So as we were flying from Los Angeles to Seattle Chase looks out the window of the plane and asks, "So that bump in the wing...that's where they keep the bombs and the machine guns?"
Tiffany and I looked at her... "What?"
"That's where the airplane keeps the bombs and the machine guns, right?"
Apparently, Chase thought that every plane that flew in the air was armed to the teeth and ready for bomb dropping and war. After we explained to her that no... most planes are not armed and that those bumps were merely part of the plane that helped it fly... she seemed disappointed. BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE FUN TO LOOK FORWARD TO!
Seattle is just phase one of "Funathon 3000, 2010." Phase Two is a cruise to Alaska. But that's for later...
We landed in Seattle in the early afternoon, traveling with our Aunt Debby, who is the world's number 1 fan of the city of Seattle. After we situated ourselves in the hotel, we immediately tackled the Space Needle for a little nighttime city viewing. Damn, Seattle is beautiful.
The next day, we went right back! (We had a nifty coupon) to see what Seattle looks like so high up...during the day. Is it me or is Seattle brighter during the day than at night? Anyhoodle, we then shadooped over to the very nearby Music Experience and the Scifi museum. Now I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one who got anything out of these two places. And both of them tapped into deep wells that hold most things that I love. On exhibit at the music experience- oh nothing, just JIMMY HENDRIX'S GUITARS AND NOTES AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE JIMMY HENDRIX. After I finished hyper-ventilating and slapping myself, I tried to explain Hendrix's importance in music history to the girls. After all this passionate explaining I asked Charlie, "Do you think you get who he is?" Charlie responded with, "Not really." Oh well, one day... one day. Rest assured...one day.
Right in the same sweeping super structure that holds the music experience (that is very reminiscent of the Disney Hall in Los Angeles) we hit the Scifi Museum and Hall of Fame. Let me tell you..."Nerd Nerd Nerd...Nerd is the Word." Everything you'd ever want to see... original prints of MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE... Planet of the Apes props. Robots. Vintage ray gun toys. Star Wars Toys. The kids were more into this, but nowhere near as much as me. There were a few times I turned to Tiffany to exclaim, "OH MY GOD THIS IS THE ORIGINAL (fill in the nerdy blank) and most of the time I'd just see her shaking her head at me. Oh well, again.
After I was finished nerding out we went to the Kids Science Center and GUESS WHAT? They had the wax souvenir mold machines that the Los Angeles Zoo used to have. This made me extremely happy- as I had recently taken the girls to the zoo with grandiose stories of waxy goodness...only to find out the the zoo had become the enemy of fun and gotten rid of all of them. But the Kids Science Center had them.
While at the Science Center we also caught a LASER show! That's right. But that's not all... a laser show to BEATLES MUSIC. So Hendrix Guitars...then Scifi Museum...then wax machines...then a laser show to the Beatles! You'd think it was almost my birthday and not Charlie's.
Chase did fall asleep while lying on the floor of the laser dome. I did for a minute, too. Charlie was kind enough to wake me up with a "DAD, YOU'RE SNORING!" I honestly think it was just too much fun for my brain to handle all in one day. But I remained awake for the rest of it. It was awesome to be lying on the floor, watching lasers zip and zag and waggle with my two girls, even if one of them was asleep.
Today we hit the Seattle Aquarium, did a harbor tour, tackled Elliot's Oysters (YES.) and then meandered to Pioneer Square that had the coolest toy store in the world called MAGIC MOUSE TOYS. So much fun.
And if that wasn't enough Aunt Debby brought us to a shop called "Ye Old Curiosity Shop" that had real shrunken heads and two mummified bodies- one of which was found in the Arizona desert from the late 1800s...found naked with a bullet hole in his stomach. But the place also sold fudge.
Aunt Debby was kind enough to buy some Mexican Jumping Beans for the girls, which are still delighting them with every little spasm and jerk they make. Now, however, Charlie has discovered that they are indeed larvae inside of a seed shell...and she's growing concerned for their well being. It's funny that as a parent you spend so much time teaching your kids to be sensitive and gentle with the creatures of the world...but there's always some point, with some creature, that you end up saying, "Listen, it's just a damned bug. Enjoy it, then throw it away when it stops wiggling." Okay....not that harsh...but nearly. Heh heh.
Being in Seattle with Aunt Debby has been very special. I know the girls have cherished every moment of it, and Tiffany and I have, too. We don't get to vacation that much with family- especially on my side...so this has been a very special memory for all of us.
You know what else has been memorable? All the food. Every meal we've had but the lunch at Elliott's has been us just stumbling into restaurants serendipitously, and eat one has been better than the next. This leaves me to think that Seattle just doesn't have many bad restaurants. Either that or we just have very lucky gastrointestinal organs!
Well, tomorrow we leave on Carnival Cruises for Alaska, and say goodbye to Aunt Debby, who will be hanging out in Seattle for a few more days. It was fun. It was too brief. Seattle, we shall return.
Here is a video on youtube of our seattle visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W64w3UCZcWs
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