May 28, 2009 at 8:27 pm · by andyman1080 · filed under lighthouses, trips
On Memorial Day Shaya and I rode the Washington State Ferry out to the island of San Juan so I could check two more lighthouses off my list!
First we drove out to the west side of the island to visit the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, named for the nearby kiln built in the 1860’s. Unfortunately we didn’t spot any whales while we were there but I’m told they are quite a common sight in the Haro Straight.
After checking out the lighthouse we trekked down to the kiln where I enjoyed the amazing views and Shaya poked around in the tide pools. On the way back to the car we spotted this sign that had been nearly consumed by a tree!
After a nice outdoor lunch in Friday Harbor we set off for the southern tip of the island, Cattle Point. As described on Lighthousefriends.com, “cattle appeared at the point in 1853 when the Hudson’s Bay Company established a ranch on the southern end of the island, populating it with sheep and cattle” and thus was born the name. Access to the lighthouse was via a quarter mile beach walk. We happened to be there during a lower tide so Shaya delighted in scouring the tide pools for small creatures.
The lighthouse itself wasn’t much to look at but the panoramic views were spectacular. While we were there we saw two whale-watching tours heading out to sea. We’ll be sure to try that next time!
Putting the finishing touch on an already great day, we saw a small red fox wandering along the road on our way back from Cattle Point and going above and beyond her duties as co-driver, Shaya got a 30 second video of it.
May 27, 2009 at 8:46 pm · by shayajoon · filed under trips
As part of our Memorial Day weekend, Andy took this lucky lady on a day trip to the beautiful city of Victoria, BC. After a long, lazy ferry ride that included machine-made beverages,
…a tour of a Scottish castle (at least, the owner who built it modeled it after one in the 1800’s)
…and the hunt for the best made latte in Victoria (side story: Andy did some research and found that an award-winning Canadian barista had opened his own cafe in the downtown area. With great expectations of a really good cup of coffee, we went in to find that although the super-barista himself was working, he was training two new, incredibly clueless employees who were the ones that made our drinks. And they weren’t very good unfortunately.),
…we finally made it to the ‘crown jewel’ of our little day trip, tea at the historic Empress Hotel!
After we were seated in the lavishly decorated dining room (and the host draped our napkins on our laps after holding out the chairs), a very well-trained and polite tea attendant came and took our order. Andy and I chose the signature Empress Blend for our tea, which happened to be a nice, mild, fragrant black tea much like an earl grey (don’t put your faith in me, though, because I really am not a tea expert).
First, a little goblet of mixed fruit was served to each of us as an appetizer. Soon, our food came out on it’s pretty silver tray. **Before I continue the review, I’d just like to say how disappointed I was not to be able to modify anything on the menu. What you see was what you got, and I really wish i could have had more of a choice in what was served, as entitled as that sounds. I was, of course, ready to let the supposed experts at the Empress impress me as they saw fit.
Anyway,
…looks good doesn’t it? Here’s the menu, and I’ll review in italics as I list:
Bottom tray–
Sandwiches:
Smoked Salmon Pinwheel ~ moderately tasty, nothing special
Mango and Curried Chicken ~ andy doesn’t like curry, but they were good.
Carrot and Ginger (cream cheese) ~ mmm actually good.
Cucumber with light Horseradish Mayonnaise ~ love cucumber sandwiches!!
Multigrain Crostini topped with mixed Mushroom Pate, drizzled with
Truffle Oil (open-faced) ~ the last thing I’d ever eat but andy was RAVING about these.
Middle Tray–
Warm Raisin Scones served with Strawberry preserves and Devonshire Cream ~ thumbs down for the raisin scones, they were bland and I really don’t like the raisins, but the preserves and the cream were both fantastic!!
Top Tray–
Pastries
Battenburg-Vanilla and Chocolate Sponge Checkerboard wrapped in
marzipan ~ bleckh.
Chocolate Cake-Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Butter cream, topped with
Ganache ~ not bad.
Lemon Tart- Lemon Curd with Berry Garnish ~ mediocre
Shortbread- Earl Grey Tea ~ I don’t think either of us tried these, they didn’t look too good.
Marble Chocolate Tulip- a cherry hidden under milk and white
Chocolate in a Chocolate Tulip Cup ~ Andy liked but I HATE liquidy cherries stuck in the middle of chocolates, there is just no good way of spinning this.
So that’s it. Overall, I wasn’t totally enthralled by the food that was served- especially for the price of about $45US per person. To tell the truth I felt like it was all somewhat underwhelming and a little disappointing. HOWEVER, the atmosphere, the setting, the service, the company, and the tea itself, with one lump or two, all contributed to us having a fantastic time and leaving feeling a lot like this:
May 11, 2009 at 9:17 am · by andyman1080 · filed under misc
Last week my Mom mentioned to Shaya that she had seen something in the newspaper about an upcoming Pug festival in Seattle. Thanks and happy mother’s day Mom! Once the cat (or should I say dog) was out of the bag, I had no way of getting out of it. Thankfully the weather was beautiful and I ended up having a fun time.
The day started off with us heading up to Newcastle to dog-nap Zeeba, the Vafaei’s pug. Upon arrival we discovered that Shaya’s sister Sasha was in the process of getting ready to attend the same event! So we had a bit of cereal while we waited for her (too long, girls!) and set off around 10 for Seattle.
Seattle Pug Rescue’s 2009 Pug Gala was held in Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park, just a couple miles northeast of the University of Washington. According to their website, the Pug Gala is their one annual fundraiser with the proceeds going to fund medical care and other foster care expenses for rescued pugs that are searching for new homes.
Some of the main events of the gala included a pug parade, pug races, and a pug costume contest, which was absolutely adorable. We even managed to coax Zeeba through part of an agility course…. over jumps and through hoops and tunnels. There was also a bunch of vendors there peddling all sorts of leashes, treats, clothes, and food to treat your precious pug friend.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the gala, we set out to explore the surrounding area a little bit. As it turned out Magnuson Park was quite an interesting discovery in its own right. I had no idea it was so huge, 350 acres to be exact. The former Navy airplane hangars were a pretty cool sight. We also encountered a new climbing gym and a giant indoor sports arena. The arena had two indoor soccer fields and an indoor beach volleyball court!
Following our little adventure walk, our attention quickly turned to locating refreshment and nourishment. My first suggestion was Agua Verde but that wasn’t met with much enthusiasm. Unable to agree on a destination, we drove over anyway and discovered a line of about 15 people waiting outside. None of us craving tacos, we didn’t bother to stop. But within blocks it hit me…Paseo!
Do a little bit of googling and you’ll find that Paseo is one of Seattle’s greatest hidden treasures. Of course, referring to it as “hidden” is kind of a misnomer because though it has no visible signage it’s easily identifiable by the perpetually large crowd of customers waiting on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Pretty much everything on the menu is amazing but they are most famous for their Midnight Cuban Sandwich. Seattlest described it as “a delicious mess: marinated pork pieces…melted cheese, grilled onions, cilantro, garlicky mayo and more spilling out of the baguette.” I’m not much of a pork person but I always make an exception for Paseo.
As expected, when we arrived there were about 25 people waiting outside the very modest tin shed at 4225 Fremont Ave N. Though we were hungry, waiting in line at Paseo is hardly ever disappointing. With a few dogs to play with, a variety of interesting people to chat with and an intoxicating aroma the wait didn’t feel nearly as long as it could have.
About 30 minutes later it was our turn to order. Unfortunately we had forgotten to bring cash! Thankfully, the guy behind the register allowed Shaya to place her order and pay after she walked down to the ATM at a nearby tavern. While Sasha and I waited outside with Zeeba, we befriended some grizzly old biker guys that were having a pint out on the patio.
By the time our order was ready we were so focused on devouring it that we didn’t snap any pictures but I promise it was heavenly. It was indeed quite messy though so I’m glad I wasn’t wearing a nice shirt!
April 27, 2009 at 10:45 am · by shayajoon · filed under trips
Fairhaven, WA When Andy suggested a trip to Fairhaven to attend the Dirty Dan Days Seafood Festival, there was no way I was going to turn him down. What could be better than spending a day eating shellfish in an historic waterfront town?
We decided to let my younger sister Sasha third wheel with us not just to provide some comic relief but also because she wanted to visit some friends who go to school in Bellingham.
The drive up was busy for a Saturday, especially because the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival was still going on and some of the road traffic for that was spilling onto the freeway. As we finally pulled off the exit to Fairhaven, I was struck by how un-Washington the place felt; it was almost like we ended up in a scenic town in New England. We drove through the downtown, passing antique shops, Irish pubs, and a VERY Seattle-number of coffee houses and cafes, all ubiquitously housed in old brick buildings.
After scoring a parking spot right next to the town square (where the festival was already getting underway), we decided to take a lap of the booths to help us decide on lunch. On our way I was offered (and happily accepted) a short massage from a local masseuse. Afterwards we walked by a booth with a man who was stirring a giant pan of seafood paella, which smelled so heavenly all bets were off on trying anything else at the fair. We were informed that we’d have to wait a whole 30 minutes before we could partake, so we decided to explore a bit while it cooked.
Sasha led us on a lovely walk on a dock that stretched out over the water, parallel to the shore. We stopped when we saw steps leading down to the beach, and lucked out on a low tide. A good half hour was spent playing in the tide pools, poking at starfish, anemones, and crabs.
The walk ended for us at The Woods Coffee, a lodge-style café that looked so picturesque next to the water and large trees. Apparently, the drink sizes are named after trees… so Andy ordered a Cedar-sized latte to share for the walk back.
Back at the town square, we saw that not only was the paella ready to eat, but was more than half gone, so we scrambled for a place in line. Smell is indeed the best advertisement at a fair! The paella itself did not disappoint, though it was pricey at $10 for a small portion that Andy and I shared. The man must have made a grand on that flat of paella that day… not too shabby for about four hours of work.
We helped vote in the 1800’s costume contest…
… then Sasha decided to make fast friends with the local mascot…
…and we both exclaimed over the discovery of an old phone booth nearby…
…even though it was bolted shut…
…but I think I was most excited about THIS little guy!
Famished by now with the paella a distant memory, we decided to pick out dessert first at Katie’s Cupcakes.
By the way, don’t leave cupcakes in the car on a warm sunny day. They will melt. Buy them AFTER you explore the rest of the city, but do buy them because they were delicious. We had cookies’n’cream and peanut butter cup.
Sasha parted ways to visit her friend in the dorm so Andy and I decided to have a romantic lunch at Le Chat Noir, a very interestingly decorated restaurant that we picked solely based on the decor. There are Victorian-era portraits and hangings on the wall, but the overall feel was that of richly appointed French barroom from the 1800’s. While the atmosphere was fab, the food was only so-so, and the service was negligent at best. We were both disappointed that we’d wasted our lunch opportunity there.
Behind the restaurant however, was a picturesque cobble-stoned alley that led to the Abbey Garden Tea Room. This charming place excited all my nerve endings just looking at it. I knew I couldn’t let Sasha miss out, so we went to pick her up and brought her back to have a proper tea before we left Fairhaven.
Tea there was perhaps the highlight of my day, and lived up to all my expectations. We each had an individual pot of tea, with of course our choice of tea, and the packages came with delicious tea sandwiches and pastries galore. I was probably the most satisfied because I chose to have the scone for my pastry, and it outshone the other pastry items we tasted. I left Abbey Garden with a giant grin on my face.
So that about wraps up our little trip to Fairhaven. We had a wonderful time, drove home on the very scenic Chuckanut drive, and eagerly anticipated our next day trip.
April 18, 2009 at 8:48 pm · by shayajoon · filed under misc, trips
As a woman who has always yearned to explore all of the beautiful (and maybe haunted) places on the map, and my wonderful boyfriend being an avid flier and seasoned world traveler, day-tripping has been a natural and exciting part of our relationship almost from the start. The need for an escape from the daily grind is usually satisfied by a once-a-year vacation to someplace tropical and warm, which I wouldn’t say no to… but when you’re tight on vacation time and cash, even something as short-lived as a drive out to Port Townsend for the day really makes you feel like you’re getting away.
With the time and money constraints, Andy and I have been trying hard to take advantage of free or cheap local events in cities and towns we’d probably never get around to exploring otherwise. The thrill of discovering new coffee houses, new lighthouses, new winding dirt roads coupled with the beauty of driving just about anywhere in the Northwest is almost addicting. We’ve decided to start sharing our travels here so not only to have a place to document our memories, but also to give our family and friends and anyone who is interested in exploring this lovely area some ideas of where to go, what to do, what to see, and most importantly, what to eat!
April 17, 2009 at 5:41 pm · by andyman1080 · filed under misc
It occurred to me the other day that Shaya and I do quite a lot of fun things. It seems like almost every (non-rainy) weekend we’re off exploring some new town or visiting a local fair or festival. Since we both like to tell stories and my website was long in need of an overhaul we’ve decided to start sharing our adventures and experiences here. Since we’re about to ding three years as a couple I figure Shaya’s earned the right to some representation on my website anyway :-D so without further adieu I’d like to welcome her as a staff writer to my (our) blog!
October 15, 2008 at 5:21 am · by andyman1080 · filed under work
Where I work:
October 15, 2008 at 5:12 am · by andyman1080 · filed under misc
EDIT: The following is a blog post I wrote over a year ago but never published… I absolutely don’t mean it to be malicious or overly negative. I just believe that making a good living playing sports is an incredibly difficult thing to do. I also believe that our society holds a distorted, overly romantic view of professional athletics and as a result too many children grow up with role models like Michael Vick. Why don’t we encourage children to look up to someone like Steve Wozniak? Anyway just recently I heard that an old baseball teammate Tripper Johnson is playing football for the Huskies. This reminded me of an old draft blog post… Here it is:
I was back at work today after my trip to the east coast and I didn’t really feel like doing anything productive. I’m not sure how I got started but I found myself googling for bits of info on pro athletes that I know/knew. The results were far from inspiring. Marques Tuiasosopo is a third string quarterback with the New York Jets. Zach Tuiasosopo has been on a few practice squads and is now with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Fortunately, their dad Manu placed a lot of emphasis on academics and they both have degrees from UW. Most of the star baseball players I knew skipped college. I played select baseball with 4 players that were drafted and signed after high school and none of them has had success beyond high A. (Pro baseball primarily consists of rookie leagues, low A, high A, AA, AAA and the majors.) Probably the best all around baseball player I knew was Tripper Johnson. He played for Newport High and was generally regarded as one of the best KingCo hitters ever. He was drafted in the first round out of high school by the Baltimore Orioles and supposedly signed a contract with a $1.5 million signing bonus. I was pretty surprised to find that he is still playing high A ball after 8 seasons as a pro. In terms of rewards A ball is pretty far from the major leagues with an average salary of about $1200/month, though apparently you get $20/day for meals when you’re on the road. This just goes to show how tough it is to make it big in professional sports.
Note to self: save this for when my kids say they want to skip college to be pro athletes.
Next entries »
