Seattle

Spotted the Seattle Space Needle

I spent this week in Seattle, my first trip ever to the west coast and the farthest geographically I have ever been from my kids.  I attended a user conference for our new software system, so sadly this trip was much more business than pleasure and I spent just as much time traveling (Monday and Thursday) as I did actually there (Tuesday and Wednesday).  It was still a really cool opportunity and it's always interesting to explore a new city.  Overall, being in a big city mostly reminded me that I prefer slower paced suburbia and being in the dreary, rainy Pacific Northwest reaffirmed that I am a Southern girl at heart.  Give me palmetto trees over evergreens please.  The warmer climate, and warmer people, are much more appealing to me where I live.

When I arrived Monday evening the weather was gorgeous, and even the cab driver commented on how unusual it was for them to see blue skies.  It did not last long, but I did wander down towards the waterfront that first night for a glimpse of the sound under sunny skies and the scenery was lovely.

The famous Pike Place fish market

When I woke up Tuesday, there was a view of Mt. Rainier from our 22nd floor hotel room peeking out from in between all the skyscrapers around us.  After sitting in training classes all day my roommate Tracy and I decided to be touristy on Tuesday night and walked from our hotel to the Space Needle and around the busy downtown Seattle shopping district.  It is not an exaggeration... there really was a Starbucks on every city block, we lost count.  We even walked past the original Starbucks where it all began.

Zoomed in view from the hotel window of the mountain in the distance

Ewww.... this alley is famous for all the chewing gum stuck to the walls

Puget Sound

The trip was a whirlwind, but everything went smoothly and I enjoyed the experience.  It was nice to meet you, Seattle... but it was way nicer to see South Carolina, and my favorite people, again on Thursday.  Speaking of which, I'm not sure they had time to miss me with all the fun they had while I was gone!  Matt, his parents, and the kids went to two different children's museums, Greenville, and the Columbia zoo and splash park in the 3 days I was gone.  Matt did a great job sending me updates knowing I was stuck in a conference room and seeing pictures of these faces always brightened my mood:

Edventure- Columbia

Wind tunnel at the Greenville Children's Museum

Lunch downtown Greenville

Group project baking muffins

Splash park fun at the Riverbanks Zoo

After a busy spring with trips for Matt, Kate, and now me I am happy to report that the next few trips on the calendar are ones that the four Wheelers will all be going on together!