It was New Year’s Day, around 8:30am, and Mr. H and I were on the road to Seattle—tired and perhaps a little hungover.
Which is why we brought in 2015 with a 1995 throwback. For the first half of the journey we sang “Boom Boom Boom” by the Outhere Brothers.
Wayo!
It was the first time either of us had gone on a New Year’s Day adventure, because the other years were usually spent chilling around the house. You know…nursing a hangover.
Was this a better way to bring in a new year? You betcha!
The last time we were in Seattle it was summer—bright, sunny, blue skies, shorts, flip-flops—and pretty damn perfect. I also had WAY more hair.
(In case you missed Elegant Attitudes in Seattle.)
This time it was all about grey skies and the kind of biting cold that slices right through your clothes. Chilled to the bone, it’s rare when you don’t have a steaming cup of coffee warming up your sorry ass hands.
Luckily, the coffee in the Pacific Northwest is marvelous. So, it’s not all bad.
I have noticed that Seattle is much like Portland in one interesting way. Somehow these cities become more beautiful when it’s dreary out.
A trip to Pike Place Market took an unexpected turn when I decided it was time to do something I hadn’t done since I was a kid.
Ride a freaking ferris wheel.
I see some of you rolling your eyes right now. The Seattle ferris wheel on the pier is very touristy.
And, it’s also not cheap. I shed a little tear when I realized the admission was the price of a nice lunch.
It wasn’t the picturesque day from last summer. In fact, it started to snow a bit.
But it seemed too perfect to pass up, so I did it.
Taking the cheesy picture right after you hand over your ticket. Freezing your ass off in line but still embarrassingly excited. Stepping into the enclosed cabin and having a mild heart attack when you realize the thing rocks.
Then…lift-off.
Sometimes I fall into the role of travel snob.
I like to experience the world like a local whenever possible. I stay in apartments, avoid paying admissions for things, and wander on my own accord.
But sometimes you have to do the silly stuff too, because the experience is simply good.
As we get older, we move away from the innocence and abandon of being a kid. We need reminders to help us forget the bills and responsibilities, so we can be free and play.
How about you guys…any tourist traps that surprised you by being awesome?
Britt Skrabanek 
What a great way to start the new year! When I read the part of the ferris wheel I thought you were irresponsibly crazy with those temperatures but then you mentioned a ‘closed’ cabin..oouf haha.
Like you, I usually like to wander off the beaten path but yes absolutely can enjoy the tourist trails as well – preferably off season then
Haha! I wouldn’t put it past me though. When I’m determined to do something, I tend to throw caution to the wind. Off-season is my favorite time to travel anywhere. It’s like you’re enjoying a secret.
Yes its!! 🙂
I’d like to push the “like” button but can’t find it haha..People on my blog “like” comments but don’t know how they do it. LoL. So how? in settings?
Yeah, there’s some way to add it in settings to your page, but I haven’t installed it. I don’t want too much like button craziness going on around here. Sometimes I use it for replies from my notification bar in the upper right.
Britt I use to be a travel snob too, until the kids came along and wanted to experience the stuff that I have long forgotten about. It is nice to see the world through their eyes. Love the photos.
Kids don’t allow us to be snobs, do they? I love that about them. They keep us young and honest.
Too true and poor and exhausted lol.