Above all else, the mountains are definitely a huge favorite. I now know what people mean when they say, eastern US doesn’t have mountains—they have hills. I don’t think I will ever get tired of seeing Mt. Rainier especially. It is HUGE! In the winter it looks more like a bell than it does in the summer. In the summer, while still snow covered you can really see the details of it. The Olympics and Cascades are beautiful too. My favorite is when the clouds mimic the peaks of the mountains and sit right above them. It looks like the mountains are stacked. My other favorite view is when the clouds are low and it is clear enough that you can see above them, and then it looks like the mountains are floating in the clouds.

Another very special experience are the bald eagles. About the time we arrived, a nesting pair moved in and we have seen them everywhere. The one day I was driving across 520 and one flew eye level with me the entire way. I was able to see in his eyes, the details of his beak and face—VERY beautiful. Every time we mention the bald eagles, people are amazed that we have seen them so often or so many eagles because they themselves never have. Speaking of wild life, not only can you see bald eagles, but any number of hawks, snow owls, cougars, cranes, and Sasquatch! Yes Sasquatch is real.

Oh can you believe I just wrote over 2,400 words and didn’t talk about coffee once? What is wrong with me! Yes coffee is on every corner, but surprisingly it is not all Starbucks. My personal favorite is Café Vita. Any place that is worthwhile serves it. It is worth the price! We were walking along the pier today and Randy goes “You know you are in Seattle when you see an eight year old walking around drinking coffee and you don’t think anything of it.” I didn’t even notice that there was anything odd about that.

So I talked all about Seattle, its nuances and my experiences but I still have to tell how we spent the day celebrating and a little personal stuff and a little business stuff. We turned the whole weekend into a celebration. Pup and kitties got steak and bacon. Pup was even given the bone from the steak, which now is the whitest white possible. Randy and I went out for breakfast. I know that doesn’t sound all that exciting, but you have to take into account that we are not morning people. Randy and I making it to a restaurant while they still serve breakfast is quite an accomplishment for us. Coastal Kitchen on Capitol Hill is amazing! I highly recommend it. Yes they serve Café Vita coffee and they are known for their coffee cake, so make sure you order some. They will bring you a HUGE piece. It is unlike any other coffee cake and is amazing—let me know if you can find the recipe, I would LOVE to have it. After that we went to Pike Market, and then walked along the pier. A day celebrating our arrival we were able to experience all of our favorite things, breakfast, great coffee, seeing two bald eagles, Pike Market, a wonderful view of Mt. Rainier and nice walk—you couldn’t ask for a better day!

Since this turned out longer than expected I think I will save the personal growth and business stuff for another post. Have a great evening and thank you for sharing this special day with me!

Check out the rest of this series here:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Part 4  | Part 5