the UGC: I'm a Ramblin' Woman

I'm a Ramblin' Woman
August 27, 2011

So, I took a vacation to go see my Mom. Possibly the longest vacation I've taken, well, ever. Part of the reason for the longer time away was to help my mom with a blind wine tasting party. The other part was just to take a vacation, which I've been doing around this time of year ever since that half of the parental units moved to the pacific northwest.

Aside from the party, there were no grand plans during my visit. The basic agenda was a little cooking, a lot of eating, a little shopping, a little knitting and a lot of sitting on the deck with a glass of wine (or other adult beverage of your choice) and watching the sun set. However, we did plan day trips to Seattle and Vancouver.

The day in Seattle involved a most-excellent tour guide who shuttled us to a number of fabulous places including Sitka and Spruce, Molly Moon's Ice Cream, the Flying Apron, the Olympic Sculpture Park and dinner at Poppy with one of my favorite food bloggers. A most excellent day, indeed.

This was not my first time visiting Seattle, and I've always enjoyed my visits there, but there was something about this visit that made me fall in love with the city. I'm not even sure I could pin point what it was exactly. Possibly the trees everywhere and how green it is. Or maybe the proximity to water. Or the fact that it feels like all my favorite parts of the cities I love in the bay area are all jumbled together in Seattle. There was a moment while standing on the pathway at the sculpture park where I was looking out at the water and my heart ached a little bit because that's not where I live.

I know, I know, it sucks in the winter. That was the response I got after professing my new found adoration of the city on Facebook. And it's true, I haven't been there in the winter, but I'm already planning a trip during that season to see what it's like. I'm not exactly a sun worshiper anyways. And no, I have no plans to move there. At least not at the moment. But if I were going to leave California? Seattle is number one on the list. For now, I'll just have to visit as much as I can to get my fix.

The day in Vancouver wasn't quite so enlightening, but was enjoyable none the less. We had one goal: Granville Island Public Market. It reminded me a lot of Pike Place Market but with more gifty/arty shops. We had a nice lunch right next to the water, wandered around the market and shops, and then spent 3 hours stuck in traffic trying to get back to the border. Unintentional family bonding time! It actually wasn't that bad (easy for me to say since I wasn't the one driving).

All in all, it was a lovely vacation. And it gave me an unplanned break from the internet, which I think I needed. So now, I'm trying to get back in to the swing of things. I have recipes to tell you about, and I've been experimenting more with gluten-free baking, so please stay tuned. There's more to come!

P.S. Vacation photos are very slowly being added to this set.

$\"Sitka$ \n\n\nSo, I took a vacation to go see my Mom. Possibly the longest vacation I've taken, well, ever. Part of the reason for the longer time away was to help my mom with a blind wine tasting party. The other part was just to take a vacation, which I've been doing around this time of year ever since that half of the parental units moved to the pacific northwest. \n\nAside from the party, there were no grand plans during my visit. The basic agenda was a little cooking, a lot of eating, a little shopping, a little knitting and a lot of sitting on the deck with a glass of wine (or other adult beverage of your choice) and watching the sun set. However, we did plan day trips to Seattle and Vancouver.\n\nThe day in Seattle involved a most-excellent tour guide who shuttled us to a number of fabulous places including Sitka and Spruce, Molly Moon's Ice Cream, the Flying Apron, the Olympic Sculpture Park and dinner at Poppy with one of my favorite food bloggers. A most excellent day, indeed.\n\nThis was not my first time visiting Seattle, and I've always enjoyed my visits there, but there was something about this visit that made me fall in love with the city. I'm not even sure I could pin point what it was exactly. Possibly the trees everywhere and how green it is. Or maybe the proximity to water. Or the fact that it feels like all my favorite parts of the cities I love in the bay area are all jumbled together in Seattle. There was a moment while standing on the pathway at the sculpture park where I was looking out at the water and my heart ached a little bit because that's not where I live.\n\nI know, I know, it sucks in the winter. That was the response I got after professing my new found adoration of the city on Facebook. And it's true, I haven't been there in the winter, but I'm already planning a trip during that season to see what it's like. I'm not exactly a sun worshiper anyways. And no, I have no plans to move there. At least not at the moment. But if I were going to leave California? Seattle is number one on the list. For now, I'll just have to visit as much as I can to get my fix. \n\nThe day in Vancouver wasn't quite so enlightening, but was enjoyable none the less. We had one goal: Granville Island Public Market. It reminded me a lot of Pike Place Market but with more gifty/arty shops. We had a nice lunch right next to the water, wandered around the market and shops, and then spent 3 hours stuck in traffic trying to get back to the border. Unintentional family bonding time! It actually wasn't that bad (easy for me to say since I wasn't the one driving).\n\nAll in all, it was a lovely vacation. And it gave me an unplanned break from the internet, which I think I needed. So now, I'm trying to get back in to the swing of things. I have recipes to tell you about, and I've been experimenting more with gluten-free baking, so please stay tuned. There's more to come!\n\n\nP.S. Vacation photos are very slowly being added to this set.

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