Milly & Kelso Come to Town

Good evening!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, we sure did! We had a few more visitors roll into Seattle last week. My sister Molly and her husband Kelsey came to stay with us for a few days and it was such a great time! 

I was able to take a few days off of work to spend time with them, which was wonderful. It was a great mix of being out and about while also taking some time to relax. Unfortunately for the first few days of their visit, Trav was still traveling for work on a job site. So it was the three of us until Friday afternoon. 

For their first full day in town we spent the morning at the market, exploring all of the tiny shops and unique vendors. We watched a few fish get thrown and some fresh cheese get made. By the end of the morning, both Molly and I were heading home with bags full of yogurt, flowers, spices, cheese, lavender candles, natural bath products and a few other things. It was the first time I'd really spent some time shopping for things besides just produce. 

Since Trav was out of town, I figured we should seize the opportunity to have a meal that I knew Molly and Kelsey would love (but Travis would not have). We visited "The Roaring Bowl" which was a Korean "hot pot" restaurant near our house. It was a very fun and interactive lunch, cooking all of our own proteins and vegetables in various broths at our table. You can see below how much food was on the table, Molly and I didn't come anywhere near making a dent in the massive pile of vegetables, rice and noodles. Kelsey, however, really did get his money's worth : ) The only downside of our lunch was that we all smelled very "brothy" for the rest of the day. 

After our large soupy lunch, we did have to take a short nap before heading out to dinner. We took the bus over to Ballard and went to "Kings Hardware," the home of our favorite cocktail in Seattle so far...the "Grape Beehive." I knew Molly would enjoy it was much as I do, so we had to stop there for a taste test. We then jumped over to Matador for a nice little Mexican dinner, before taking the bus back home. I have to say I love taking advantage of public transportation whenever I can, traffic and parking in this city are a nightmare!

Friday morning before picking Trav up from the airport, I though it would be nice to take Moll and Kels to Snoqualmie Falls. Since it's less than an hour from the city and doesn't require any actual hiking, it's a good spot for visitors. We went there a few weeks after we moved to Seattle this spring and it was great, so I was happy to head back. As you can see, we had some fun by the falls, down by the river, and even in the gift shop finding some interesting hats. 

Once Trav was back in town the weekend was in full swing! Friday evening we went down to the park on the waterfront and dipped our toes into Puget Sound. However, getting our toes wet quickly turned into a whole body affair as Travis though it would be a good idea to throw Molly and I into the water fully clothed. IT WAS COLD! It was quite fun though and we all got a good laugh out of it (in addition to throwing empty crab shells and kelp at each other). Kelsey was the only one who willingly went for a real swim, the cold water didn't seem to bother him! He was one with the ocean. 

After getting soaked we came back home to enjoy a few cocktails before dinner. "What are those cool things you are drinking out of?" you ask? Well those are Zoku slush cups that my amazing mother sent me for my birthday. They turn any beverage into a slushy consistency. Let me tell you, I was skeptical...however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they work really well! So thanks Mom for the wonderful treat! We enjoyed them (with adult beverages). 

After a few cocktails we went to dinner nearby and came back home to call it a night. Saturday we ended up sleeping in a little, grabbing breakfast and then heading over to Alki Beach in West Seattle for the day. It was so nice to just lay on the sand and get some sun. It was a very relaxing afternoon! We also made another trip to the market so Kelsey could buy some fresh seafood to cook up for dinner. He started quite the culinary adventure which included clams, squid and salmon. It was several hours of intensive preparation that yielded a massive amount of food. It was quite fun to watch though (minus the squid preparation, which was not for the weak of stomach). I was very impressed with his skill in the kitchen! 

We ate dinner on the rooftop deck and enjoyed the beautiful sunset behind the Cascade Mountains. It seemed like the right way to close out their visit with us, especially since the weather was amazing! I was very sad to see them go as we dropped them at the airport this morning, but I think we are one step closer to recruiting the entire family to move out to Seattle. As some of you know my sister Jamie is moving out here in a few weeks! I am also campaigning for Maggie, Molly/Kelsey and my parents to join us at some point. One by one...we are winning them over! 

We have another exciting week ahead of us, my parents are visiting this weekend, so the Peterson Hotel continues to be open for business! It's been so fun to have so many visitors and get a little piece of home every now and then. 

Hope you all have a wonderful week, take care. 
Cheers!
KP