As promised, the long overdue Seattle posting...

I'm so sorry that I've been making you all wait for so long to hear about Seattle. Life's been a little crazy with moving into my new apartment, and school starting up again.

Seattle was a very nice trip, it wasn't one of my favorite places that I've been to, but all the same it was fun to go somewhere new. My family and I travelled with some of our long-time friends, the Albares', so that was exciting. Nancy and Paul Albares used to live out in Seattle so we kind of had some insider tips on where to go and what to see.

Let's see, where do I begin.

Well, there were a few highlights: Orcas Island; Vancouver; and downtown Seattle.

Orcas Island

Orcas Island was a very beautiful place. This is a hiker's paradise people, so if that's what you're interested in doing, go there. We spent the night in Anacortes which is just about a

90-minute drive outside of Seattle. We took the ferry to Orcas Island the next day. The Ferry cost $12.15 for adults and $9.75 for people under 18.

My parents had rented a car which we took around the island and used for sight-seeing. I highly recommend going up to Mount Constitution and checking out the view from the top of the tower there, especially if you are blessed enough to have a sunny day.

Here is a picture of what I saw that day:

San Juan Islands through a window in the tower

I would also recommend that you hike the trails to the waterfalls. As we were short on time we only saw Cascade Falls which is pictured below.

After our reservation in Anacortes ran out we took a short day-trip to Vancouver, Canada. It is a very beautiful city as the following photos show you:

This is Gastown

This is the waterfront

This is downtown

and this is the Olympic torch

We drove back to Seattle and we went sight-seeing downtown on our second to last day there. We saw everything, Pike's Market, the Gum Wall and of course the Space Needle.

The Must-See

Pike's Market is a must-see. It's a combination of a huge Farmer's Market and a bit of a tourist trap with all kinds of little souvenir shops to buy trinkets in. You can find everything from fresh fish to flowers and sweatshirts here and everything moves to it's own soundtrack of the street-performers, and the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

The Gum Wall

The gum wall is exactly that; a wall of gum...it's a tourist thing and it's really gross. What you do is chew some gum and put it on the wall. This is the end result:

Word to the wise: watch where you're walking or else every second step you take will be sticking to the ground for the rest of the day.

Last but not least: the famous Space Needle

We lucked out and got to go up it for free because a contact solution company was covering the cost of admission for the day. We had epic timing as we got to the top of the tower just as the sun was setting over the city. The line was very long but the view was well worth it.

And that is my Seattle trip in a nutshell!

Until next time,

Avery

I've been trying to find this for awhile

I'm big into quotes. After life-forming experiences I usually find something that can express my thoughts much better than I can ever express them myself. Words usually never fail me but during these times of reflection I find myself beyond words. The only word I have found to describe my experience in Spain has been "Amazing!" but that doesn't seem to suffice.

I found this on a friend's facebook profile, it's from a book that I have yet to read but it sums up what I've learned from Spain much better than I ever could put into words.

"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye, and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world, but a world lives in you." -Fredrick Buechner (from 'The Shack')

"because we do not just live in a world but a world lives in us."

How amazing is that?

Keep an eye out for updates: my family and I are heading out on our annual road trip on Aug. 8th. This year's destination: Seattle, Washington with possible stops in Oregon and a day in Vancouver. I'll update when I can.

Until Next Time,
Avery