Trains, Ferries and Taxis... Otherwise Known as Our Family Goes to Seattle

I have a four year old boy.  And what do four year old boys love?  TRAINS!  I've been promising Simon a trip on a real train in the spring since about November of last year, so you can imagine his glee when he overheard a news announcer say that spring had arrived.  I don't reneg on my promises... especially not when it comes to promises to four year old boys!  So I set a plan in motion... booked a night Hyatt Place Seattle, got Amtrak tickets for the family and off we went!  Maybe it's the Harry Potter fan in me, but I think there is something so magical about traveling by train.  And it is always magical when you experience life through your child's eyes!

Elliot and Simon on a bench at Union Station in Portland 

 

 

 

 

Waiting for the Train

                                                         

Quietly watching the world go by

                                                 
We arrived in Seattle and quickly settled into our hotel, excited for what tomorrow might bring.  We had an idea of what we might like to do but had no real plan for the day.  We were blessed with unusually awesome weather for Seattle in March so Leigh and I each put a boy in a carrier and hit the town.  The first stop ended up being the The Pacific Science Center, a dreamland for a curious, science-minded kid like Simon.  Here he was able to do everything from shoot water canons, to learning how a toilet flushes, to seeing butterflies up close in their amazing Tropical Butterfly exhibit.

Checking out the water fountains

                                                    

Periscope up!

                                                                  

Some nice lady offered to take a family pic of us in the butterfly exhibit

                                                     
Or next stop was lunch at Ivars Fish Bar on Pier 54, a seafood institution in Seattle since 1938, where it is not only acceptable, but tradition to feed the flying rats... I mean seagulls... your leftover french fries.

Fish and chips at Ivars

                                                            

Heeeere seagull, seagull

                                                           
Since we were only 2 piers away from the ferry terminal we decided to hop the ferry for an out and back to Bainbridge Island.  Like I said earlier, the weather was GLORIOUS so we sat out on the deck and enjoyed the views.

On the ferry

                                                                     

Just because...

                                                                

Seattle Skyline from the Bainbridge Ferry

                                             
Once we were back on land we realized this amazing day was coming to an end much faster than we had expected and the only way to make back to the train on time was to hop a taxi driven by an interesting guy from Kenya who has nine children.

We had an amazing time in Seattle.  To me life is about experiences and creating memories.  When I am old and looking back on my life, I don't care to remember what kind of car I drove, and I certainly won't remember the brand of jeans I wore, what I want to look back and remember are the magical times I spent with my children.