July 2018, Georgia to Washington (Seattle), Day 1

Mile 1:  We’re baaaaack! It’s that time of year again. The time when you roll your eyes to the back of your head and prepare yourselves for the onslaught of daily Bullington. 

Mile 30: The trip to the airport was uneventful until our annual dropping of the beverage. Mae had just filled her tumbler full up with water. She dropped it, the lid popped off and flooded the floor of gate 29. Charlotte, completely unaware, sat down her belongings square in the middle of the puddle and used her neck pillow to soak it all up. The same neck pillow that she intended to sleep on for the entire 5-hour flight. Because she’s SO TIRED. “Almost” teenagers are the worst! She hugged Mae and told her that accidents happen. That is a lie. She got all prickly and Mae responded with an equal amount of prickle. I just love their love….

Oh, Hey Mt. Rainer!

Thomas said, "You mean I get my own little space without any sisters?" Then he fell asleep. 

Mile 2679: After landing in sweet Seattle, we dumped our bags and set off for a couple of hours to see some sites and stuff our hungry faces. Fortunately, our hotel was close to all the goings on of Pikes Place Market where they toss the fish and what not.  

A broomstick and bucket string instrument! #DIY

Georgia Peach with peach

Fresh Catch

The least Bullingtons were starving and wanted to get lunch at the first Starbucks. The Starbucks in Seattle boasts the exact same menu as the Marietta Starbucks. You know that one that used to be the Krystals? Mr. Bullington and I were all, “Ugh, we can get that sammich at home”. But, as parents often do, we sacrificed our own palatal pleasure for our younglings. Because we are just tired of the arguing. We paid all the dollars for the Rootie-Tootie Frappimosa. Then this homeless man informed us that the actual first Starbucks was a block away and we had just wasted minutes of our life that we’ll never get back. We found the real first Starbucks and that line was insane. We just snapped a picture for giggles.

The market was awash with the most colorful fruits, folks, and veggies that I’ve ever seen. I love a good kaleidoscope of humanity! I couldn’t resist buying some fresh fruit! And, the kids were all, “yay. fruit.” We had to head back to hotel for a little polishing for our first night in Seattle. After a few minutes in our hotel, I realized the power of a tiny balcony with a sliding glass door and it’s implications for timeout no matter what your age. There were time-outs. They were beneficial for all Bullingtons involved.

En Route, we had to stop by the Freemont Troll! He looms where any self-respecting troll would, underneath a bridge! The sculpture was commissioned as part of an art competition to rehabilitate the underside of a bridge that had become a haven for drug dealers and other ne’er-do-wells. Now, it is has become a haven to this big ol’ Troll!

‘Member back many a moon ago when Mr. Bullington and I used to travel to far off destinations outside of the continental US? Back before we had to spend all our hotel and Sky Mile points on these meddling kids? You probably don’t. It was a lot of years ago, and frankly fair reader, you weren’t invited to our love-fest.  However, it was quite the National Lampoon’s European Vacation. Well, there was this one night in Salzburg…I mean, if I had a nickel for every story that started like that…… I’d have 10 cents. But, we actually did have a crazy night in Salzburg that started with a classical strings concert in a hall o’ marble and gilded what nots and ended in a cave.  Early in the evening, we happened to have seated our sweet southern bottoms aside the only other Americans in the joint. A lovely couple that hailed from Seattle. We struck up a conversation with our future friends, Marcine and Will and decided that it would be most excellent if we recreated the Salzburg Pub Crawl that had been penned by fellow Seattleite, Rick Steves. Let’s just say that what started with Mozart in chairs ended with 80’s rock on a table top in a cave that was also a bar….

Flash Forward a few years… I decided to reach out to my old friend for one night, Marci (with an “I” and a heart, don't call her that unless you are me), to share that we’d be in the neighborhood. And like any decent people who’d you’d met for one night and danced atop a table, she and Will graciously offered to host our family (that now included 3 crazed children that were purposefully omitted from the aforementioned European anniversary trip) on a sunset cruise on their boat, Tahoe.

Decked out in white

Introductions were made and I knew that Tahoe and I were going to be friends. She is a beautiful 1962, 55 foot Chris Craft that has been meticulously restored and maintained by our friends. She was a regal old gal who has just gotten better with age! I don’t think I need to meet any more boats. I’ll never love another. Our cruise for the night included watching the Tuesday night Duck Dodge (Sailboat race). This tradition has been happening every Tuesday night in the summer for the past 44 years. Every night has a theme and on this night, it was a “wear white” party! Themes are my favorite! 

The elusive 12-year-old smile

Will teaching Mae to drive

There are worse ways to end a day

It was quite a hullabaloo of sailboats and I am not sure who won, but the sailboats racing with the Seattle skyline as their backdrop was like living in a painting. We dined, imbibed Marcine’s delicious margaritas, and cruised into the sunset.  We all took dip in the refreshing water of Lake Union. Then we broke out the disco ball and ‘80s playlist. And this is why we are friends.

The West Coast time difference takes hold

zzzzzzzz