunch time, just go to the restaurant. As long as you eat a full meal there, it covers your entrance fee.

Its an iconic Seattle attraction for a reason. The Space Needle is just cool. Totally worth the trip.

Best Birthday Ever!

I was born at 11:34pm on Valentine's Day in 1984. My dad threatened to push me back in if I was a boy. My mom ate dry peanut butter captain crunch throughout her pregnancy and named me Tara after she read it in a book.

And that was the best birthday ever. Until this year.

A birthday that rivals my actual birth - yeah, it was that good.

Don't get me wrong, Chad always does a really good job with my birthday. This year he just had a little help, my friend Ashley. This was their master plan - executed awesomely!

February 10, 2012- Blue C Sushi and 88 Keys

Chad, Ashley, Jerry and I got all dressed up and went out in Seattle! It was gonna be a surprise, but luckily Ashley couldn't keep it quite! I had enough time to buy a new outfit and get totally ready for my first night out in Seattle! First stop Blue C Sushi!

It was so cool! The sushi went around the restaurant on a conveyer belt! We never had to leave the booth or talk to an annoying waiter. The funniest part was when we first got there. Both Chad and Ashley had to go to the bathroom - so just Jerry and I found the table and sat down. I looked to my right, and there it was, the never ending line of sushi slowly passing me by... so I grabbed one... then another... by the time Ash and Chad got back 6 sushi plates ended up on the table!!

We went a little crazy! But it was soooo delicious!!

After dinner we walked (through the CREEPEST part of town) to 88 Keys - a dueling piano bar! Long Island Iced Teas all around! Music, singing, us all singing to the music... except for Chad... apparently he wasn't exposed to music till a VERY late age (he literally didn't know a single song)... it was awesome! After we were there for an hour or so one of the piano guys called me up on stage! They sang me a song, and had me pose for a picture. He told me to call up my husband and kiss him on the cheek for a picture. So I stood there, my lips to his cheek, Chad getting the camera to his eye and BAM! The piano dude turns his head, lips to mine and HE looks surprised!!! HAHA it was SOOO FUNNY!

His bugged out eyes - planned! It was all him!

February 11, 2012- Dancing Brush

Birthday celebration day two! Ashley came and picked me up Saturday morning and we went to Poulsbo for a morning of coffee, pastries and paint your own pottery! We started out at Sluy's and I got the sweetest, gooiest cinnamon roll! Then over to the coffee shop where I introduced Ashley to the German Chocolate - a dark chocolate mocha with almond and coconut flavor! Then to the dancing brush! You get to walk around and pick out your blank slate and they come over and teach you how to make it beautiful!

My new salad bowl!!

February 14, 2012- Day off from work, Happy Birthday to ME!

I got to celebrate my birthday the way I wanted to this year, except for the waking up at 6am with Chad.... but he said if I woke up with him, I would get a present, so there I was, by his side, at 6am - with a beautiful new bracelet!! It has diamonds and amethysts!

Since I was up, I decided to make my cake - German Chocolate! When that was done baking, off to the gym for a group class. After that, quick shower, free Starbucks coffee and off to the mall to get my toes done with Ashley (who happened to be sick that day, and couldn't go to work)! After toes a quick walk around the mall - new earrings - and off to Silver City Brewery for a beer and appitizer! After that a quick trip to the chiropractor, then home. It was then that Chad surprised me with a box of chocolates and a Valentine's Day card! Then Ashley and Kaleb came over, we ate pizza, watched a movie, sang me a song! Then MORE PRESENTS! One from my grandparents, and some make-up from Ash and Chad got me tickets to a show in Seattle!! Perfect night.

New earrings! Birthday look!

Kaleb helped me blow out my candles again this year!

Februrary 15, 2012- Work

My bosses got me flowers for my birthday!!!

February 18, 2012- Cavalia

The show in Seattle that Chad got me tickets to was Cavalia! It was awesome! It is a Cirque du Soleil-esque performance with horses! All male horses - which are apparently harder to train. The show was sooo beautiful. There was this part where a guy was balanceing on a man sized ball and a white stallion was walking around him, nudging him, almost making him fall off. They just went around and around, playing and cuddling. Another part, Chad's favorite, involved horses running across the stage, each with a stunt rider on its back... or side... or hanging off by a their feet... or bouncing up and over them... it was a western themed thing, with the finale being a miniature horse chasing a man across the stage!

My love!

Well, what did I tell you? Best birthday ever huh?! Thank you Chad and Ashley SOOO much!! Year 28 is going to be the best one yet!

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).