Megan’s parents came to visit us looking to join in on our explorations, so naturally we fit a lot of variety into a weekend again! We tried to show them as much of western Washington as possible. We had to work on Friday, so we sent them off to Seattle with a list of fun things to do and then we met up with them for dinner after work. We chose Elliott’s Oyster House for our Friday night dinner on the waterfront of downtown Seattle. Located off to the left from the ferry terminal, slightly further down the pier than Ivar’s, you must walk out onto the boardwalk to reach the front door. It was a very nice place with plenty of fresh seafood options and surf and turf thrown into the mix as well!
Elliott’s Oyster House on the downtown Seattle waterfront
The delicious, though expensive, seafood-heavy, Elliott’s menu.
Elliott’s Oyster House on the downtown Seattle waterfront
The delicious, though expensive, seafood-heavy, Elliott’s menu.
Sol Duc Falls
On Saturday morning, we grabbed some caffeine in Port Angeles, a good halfway point stop on our way to Sol Duc Falls. We found Bada NW Coffee Bar right in downtown and it had just what Megan’s dad needed. It was a comfy, cabin-like coffee place with plenty of wooden decor and tasty drinks. We then finished our trek to Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail which was about one hour further west. This is a mostly flat 1.6 mile out and back trail through a moss-filled, lush green forest with a unique three prong waterfall at the turn around point. We have done this trail before but had to bring my parents back because it’s so beautiful! FYI- to enter the Sol Duc area you do have to pass an Olympic Park ranger station, just like the Hoh rainforest and Hurricane Ridge, so have your National Park Pass or $30 ready.
Bada NW Coffee Bar in Downtown Port Angeles
Cute and cabin-like interior of Bada NW Coffee Bar
The moss-flocked Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail!
Sol Duc Falls!
Bada NW Coffee Bar in Downtown Port Angeles
Cute and cabin-like interior of Bada NW Coffee Bar
The moss-flocked Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail!
Sol Duc Falls!
Sequim
To break up our drive on the way back east, we stopped in a small town called Sequim (pronounced SKWIM not SEE-QUIM). Several people had recommended The Oak Table Cafe in downtown Sequim to us, so we decided to check it out for lunch. On the inside it has a very homey Scandinavian feel to it. They had a lunch menu, but large breakfast items are their specialty. They close at 3:00 p.m., so we just barely made it in time, but it was quite worth it! They give you very large portions and all of us greatly enjoyed our meals. Our favorites here were an Oak Table special, the giant 3-inch-tall apple pancake, the golden-brown apple cinnamon waffles, and the buttermilk pancakes.
Oak Table Cafe in Sequim
The biggest apple pancake you’ve ever seen!
Oak Table Cafe in Sequim
The biggest apple pancake you’ve ever seen!
Bainbridge
After filling our bellies at The Oak Table Cafe, we drove to Bainbridge where we split up for a bit. Megan’s dad and Adam rented kayaks through Exotic Aquatics and explored Eagle Harbor while Megan’s mom and Megan checkout out the downtown Bainbridge shops on Winslow Way E. After our separate activities, we reconvened at Bainbridge Brewing Ale House, located near the ferry terminal. They have a great logo and a good vibe with games to choose from, but we did not especially enjoy their beers. After some tasting flights, it was time for food again, so we found a Mexican place in a little mall down the road, Casa Rojas. For dessert, we went to Mora Iced Creamery, Megan’s favorite ice cream shop in western Washington! It is located right in downtown Bainbridge, they have lots of flavor options, and they have the best hot fudge!
Bainbridge Brewing Company
A variety of flights at Bainbridge Brewing!
Casa Rojas in a mall in Bainbridge
Bainbridge Brewing Company
A variety of flights at Bainbridge Brewing!
Casa Rojas in a mall in Bainbridge
Silverdale
After our busy day, it was time to head back to the parents’ hotel for some relaxing. They stayed at the Oxford Suites in Silverdale which we highly recommend. It overlooks Dyes Inlet, is conveniently located, and has included a warm breakfast, soup and salad bar for dinner, and two drinks per adult. We hung out in the hot tub for a while on Saturday night and then played some board games in the lobby until we hit the hay!
View of Dyes Inlet from a hotel room at the Oxford Suites in Silverdale.
View of Dyes Inlet from a hotel room at the Oxford Suites in Silverdale.
Seattle
On Sunday, we headed back over to Seattle for some more exploring. We started our morning at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and then made our way to Nuflours, a completely gluten-free bakery in Capitol Hill. Both places are a bit expensive, but tasty and good experiences for sure. If you eat gluten-free, Nuflours is definitely a place to check out! After sharing all of our pastries, our favorites were the muffins, especially the cinnamon banana.
Nuflours Bakery in Capitol Hill
An entirely gluten-free bakery!
So many goodies!
Nuflours Bakery in Capitol Hill
An entirely gluten-free bakery!
So many goodies!
Boeing Future of Flight
After our brief stop in Seattle, we headed about 30 minutes north to Everett, where the Boeing factory lives. We did the 90-minute Future of Flight Tour which was very educational and interesting. We got to hang out in the largest building in the world by volume (it can hold 911 full basketball courts and two of its hangar doors equal a football field) and learn about planes that cost almost 500 million dollars.
Boeing Future of Flight Tour!
We got to see some crazy, huge planes!
Boeing Future of Flight Tour!
We got to see some crazy, huge planes!
Kenmore Air
After learning about how planes are made, we decided to get in one! We drove back down to Seattle and found the Kenmore Air Base right on Lake Union. A seaplane pulled right up to the dock to pick us up for our scenic tour of Seattle. We quickly boarded the 10-passenger plane, the pilot started driving quickly through the water, and suddenly we were airborne! We were up in the air for about 20 minutes, flying over all the Seattle area. What a great way to gain an appreciation for how much water and beauty this area holds! We were quite lucky to get a window of sunshine during our flight in this well-known city of clouds, but Mount Rainier unfortunately remained hidden. This was the highlight of our weekend and we definitely recommend this short tour! Kenmore Air also does seaplane flights to several further destinations in B.C.
Kenmore Air in Seattle
Getting ready for takeoff in the float plane!
This 20 minute aerial tour really gave us a greater appreciation for how much water surrounds Seattle.
Downtown Seattle!
Seattle’s sports stadiums!
The floating bridge over Lake Washington
One of the several houseboat communities!
The seaplane we went for a spin in!
Kenmore Air in Seattle
Getting ready for takeoff in the float plane!
This 20 minute aerial tour really gave us a greater appreciation for how much water surrounds Seattle.
Downtown Seattle!
Seattle’s sports stadiums!
The floating bridge over Lake Washington
One of the several houseboat communities!
The seaplane we went for a spin in!
Theo Chocolate
After our spectacular flight, we drove just north to Theo Chocolate in Fremont. We did a 60-minute tour of this chocolate factory that was educational and provided lots of chocolate samples! At the end of the tour, you head to the gift shop for more samples and the opportunity to purchase your choice of tasty chocolate. Theo Chocolate is unique in that they are USDA Organic and Fair for Life certified meaning they get their chocolate supplies ethically.
Theo Chocolate Factory Gift Shop (with free samples!)
Theo Chocolate Factory Tour
Samples!
Where chocolate is made!
Theo Chocolate Factory Gift Shop (with free samples!)
Theo Chocolate Factory Tour
Samples!
Where chocolate is made!
Fremont Brewing
Just east some blocks down the road from Theo Chocolate, you will find another indulgence- beer. Fremont Brewing is our favorite brewery in the Seattle area so far. Their urban beer garden is unique in that it’s lined with plants and flowers which help to separate it from the bustle of the city, and they have countless different areas to sit inside and outside. Our favorite beer was Dark Star, an Imperial Oatmeal Stout, but really, they were all top notch.
Fremont Brewing: plant-lined Brewery with a relaxed vibe and tasty beers!
Our favorite of the current options was Dark Star!
Fremont Brewing: plant-lined Brewery with a relaxed vibe and tasty beers!
Our favorite of the current options was Dark Star!
This was another packed weekend, filled with further exploring and with fantastic times hanging out with Megan’s parents. We hope we provided you with some ideas for your own exploration!
Wow! You really packed a ton of fun adventures in your weekend! And how fun the flight must have been.
Always gotta pack as much Adventure in as possible 🙂 And yes, the flight was quite spectacular!
Could you tell me what theme are you using on your website?
It looks wonderful.
Thank you! We started with OceanWP but have revised just about all of it.