We took an early Saturday morning ferry back to Anacortes. There were islands to behold, sailboats, ferries and majestic mountains. Sadly, the one thing I wanted to see, we did not. I had hoped to see an orca, but most pods have left the area by this time of year.



It's much less unsettling to take a ferry during daylight hours.



Fascinating stuff to a landlocked state dweller. The sea air does rude things to my hair, but it is good for my body. I can tell.



My friend, Meghan, said we should stop for a muffin at The Store in Anacortes. Best muffins ever, she said.

She was right. And I'm not even much of a muffin person. {Always listen to the locals!}



We were really excited to see Meghan {my college roommate} and her husband, Ryan, later that day. But we stopped at the most touristy place you can find in Seattle besides the Space Needle.



Pike Place Market is a MUST when you visit Seattle.



Seattle, do you know how lucky you are to get these floral bouquets for $8-$15 any time you want? In Denver, these would start at $30 and go up from there.



Since I was last here, I see they've added ornamental lettuce to their arrangements. I love it!



Let it be known I'm only posting 1% of the dozens of photos I took of these flowers that day.





We also stopped at the first ever Starbucks, right there at Pike Place, where there was a line out the door and down the street a bit. I picked up a You Are Here mug for Pike Place.


This place, called the Harbor Steps, between two skyscrapers, after dinner at McCormick's, is where Sander proposed to me in September 2002. We were babies back then. But we knew what we wanted and what was inevitable too, so why put off a marriage you know is going to happen? Seattle, you see, is a part of our story.



How I wished we could have driven another 40 minutes on I-5 down to Tacoma to see our old stomping grounds and other friends who've moved there, but we were already packing a lot into this trip. The fall colors in Seattle were just as beautiful as they were on Orcas Island.



We drove to Bellevue and headed into the hills where Meghan and Ryan have a stunning home with equally stunning views.


You can see downtown Seattle, the Puget Sound, and airplanes and clouds at eye level from their amazing view. Breathtaking! And this photo doesn't do it justice, because the human eye is a much better beholder.





Meghan and Ryan showed us around their amazing home, popped open a bottle of wine for us, and then took us to Salty's for dinner. From Salty's, you can see downtown Seattle in all of its nighttime glory from across the sound. Can you spot the Space Needle?



We could hear seals barking.



Justin and I thought we'd head back and let Meghan and Ryan get back to their lives, but instead they drove us all around Seattle to see some things up close. I had the best time!



And I finally got to cross the Fremont Troll off my Seattle bucket list. This guy made an appearance in 10 Things I Hate About You {only my favorite teen movie of the 90s} and I'd wanted to see him ever since. His eye is a hubcap, and he is clutching a VW Beetle he just snatched right off the road under the bridge. Extra creepy points for meeting him at night, am I right?



Meghan and Ryan, it was really good to see your faces again, and to finally see your lovely house!



Visiting with them and finally getting to see their gorgeous home was a very sweet ending to a really special trip.

In the morning all we had time for was to rush to the airport in the jukebox on wheels of a car, and grabbed breakfast at Beecher's {another places the locals rave about} for a breakfast sandwich. I was sad to leave, but REALLY EXCITED to see my babies!!!!

Next time you're in Seattle, there's a Beecher's at both Pike Place and the SeaTac Airport.
You're welcome.



Woohoo! I got a window for the flight back.



Goodbye, Seattle. We love you. We'll be back, next time with the kids.



Cheers,
Heather