This past spring my parents visited Steph and I in Seattle. This was their first vacation since the pandemic hit so the pressure was on to show them a great time.
On our first day together we took a day trip out to San Juan Island. Excited for the journey, we woke up bright and early to ensure we made our 8 a.m. ferry. When we arrived the gatekeeper cold heartedly told us our ferry had been canceled and we’d have to wait two-and-a-half hours for the next one. My heart sank. I had planned for our group to have a charming little breakfast on the water! Trip ruined on day 1. My parents would have to fly back to their boring lives in rural Kansas wondering what could have been. As I sulked, the rest of the group deliberated whether or not to head back to Seattle. Since my parents are old and feeble, they figured this very well could be their last chance to see an island, or water for that matter. Onward we went, breakfast be damned.
The ferry is quite the experience in itself. My mom and I spent the trip running around the frigid, windy deck snapping photos. Steph hung back with my dad and pretended to listen to him while he spent two straight hours talking all things enneagram.
Never too cold to get the shot
After docking, we grabbed lunch and ventured to Lime Kiln State Park. It was truly picturesque with a beautiful old lighthouse and easy hiking trails along its rocky cove to explore. My mom was so impressed she coined what would soon be the phrase of the trip: “Can it get any better than this?!?!?!?!?!?!?”
Lunch scenery at Roche Harbor
Lime Kiln State Park
Lime Kiln Lighthouse
Next up was another scenic park called Cattle Point. As we hiked up to the park’s lighthouse, sweeping views of the Puget Sound slowly emerged with waves crashing into the cliffs below and the sound of seagulls calling above. I was taking it all in when a blood curdling scream halted me in my tracks…“CAN IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!?!?!?!?!?!” - Kareen King. Minutes later a fox joined our party, slowly trotting along the trail practically begging my mom to take her picture. “CAN IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!?!?!?!?!?!" - Kareen King. Next thing we know a bald eagle swooped straight toward mom’s 4ft, 30lb lens. As she wielded her lens like the sword of Gondor we heard her cry out “GLORY!!!!!! CAN IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!?!?!?!?!?!” What a thrill. We had some laughs and snapped some more shots before we decided to head home. Then a funny thing happened…on our walk back to the car we came across a gentleman posted up taking pictures with an even BIGGER lens than my mom’s. Sure enough, he was photographing a den full of little baby fox pups. “ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!? CAN IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!?!?!?!?!?!” - Kareen King. Then we spotted ANOTHER fox across the field leaping in the air before nose diving into a mound of dirt hunting its lunch. “CAN IT…..” Ok sorry that was the last one. What a wild ride. In all seriousness you’ll have to check out my mom’s Facebook to see all her wonderful wildlife pics from the trip.
Moments before an eagle nearly gouged her eyes out.
“I got the shot”
NEED MORE LENS
The infamous fox
An epic battle of the lenses
It really was an incredible day. We ended with some ice cream at the harbor before taking the ferry back home. We sat in silence while mom spent the next hour and a half pouring over her photos drooling in anticipation from all the likes she would soon get on Facebook.
The crew at Cattle Point Park
The next day we stayed closer to home and explored some of our favorite spots in the neighborhood. Highlights included the Ballard Locks, Gasworks Park, brewery hopping, Golden Gardens and dinner with our good friend Charlie.
Golden Gardens
West Coast IPAs all day
Busted
“It’s so funky!”
The Locks
Little did Charlie know when he bought a dining room table he’d be responsible for hosting family dinners.
Our favorite brewery, Stoup!
Seattle Arboretum
It wouldn’t be a true visit to see us without doing a hike. We drove around Snoqualmie Pass until we could find something geriatric friendly to accommodate you know who. IMHO nothing beats the beauty you find in the great PNW.
Forced them to dress in orange so we couldn’t lose them on the trail
Sadly, Steph had to work on the last day of the trip. The rest of us spent our final hours together sightseeing around the city. We explored Carkeek Park, Kerry Park and capped off the trip with some Beecher’s mac n cheese at Pike Place Market!
Kerry Park
Short, sweet, and unforgettable. Thanks for a fantastic visit Mom and Dad!