Next stop: Let's go see Addle

We finally made it!  After days of driving and enough drama to last me a year (lifetime to some,  a year for the Zany family) the Seattle skyline finally peeked into view!  I thought we were all excited about it until the kids started asking in a disappointed voice, "Where is Addle?"  "I thought we were going to go see Addle?"  "Where is she?".  Apparently the kids thought our whole vacation was based on going to visit some woman named Addle.  Poor things had to go for second best and enjoy all that Seattle had to offer them.

Some good friends were very generous and allowed our crazy family to stay with them.  I'm not sure they knew exactly what they were getting themselves into until we came crashing through their door.  They were the best hosts and had our days in Seattle planned with all the must see places.  Here's a few of our adventures:

We went to the Space Needle.

We actually had lunch on top of the Space Needle!  The restaurant spins 360 degrees and is 500 feet in the air.  Some may not know, but I get a bit queasy with heights.  It was probably good it only took us 41 seconds in the elevator to get to the top, because I didn't have much time to really think about what was going on as my body was shot into the air.  Once at the top I was both excited to see the view and anxious because the slight spinning was beginning to make me feel dizzy.  I started to think, "This is going to be a very bad scene in a few short minutes", but I finally found my "space legs" and thank goodness the nausea eventually passed.  The food was a bit pricey, but good.  Wacky Zacky and Zany Janie got pasta dishes and the pasta was in the shape of the Space Needle...Very clever!  The best part of the whole experience was dessert!  (Isn't that always the best part?)

The kids went crazy for the ice cream on dry ice.  It was amazing to see after an inability to feed themselves pasta on their own, they all of a sudden gained the ability to feed themselves ice cream!

It must be a miracle!  It's funny how that works!

After lunch we went to the observation deck and took in the beauty of Seattle.

I'm sure you will be shocked, but we were in a group with 5 kids under the age of 5 and four adults and it was a drama free experience!  How often can I say that?

We went to the Science Museum.

The Science Museum in Seattle was a big hit for the kids.  They could run around yelling and pawing everything without getting into too much trouble.  I was not surprised to find Zany Janie fascinated with the toilet flushing exhibit.  That one is right up her alley! 

We went to Pike Place Market.

The market was packed with people and Wacky Zacky insisted on being pushed in a stroller, so you can imagine how fun it was to swerve around all the hustle and bustle.  It was really neat to see all the vendors.  There was an array of handmade items to beautiful vibrant flowers.  We got to see the staff at Pike Place Fish Market perform.  We also had the best food located somewhere in a side alley.  I got the scallop chowder and crab salad on a roll and Papa Z got clam chowder in a bread bowl.  It was so yummy!  We also ventured down to the pier and walked around taking in a band and all the beautiful scenery.

We took a ferry to Bainbridge Island.

None of us had been on a ferry before so it was fun to drive onto the boat and take a ride to the island.  It was so windy on the ferry that it was a good thing Silly Jilly was tethered to Papa Z or she would have blown overboard!  I was glad the bars around the boat were high enough so the kids could not lean over them.  If they had been a bit lower we could have made the news. 

We went to the Locks in Ballard, WA.

I must admit on our way to the Locks I was a little anxious about the possibility of potentially seeing the Time Bandit or even another boat from one of my favorite TV shows Deadliest Catch.  Unfortunately I didn't catch a glimpse of one of the crab boats, but it was interesting seeing other boats pass through the Locks.  The kids loved seeing the fish swimming up stream and playing on the steps leading down to the water.  I think I got a few gray hairs as Wacky Zacky ran up and down the steps coming ever so close to tripping and falling right into the freezing cold water.

The most exciting part of the day was eating at:

The Lockspot Cafe!  Not because they claim to have world famous Fish and Chips, but because it is the location for "After the Catch".

I must admit I felt a little embarrassed snapping picture after picture of things inside the bar/cafe, but what was I to do?  If I wasn't nursing Silly Jilly I may have even ordered a "Duck Fart" in honor of Captain Phil!  I will give them props, their Fish and Chips were really good!  The only thing that would have made the day even better would be if Captain Johnathan had sauntered in through the doors giving his crazy laugh that always makes me smile.

While in the Seattle area we also made a quick stop to visit some family friends.  They made breakfast and we got to sit around and chat.  By the end of our visit the kids were throwing pretend birthday parties with gifts and pinatas and at one point they were shouting bits and pieces of church songs from the balcony for all of Seattle to enjoy.

After our rocky start to our vacation, I was so happy we all had a great time in Seattle and to my knowledge our kids didn't break or destroy anything when we were there!

Stay tuned for the final leg of our trip!  Can we make it back to sunny Southern California without anymore mishaps?