Seattle and its iconic Space Needle.

This trip will not be at my usual pace – it’s a very special mother/daughter trip with my Mom who is an active, enthusiastic, 80+.

We begin our trip, after spending a difficult night in Charlotte, with an early flight to the west coast.  Between a few issues in our room, a late dinner with my daughter before she headed back to NYC and a very early wake-up, I don’t think either of us slept more than an hour.  But lack of sleep did not get in our way of seeing the sights in Seattle.

The early flight allowed us to arrive early enough to have almost a full day to explore.  Since Mom hadn’t been before, we stayed downtown in a hotel selected for its view of the Puget Sound; I had pre-arranged an early check-in.   From our room we could actually watch the people milling around on the top of the Space Needle.   Once settled, we started with a short, downhill walk to Pike Place and a great Dungeness crab roll and cup of clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder (in Post Alley).  We had a bit of a wait to get in – but it was worth it.  The good reviews did not mislead us.

On the way, we had purchased tickets for one of the local hop-on trolley buses and when we left the seaside market, that’s just what we did.  We toured the entire route taking in the sights including Pioneer Square, the Space Needle, museums and the waterfront.

For dinner we headed back to Post Alley, in the Pike Market area and had dinner at The Pink Door.  If you weren’t looking for it, you would have no idea that behind this innocuous, pinkish door is an eclectic spot with retro décor, whimsical flair, a charming outdoor dining patio with views of the Sound, and a different style of entertainment.

And the bonus – near perfect weather.