Saltyscout's Blog

The Do It List – Tree Lighting Ceremony – Leavenworth, WA

saltyscout — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:37:07 +0000

Road Trip! Ok, Christmas is right around the corner. What better way to get in the mood than to eat roasted chestnuts, watch a tree lighting ceremony, look in Christmas shops, and play in the snow? I can’t think of any. Leavenworth, my favorite Bavarian mountain town, has a very charming tree lighting ceremony. The whole thing can be a bit cheesy, but overall I think this makes for a very pleasant day or weekend trip.

Tree Lighting Ceremony: Gather at the gazebo in the middle of town at dusk to see Santa, enjoy roasting chestnuts, holiday music, and tree lighting. http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/?pageid=266. This event is free.

Other Festivities: A Christmas Carol, the play. http://www.leavenworthsummertheater.org/. $16 -$20 a person.

Winter Sports: Snow shoeing, skiing, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, dog sledding, and snow tubing. http://www.icicleinn.com/activities/wintersports.htm.

Food: Chestnuts and hefty sausages are sold on the street. There are also countless Bavarian style restaurants in this town. http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/?pageid=39&path=37|39&path=37|39.

Transportation: The drive from Seattle to Leavenworth takes about 3 hours. Make sure to check the weather advisory for the mountains before you go. Also, Amtrak has started train service from Seattle to Leavenworth. http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage.

- Salty Scout

The Do It List – Two More Activities for this Frosty Weekend.

saltyscout — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:24:32 +0000

Robert Mapplethorpe Photo

1. Visit the Henry Art Museum – “Polaroids: Mapplethorpe” is currently showing at the Henry. The title says it all, the exhibit consists of polaroids taken by Robert Mapplethorpe. I haven’t had a chance to see the exhibit yet, but I figure if the photos were taken by Mapplethorpe, they have to be interesting. http://www.henryart.org/exhibitions/current/1106. $10 admission or free on first Thursdays.

2. High Tea at Remedy Teas – This is not your British grandma’s high tea. You can get a small or large tea service, either way you will get amazing cookies, chocolates, vegan brownies, scones, and sandwiches. My personal favorite is the brownie. It is better than any vegan or non vegan brownie I have ever had. Also, you can choose from more than a hundred organic teas. If you haven’t visited this small tea shop on Capital Hill, you are missing out. The shop always smells amazing, it is great for people watching, and has a cozy modern decor. Only downer is the lack of electrical outlets for your laptop. http://remedyteas.com.

- Salty Scout

The Do It List – for this Frosty Weekend.

saltyscout — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:18:01 +0000

It is freakin’ cold outside! I wanted to create a list of weekend activities that meets the needs of the cold phobic and the cold enthusiast. Here’s a list of 3 activities for the weekend.

1. Not Your Mom’s Holiday Shopping (Unless Your Mom is Awesome) - Do you ever feel like all the shops sell all the same things? Some of my favorite unique shops include the following:

a. Uwajimaya – Asian grocery and goods store. Lot’s of great kitchen ware, books, robes, interesting food, and more. Don’t forget to hit the roasted chestnuts on the way in or out and parking is free if you spend $7 in the store. http://www.uwajimaya.com;

b. Elliot Bay Book Company - Independent Book Store open since 1973 - rows of books, magazines, and old, wood floors. Nice card selection too. http://www.elliottbaybook.com; and

c. Fran’s Downtown Chocolate Shop - Chocolate dipped figs, thick sipping chocolate, and of course salted caramels. These folks often give out hefty samples too. Also, the store sits right by the Lusty Lady, just in case you need a peep show with your gourmet chocolate. http://www.franschocolates.com/home.php and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusty_Lady.

d. The SAM Store - The museum is nice, but the shop may be even nicer. The store’s motto is “touch art, take it home.” This is a great shop for buying toys and artsy home decor. Little on the pricey side. http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/Store/store.asp.

2. Ice Skate at Seattle Center – Every year the Seattle Center holds Winterfest, a festival with many cold weather themed activities, including ice skating. You can bundle up, bring a little schnappsy hot chocolate, and connect with your inner Brian Boitano. Only $5 for adults and $2 for skate rentals. http://www.seattlecenter.com/programs/detail.asp?EV_EventNum=55.

3. Book Readings at Elliot Bay Book Store – Ok, so you already visited Elliot Bay Books to buy your Mom a Christmas gift and you are thinking why should I go back? The answer, the book readings! Plus, you are probably broke from all the shopping, the book readings are often free, and amazing authors speak at Elliot Bay. http://www.elliottbaybook.com/node/events/current.

Check in later this week for two more activities for this weekend’s Do It list!

- Salty Scout

Road Trip 1 – Port Townsend

saltyscout — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:15:51 +0000

My boyfriend, his family, and I got out of the city today. We traveled to Port Townsend. A small town on the Olympic Peninsula. Sometimes I crave escaping the city to get a change of scenery, and Port Townsend is a close get away that feels a world away.

Here is what you must experience when you are in Port Townsend.

1. Lunch at Fountain Cafe – This eatery is a little pricey and a little slow, but the food it serves is super delicious. My party shared a platter of fried oysters. I thought they might be gross. Turns out they are ridiculously awesome fried little jems. I then had a turkey reuben sandwich with Creole sauce on rye, amazing and messy.

2. Undertown Coffee Shop - Undertown blew me away. The entrance and stairwell are a bit creepy, but if you travel down the corridor to the coffee shop, you will be rewarded. It looks like a hideout/lounge lined with walls of bricks. I am always on the lookout for restaurants, coffee shops, and other establishments with unusual locations. If an establishment has a magical setting, I find the experience is more magical. Also, they serve Stump Town coffee. I don’t like coffee, but I hear Stumptown is good. Warning, if you visit this spot, you will run into some Peninsula hipsters.

3. Imprint Bookstore – This is a quintessentially pleasant, small town book store. Imprint is cozy and has a great selection of books, even though it is small. They stock a sizable collection of books from North West authors, current fiction, kid’s books, books on how to survive the recession, gardening, and green housing. I love poking through all the books in this shop.

4. The View - While visiting Port Townsend, you have to check out all the different great views. There are many amazing ocean vistas from waterfront shops and little beaches. Also, look above main street, there are gorgeous Victorian homes perched on the top of the hills that butt up against downtown Port Townsend. Lastly, you can’t miss the ridiculously beautiful mountains.

* Transportation - I recommend driving to the Edmonds ferry terminal (roughly 20 minutes North of Seattle), hop on the ferry, and take it to Kingston. You should take a car on the ferry, this is not a walkable trip. There is also a ferry direct from Whidbey Island to Port Townsend. You can also drive all the way down to Olympia and then up the Peninsula, but this will take a long time. The ferries are expensive, but if you truly want just a day trip, take a ferry.

* Time Investment – This is really an all day trip. It takes about four hours round trip to get from Seattle to Port Townsend and back again.

* Unexpected Downer - There is a paper mill on the outskirts of Port Townsend or at least it smells like there is. When you are first driving into and out of this town, it is going to smell nasty or as my boyfriend put it “it smells like someone missed the bathroom and that person ate asparagus.” So hold your nose! Trip is still worth it though!

- Salty Scout