On Holiday

The following outlines how to become nerdy tourists for a few days in order to show your English cousins a good time.

 

Did you know that Stewart is a British citizen? His mom was born in the U.K. and grew up just outside of London. She met and married Stew's dad while working in Washington D.C. when she was in her early 20s, and the rest is history.

 

Being a dual citizen has definitely had its perks for Stew. When traveling internationally he switches seamlessly between his British and American passports (according to whichever customs lines are shorter). He is able to live and work in the U.K. whenever it strikes his fancy (and has done so for extended periods before). And when we travel to England we always have loads of family members eager to see us and spend time with us.

 

Stew's cousin, Simon, and his wife, Lisa, came all the way across the pond a few years ago to Seattle for our wedding. It was a quick trip, but they still got to do a few fun activities in between wedding festivities. And they liked the States so much that they were anxious to come back as soon as possible.

 

We met up with them in Las Vegas a couple years ago, but missed them last year when they hit Sin City again shortly after Ryder's birth. So we were super excited when we found out that they were planning a West Coast road trip this year, beginning in Seattle for a visit with our family.

 

Stew and I immediately began planning out activities, including a bunch of "nerdy tourist" things we've always wanted to do ourselves...



Photo op at Kerry Park, on the south slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. The breathtaking view shows downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay, the West Seattle peninsula, Bainbridge Island, and Mount Rainier.

 

Ride the Ducks is a popular Seattle land and water tour stretching nearly 20 miles from Seattle Center, historical Pioneer Square, quirky Fremont, and Lake Union.

 

Riding the Duck is pretty much one of the nerdiest Seattle tourism activities you can find. The Captain's commentary was packed with local folklore, historical information, jokes and music. We all loved it, especially Ryder. My favorite part was the Lake Union tour, which included breathtaking views of the Seattle skyline and Gasworks Park, as well as the floating home featured in Sleepless in Seattle.

 

Honestly, there's really not a better way to get a whirlwind tour of Seattle in just 90 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Of course, the iconic Space Needle was also on our list.

 

We rode the elevator up 520 feet for lunch at the revolving SkyCity Restaurant, featuring 360-degree views of Seattle, Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier.

Thanks to Executive Chef Jeff Maxfield, the food was absolutely delicious!

 

For a little culture, we got tickets to The Phantom of the Opera, which was showing at the Paramount Theatre (listed on the National Register of Historic Places and an official City of Seattle landmark). 

 

Stew and I first saw Phantom in London about five years ago and hadn't seen it since, so we were super excited to see the show again and definitely weren't disappointed!

 

 

We did have some fun outside the big city as well. We hosted a backyard barbeque so Simon and Lisa had a chance to hang out with Stew's brothers and some friends, and the next day we showed them some of Snoqualmie's amazing outdoor attractions.

 

Snoqualmie Falls, just a few miles from our house, is one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions featuring a two-acre park, gift shop, observation deck, the Salish Lodge and the famous 270-foot waterfall. 

 

 

We tried to cram in as much as we could during the short 48 hour visit, and I think we did a pretty good job. Of course the Pacific Northwest features bazillions of other activities that would have been equally fun, but we'll have to save those for another trip.

 

Traveling in style, Simon and Lisa departed Seattle in "the only acceptable way to take a road trip" -- a Mustang convertible. Their two-week adventure included various stops throughout Washington, Oregon, and California before heading home to England.

 

It was so much fun having them visit, and we hope to travel to the U.K. to see the whole family this spring (and get Ryder his British citizenship while we're there).

It's going to be brilliant.