A week ago Wren and I headed to Seattle to visit my sister Katie for a few days. We decided to have a little girls weekend out West while the boys had a boys weekend in Minneapolis.
With a flurry of emotions, I had booked our flights a month or so earlier. There was the nagging feeling that Wren (& I) needed to get her 1st airplane trip under our belt. I was craving a little girl time with her and a visit with my sister. But I also had little FOMO (fear of missing out) about not staying back with the boys for their weekend. And a bit of uneasiness because our entire family wasn't traveling together for this trip - it was the 1st time we've separated for travel.
Max, Otto & Wren before she and I headed into the airport
Me & Wren heading into the airport
Once upon a time I would have never taken the time to get a photo of me outside the airport, ready to make my way through Security. But there we were again, another momentous last first milestone - ready to make my way through the airport for my last, first airplane ride with one of my babies.
At Security I took Wren out of the stroller and learned she had already leaked through the cozy long johns I had picked out for her to wear on the flight. Perhaps the biggest difference between flying for business and flying with a family is the difference in lead-times I allow myself. When I used to travel frequently for work I'd show up 45-59 minutes before my flight was departing, during peak travel times. Now, I give myself a full two hours during off-hours. So, no problem. We found a bathroom, got her cleaned up and changed. And still had time to walk the terminals and get food. Which brings me to the next major difference between business travel and family travel.
$4.80. The price of one banana and a muffin at French Meadow. Which I never realized was exorbitant (or that I'm super cheap), until now. I love that MSP has a French Meadow in it, but I'll probably stick to packing my own snacks from now on for personal travel.
Proof that she eventually fell asleep...for about 30 minutes
I had hoped that Wren would sleep a long while on the flight out to Seattle, but alas. Although she was relatively happy, she was ACTIVE. Just wanted to move, and so she was "doing circles" in my lap and the open seat next to us. Luckily we had a very chatty lady in our row who was a terrific help in keeping Wren entertained.
We were on the plane a little bit over 4 hours. Wren snoozed for about 30 minutes of it. Here I thought air travel to Seattle was going to be less active than camping (that's what the boys were doing back in Minneapolis). I was wrong. It was just as active, and somehow I got just as sweaty and dirty on the plane as when I'm camping in the woods.
We flew out on a Saturday morning and returned home Tuesday. The forecast for Seattle was typical for this time of year...rain every day. And yet we lucked out with the best weather. Although it rained in the early morning and evenings (nice; made sure I knew I was in Seattle!), it was sunny all during the days while visiting - perfect for outdoor activities and sight-seeing!
Pike Place & The Waterfront
Our first morning in Seattle we headed to Pike Place Market - up so early (along with a couple other people with young kids) that we were there before the stands were set up. We walked the market and started our grazing breakfast...first donuts, and then an assortment of pastries from La Panier. Next time you're there, save your time time, money and calories for this place! So good! I've realized Wren is pretty good at eating solids - if it happens to be a freshly home-made buttery croissant. That's my girl!
After the Market and walking around downtown, we headed to the Waterfront for a ride on Seattle's Great Wheel. A huge ferris wheel on one of the Piers. This was probably the most crabby Wren was on the trip - tired, constipated, teething?, hungry - but constipated. She was making mine and Auntie Katie's heart leap with how active she was inside our capsule high, high above the ground. I wasn't sure if her force could cause the door to open and we sure weren't going to find out, so we worked hard to entertain and distract her.
It was a beautiful day and we could see all of the Cascade mountains and city of Seattle from our ride (it was cloudy off towards Mt Ranier, so we couldn't see that).
It was a beautiful day and we could see all of the Cascade mountains and city of Seattle from our ride (it was cloudy off towards Mt Ranier, so we couldn't see that).
Auntie Katie and Wren on Seattle's Great Wheel
Wren with the Space Needle behind her
Me & Wren
Pumpkin Patch
After a lot of stroller time and ferris wheel time for Wren this 1st day in Seattle, we knew she needed an afternoon activity that would give her freedom to run. Katie suggested The Farm at Swan's Trail and it was perfect.
After some minor mishaps and frustrations (namely nearly running out of gas and Wren SCREAMING from constipation, poor girl), we made it to the Farm with a freshly filled tank of gas and a (not so surprise) present in Wren's diaper.
Wren had a blast picking up gourds and tossing them. Climbing all around the muddy pumpkin patch. Running through the field.
Katie worked hard to keep from belting out "What Would You Say?" because she had a Dave Matthews of Dave Matthews Band sighting while we were there! (He was with his family, whom he lives with in Seattle. He is also a supporter of Farm-Aid, so maybe they're working on a little benefit concert for the future).
The pumpkin patch was pretty cool. They had taken out all of the vines, so just the pumpkins and mud were left.
The Zoo
The Zoo had been recommended to us by a handful of parent-y type people, so we decided to check it out. There was an indoor toddler play area, a carousel and some animals. But the best part about it was the setting. This Zoo is drop-dead gorgeous. It's a lot of walkways under huge, mature trees that were at their peak color. Plenty of reds and oranges mixed in with evergreens. If you're headed to Seattle and luck out with good weather, make sure to head to the Zoo for a stroll - you're in for a treat!
Sadly I didn't get any good pictures of the beautiful surroundings, but I won't forget them.
The Greatest Store on Earth
When in Rome... I am seriously the biggest lover of Costco. My favorite store. I was so excited thinking that maybe Katie would want to take a trip to Costco while I was in Seattle (oh, I guess I should clarify for anyone unaware - Costco is headquartered outside Seattle). I just had to know what was different, better in Seattle at Costco? What did their stores have that Minneapolis doesn't have? We were going to find out!
Our last night there we decided a big salad from Costco, topped with shredded chicken from a big rotisserie at Costco would make a delicious dinner. (It did!).
Wren was the happiest we saw her all trip while in Costco. I seriously cannot make this up. Wren was sleeping when we arrived at Costco. Somehow she stayed asleep when I took her from her carseat and carried her into the store. I just held her until she woke up after a couple minutes of walking in the store. As she woke up, she looked around, got a big smile and started happy babbling. Katie said maybe she thought she was back in Minneapolis. Nope, she just knew she was in Costco and was darn happy about it. Wren was giggling the entire time in Costco and leaning towards Katie to give her hugs (she wasn't giving these up too easily the first day).
Because I know there are a few of my blog readers that love Costco too, here's what Seattle has that Minneapolis is missing:
- Dave's Killer Bread. I am a bread snob. I buy it at the bread shop, not at a grocery store (or Costco, for that matter). But in Seattle they carry Dave's and it truly is killer bread. I carried a loaf home with me to Minneapolis, but it's gone now :(
- Shahale Snacks. Every once in awhile it's nice to mix up my plain nuts. If Costco Mpls carried Shahale I'd buy them. Less than $10 for a huge bag of them.
- Kids Cuddle Duds (unconfirmed). My next trip to Costco Mpls I will be checking to see if they have these in stock. $9.99 for great quality, warm long johns. Wren could have used a pair back at Security in MSP.
- Hawaiian Pizza. Mpls needs to mix up their selection of take 'n bake pizzas. I'm not a 22" pepperoni fan.
- Mongoose IPA. Mpls has Summit EPA. Supporting local breweries, of course, which is nice.
- Gelato. Not in the freezer section, in the Cafe. Note: In Mpls you can pay for your Cafe purchases at check-out on your
AmEx. That's not the case in Seattle. Thankfully I had cash on me to get a quart for dessert.
Oh, and after the 1st twenty minutes of SCREAMING (pooping, again), Wren slept soundly for over 2 hours on our flight home, waking just as we were landing in Minneapolis.
And, come to think of it, I should have picked up a dozen muffins and 3lbs of bananas - all for a mere $4.80 at Costco - for our travel back home to Minneapolis.
No comments:
Post a Comment