Annie Family Time and Fiona

Since Fiona had been born in April, this was the first long stretch of time we were able to spend with her. Annie had flown out for a quick overnight stay to meet her at just a couple of weeks old, but five months in and things had changed quite a bit! We loved getting to play with the little lemon, watching her explore her new world, enraptured by lights and leaves. We ended up as a very proud aunty and uncle and are loving the brave curiosity with which she approaches her existence. We are looking forward to more time when the crew comes to visit us in Breckenridge (just a few weeks away!).

Annie and Catherine were able to get out for a couple of girls’ nights, one just the two of them and one with Catherine’s local crew (Lacey, Rachel, Jenny, Holland)–her first full gal outing since Fiona was born! Drinks were had, information was overshared, and fond memories were made.

We also loved being able to join in on some of the Ross family traditions with them. Ian has most of his extended family in the area, and we were able to get some fun time in with his mom, Leslie. A spunky, down to earth adventurer, she brings ease and openness into every interaction. We are always thrilled to have time with her. 

Lastly, we were able to tag along to one of the Barich (Ian’s family) get-togethers in Edmonds, Washington. About a 45 minute drive from our place in the heart of the city. We spend some wonderful time chatting with the cousins, aunts and uncles of Ian, and doting over Fiona as the centerpiece once she arrived. We also were able to take advantage of the location and stop into Kuzman’s fish market (IYKYK) and some Bibimbap in Lynnewood (see previous). 

Ballard Locks

The Ballard Locks was a great walking trip with the pups. There were many different viewpoints, from railings right alongside the ships, to under the surface, with viewing windows and a bonafide salmon ladder. We got to see salmon run as they worked their way inland from the Pacific. The harbor seals and sea lions lay in wait for the fish and we saw some massacres as they breached the surface and left a bloody churn of waves in their wake. Not for the faint of heart!

Whidbey Island

We joked throughout the trip as every time Annie visits Seattle, she can’t avoid a trip to Bainbridge. It turns out this was the first time she managed to do so. Instead, we took a cruise out to Whidbey, riding the ferry (another favorite dog activity) and exploring. There were tons of little shops, craft stores, sandwich shops, coffee shops, etc. It felt very laid back and made for a good casual cruise. We got a nice little hike in with cliffside views and PNW terrain. Annie still has dreams of the vegan breakfast sandwich she found there. I was able to get some amazing seafood tacos last minute as I had less luck finding a GF breakfast sandwich on the way in. As we drove back to the ferry we were able to catch some stunning sunset views. We were cutting it close but ended up with a mantra - miss the ferry, catch the sunset. Maybe a new country hit?

Ballard.

One of our favorite parts of the trip was just our little Ballard BnB. The location was pretty ideal. We had space away from the street due to the size of the yard/lot. We were off the main street and didn’t see too much activity, but we were very easily within walking distance of nice restaurants, bars, grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and essentially anything we’d need. We definitely took advantage of this to work remote from coffee shops, get a haircut, or go for a snack/walk break.

We also had a memorable night going for a bar crawl and hitting up some of the well known breweries in the area in the brewery district during Oktoberfest season.

However, in terms of neighborhood outings, nothing beat the weekly Ballard Farmer’s Market, with vendors galore-from vegan treats to flowers to produce and all kinds of fare, it was a sensory delight for both humans and dogs.

It may be a pretty standard city experience, but we did love having the option to avoid driving and stretch our legs, popping out to little cafes right from our front door. We also loved having colorful neighbors, such as the nosy elderly lady who also walked straight down the middle of a drug deal. As Annie likes to say, “culture.” 

Sailing Date Night

So we're in Seattle and, as you do, you have to get out in the bay somehow. We thought sailing would be appropriate. We wrapped up work on a Friday and rushed out to grab our boat. The clouds were gathering however and the rain started to spit. We lined up for our tour and watched as a huge group was drinking beers from a large cooler they had carried. We were sure if they were coming or going. The rain continued to increase and it seems the group was bailing on the sailing trip. We got on the boat and we nearly had it to ourselves. Fortunately that gave us lots of extra space to spread out and we got underway. Unfortunately, as soon as we took off we heard the sailing crew chatting – 0 knots they said. In spite of the weather, wind was not part of it. This meant, no sailing. 

That didn’t kill the vibe however. The clouds eventually peeled back and we had a quiet cruise with great views of the skyline, harbor seals playing along the rocks, and clinking glasses as we enjoyed our charcuterie and champagne anniversary picnic.

As we got back to the dock, we ended the evening by grabbing some amazing tiki drinks at Navy Strength.

Social Distortion

Another fun anecdote. With baby Fiona now joining the family, Catherine and Ian’s concert plans were slightly disrupted. I ended up accepting an extra ticket (Catherine’s) to see Social Distortion with Ian at the Show Box. I had maybe heard one of their popular songs in the past, but I was not very familiar with their tracks. As I met up with Ian, the bar was practically handing out drinks and we couldn’t refuse. The show was great. The music felt appropriate, like what I’d listen to while working the docks, slinging halibut onto the ice and waiting to clock out, get a round, and maybe another tattoo.

When I woke up the next morning, I think I still heard their music, or some ringing in my ears:

Turn around
They'll try to keep you down
Turn around
Turn around
Don't drag me down

Grant’s Local Crew

While in town, we were also grateful to be able to see some local friends and folks. I was able to visit one of my OG home boys, Dustin, seeing his great house and getting out for tiki drinks at Inside Passage (a bit pricey but highly recommended). We also swung by for Lady Yum macarons which is increasingly a go-to dessert for me (do they ship?). We barely missed being able to see the Amazon Spheres, but we’ll save that one for our next visit (along with Chihuly–how did we miss these?!)

I popped out for a lunch with local product managers, peers of mine at GitLab. That was my first time out to the UW area and would say - parking is not great, but the shopping area was. I brought back some gluten free and vegan cookies and the acclaimed “handcrafted” Rachel’s Ginger Beer.

We had a super nice hike, dinner and brews with coworker Jocelyn and her boyfriend at Snoqualmie Falls. 

We were able to catch up with Lacy (Grant’s cousin), her husband Phil and their two children in Snoqualmie, visiting the local distillery Westland and some pizza for lunch. Another day, we made it out to a wonderful dinner with coworker Sarah and her husband, Chris, at Ciudad. Great tapas, cocktails, and conversation as we learned about Chris’ new product plans for Safe House.

The Views

Washington is well known for its natural beauty, lush with greenery, the Cascade Mountain Range and Pacific beaches. We were determined to explore as much of it as we could, while still taking in the city. Our first stop to do so was Kerry Park, the best views in Seattle. The skyline views here are unmatched, particularly when Mt. Rainier is “out.” 

We also took advantage of our jumping off point to explore some of the Cascades, with a nice Sunday spent driving a scenic byway for most of the day (and getting through some sort of cold). During the day mostly spent on the road, we made some pit stops for photos at Diablo Lake and got some stunning shots of Ross Dam along the way. Grant skipped rocks at the lake and attempted to lift Copper in his exuberance. We’ll let you figure out which one was more successful. 

We also explored as many parks as we could, although we did skip Discovery Park, the largest park in Seattle. Since Catherine and Ian live so close, we had already been several times, and wanted to explore new dimensions. We saw paragliders at Gas Works Park, stopped at the dog park at Woodland Park, and took a leisurely stroll through the Rose Garden before passing through the Sensory Garden.

One last note on the views: a couple of weeks in, a season began. What is locally referred to as "spider season," spiders were popping up around every corner. It was equal parts terrifying and fascinating.

Starbucks and Space Needle

It goes without saying, you can’t visit Seattle without the most touristy of touristy days. So yes, we did it. We went to the original Starbucks, the Reserve Roastery. We had perhaps the best espresso martinis we’ve ever had - a trio of martinis with different flavors including orange, classic w/ a lemon wedge, and mexican chocolate.

Following martinis, we got as quickly as we could to the Space Needle for our ticket time. We planned to do the needle at sunset, then Chihuly at night. Our planning was not ideal. In spite of the time for our ticket, there was a huge line and wait to go up. We waited forever and accepted that we would not make sunset, nor would we make Chihuly. As we got up to the top, the space was packed and there was an equally long line to return back down. I was also met with the surprise that almost all of the flooring was completely see-through glass that had an effect of paralysis when attempting to walk across it. While I enjoy sliding down some steep snow-covered mountains, looking in between my toes at a 600 foot drop does not do much for me. Annie must not have appreciated the finer details of this architectural achievement and therefore (somehow) did not experience the paralysis effect.

The Roads

Ok, so. Here’s the thing about Seattle drivers. They are actually very polite and well-equipped. However. The roads. There are stop signs at intersections with stop lights (when do you have the right of way??). There are stop signs at every block (safer than not but maybe just pick a direction?). . There are steep, steep hills (make sure your tires have traction and Lord help you if it’s icy or wet). The roads are narrow, trafficky at times (only one shall pass at a time), and often lacking a grid layout or obvious rules of the road. The five way intersection requires a PhD level of calculus to determine whose turn it is. Sneaky highway entrances without any signage...I suppose it hones the driving skills? Drivers are great, planners….we have some notes. 

A few more outings:

• Seattle Kraken: Loved watching the Kraken display as the game starts with the effect of the Kraken surfacing through the ice.... RELEASE THE KRACKEN!!!
• Kasey Musgraves: Amazing production value and an incredible show, but Annie feels she’s lost her roots. However, wonderful time with Catherine and Ian--the longest amount of time they'd both been away from Fiona at that point! She was in good hands with Gigi (Ian's mom).
• Fly Fishing at Middle Fork: Ian and I joined up for a guided trip on the Snoqualmie, scoring a few rainbows and somehow avoiding splitting our heads open on the slippiest of rocks.
• Live Love Spa: Annie got to get in some business while in Seattle, attending a local spa industry conference. She ended up winning a laser device, and gathering great local market insights. Every experience builds on the next on this wild ride. 
• Din Tai Fung Returns: While visiting just after Fiona’s birth, Annie was delighted to discover that the LA dim sum spot (with excellent vegan options) had additional locations, including a couple in Seattle. She was counting down the days until she was able to visit again, and it did not disappoint. 

An update on Copper toes

If you’ve been following along, in Bend, Copper rubbed his nose into a pulp, like a shredded pencil eraser. He lost 10 pounds from his 4-a-day sniff workouts. But also, he seemed to have split his toenail. Things were not improving (even after several epsom baths and wraps), so it was time to take him in for a deeper exam. We found an amazing vet in Seattle who gave him such great care and were very sympathetic and thoughtful to our experience (getting pet care while on the road).

It’s here in Seattle we learned Copper had squamous cell carcinoma in the toe. He got a biopsy and we learned that fortunately the cancer was contained to his toe. But it explained how his toenail split and just not healing. The vet in Seattle tried to line us up with a surgery but it didn’t pan out as there was risk to have him healing on the drive to Montana. In the meantime, we began our fated dance with trying to keep him away from his toes – from stacking a donut onto a flexible cone to graduating to a sturdy XL length unit. So for poor Copper, his story picks up again in Columbia Falls, MT (with a happy outcome).

Leavenworth

Somehow, we ended up in Leavenworth (a Bavarian-style village) as we were heading from Seattle to Montana…. during Oktoberfest. What a cool place and fortuitous timing for us.  We loved the Bavarian theme, the mountains with trees turning golden. We made a few friends over pints of Oktoberfest brews, had some great brats, the dogs found ground snacks a-plenty and we tried to steer Copper away from the horse drawn carriages for everyone’s sake.

As a fun aside, as we were leaving the area the next morning from Wenatchee, we felt like we had entered a time/space continuum, with the Sav-Mart store across the street looking like something from the Jetsons era of the 1960’s.

Holy smokes. I don’t know how we packed in so much. Next up - Columbia Falls, MT!

**notes in Italics are Catherine voiceovers

More pics

We ran out of room--here are the rest!