Seattle was Seussical

So to save segments of amtrak travel I utilized BOLT bus to travel from Portland to Seattle ... It was a rainy 3 1/2 hour journey but the clouds began to clear as the Seattle skyline became visible. It was one of those moments where what I saw wasn't what I expected ... Even though I had no idea what I expected. It's actually a city!!! Yes, yes I know ... But Portland really wasn't ... I mean skyscraper/skyline-wise. I wait in a quaint little chinatown area for Mr Casey Evans to arrive from his job interview (which he got the job ... Yayyyy Casey). We head to his house and put ourselves together to go have dinner. We ended up at this place called Lunchbox Laboratory. They have a regular menu and a experimental menu ... The current one was Dr Seuss ... And yes I totally chose this place because of that ... There is no shame in my love and adoration of Theodor Geisel. I won't lie and say there weren't other options on the menu that garnered more of my attention but I had to order the Green Eggs and Ham-burger totally for the photo op 

My hipster sidecar was even served in A beaker ... It was tasty tang-alicious 

We head back home and Casey and I go for drinks ... I might have overinduldged a tad ... But I will blame the uber adorable bartender who showered me with attention. 

Morning was slow moving ... Not feeling quite up to par but eventually we get out the door and head out to see Seattle. 

We go to Pike Place Market where I get to see the ceremonial throwing of the fish and then we get some sushi made with fish that was literally right off the boats ... Yeah it's that good. 

You can't do Seattle without some real coffee ... And while I realize Starbucks tries to claim real and is a Seattle institution, trust me when I say that if you want real you avoid Starbucks and find a smaller quaint shop ... And since I am on a macchiato kick, I grab one ... I do love my macchiatos. So strong and perfect in a cute little cup. 

We venture to pioneer square, where I happen to find the city's oldest restaurant. 

After a local blonde brew beer I notice a bottle of Washington Wheat Whiskey on the shelf and I must try it ... It's smooth and tasty and takes away my slight hangover I might have. 

Their happy hour menu has these little suckers ... Bacon wrapped prawns with romesco sauce and cilantro oil ... So of course I must try it ... It wasn't bad but I don't feel the flavors made sense together ... But now I am off to go see the Space Needle 

I learn while there Seattle's a little ... How do you say ... Oh yeah slow ... Took them 37 years to declare it a structural landmark ... Oh well they had better things to do ... Like be really politically forward and such 

Near the Space Needle they have this Chulily Garden with these very Seuss-like flowers that have nothing to do with Dr Seuss but immediately get my attention ... They even sing when you hug them ... So of course I must 

Excuse that I look like hell ... It was a rainy Seattle day and well I dressed and yano didn't really do my hair based on that fact ...  

We then head home where I get a good nights sleep prepare to begin my VERY long trek to Chicago ... But of course not without more coffee because you truly CANNOT get enough of the amazing coffee in Seattle 

 

As cities go Seattle is beautiful and clean ... People friendly and animal friendly and everything is seriously more colorful there 

Plants are greener and rainbows are rainbowier 

and are literally everywhere ... I guess as they say ... The soul would never see rainbows had the eyes never shed tears makes much sense here ... Literally and figuratively for me ... When you dance through Seattle's raindrops you get rainbows on every corner ... And, for me, that  captures my heart ... I will miss Seattle ... Not sure I could endure the amounts of rain it sees, but it is a magnificent city that I love everything else about ... And then I sit for 46 hours en route to Chicago ... 

Food isn't food until you've been to Portland

I arrive in Portland 3 hours late due to track repair and freight traffic. Hope tells me this is a good thing because at 3:30 it was raining and at 6:30 it wasn't and she doesn't like the first impression to be rain. I make my way via trimet to the hotel and I quickly learn that Portland is full of pleasantness. I love that in Portland you can download an app that holds your trimet tickets in electronic form so as to not use paper. I get off the MAX and begin walking to the hotel (only a little bit from the hotel) but a bus driver stops and says it isn't far but get on you're toting so much. Portland has heart. 

After a much needed shower I seek out dinner. The restaurant I wanted was just closing so I opt for a place next door. At the Redwood I order a cheese terrine that was magnificent and had a complex set of flavors and ingredients I couldn't quite determine what I was eating (it was also dark so you couldn't really tell by looking at it either). It was delightful though so I was happy. The specials made me wonder what exactly was going on ... It was taco Tuesday so there was a special of a hibiscus margarita and Carne Asada tostadas, also thai curry mussels and an Italian dish I can't recall but I was questioning why the choices seemed so different from each other in style and ethnic flavors .... But hey they can do what they want ... I opt for the taco Tuesday special because ... Well because $12 for a drink and dinner that's why ... 

The Carne Asada was slightly lackluster compared to the Carne Asada of San Francisco but over all the dish was delicious ... The salsa was magnificent.  

I walk back to the holt and get some sleep. 

In the AM I ask Hope about these food trucks I am hearing about ... She tells me they are everywhere but the largest grouping is at 10th and Washington ... I head out via trimet and it takes me to 5th and oak and in front of me are food trucks and I never continue on my way to the other grouping ... Oops! I locate Don Pedro's and opt for Mexican again ... Yeah idk but the tamales were screaming my name .... So I have one and a street taco of the Carne Asada variety ... It is beyond amazing and so simple ... Literally just a the meat, onions and cilantro and it was divine ... 

Then I learn of a few distilleries so I head in that direction ... At my first tasting room I hear of another food truck ... PBJ ... Ok I must go but first another distillery ... Where I acquire a bottle of double barrel bourbon that I can't wait to try but I also want to hold it as a momento so I haven't opened it and don't know if I will 

And then I find the most magnificent food truck ever!!!

The Betty 

The Good morning 

Yes the Betty totally makes the menu cut ... And then some hotel time to digest ;) 

Hope picks me up and we go for drinks in an adorable part of town called Alberta ... Restaurants everywhere and hipster central but much better than NoLibs hipster scene. I have an Oban and we head to Salt and Straw ... Ice cream that is anything but "just ice cream" it has such amazing flavors available you really want one of those 12 scoop friendly's style portions but you'd have to settle for a tasting spoon of most. I opt for my free double scoop of olive oil and pear and bleu cheese thanks to the Chinook app ... I also get to try to strawberry balsamic with black pepper and coffee and bourbon 

And then some more sleep. 

In the morning I head to city center to get my bus but not without heading to grab some foodtruck noshables for the road ... Another tamale and a Kim chi quesadilla from the Korean fusion truck ... This item is amazing!!!!!! 

And because the locals have said voodoo donuts is overrated and to try bluestar instead ... Um ya ... Agreed ... 

Cointreau Creme brûlée ... You can speak you just savor 

Blueberry bourbon basil .... Hollahhh 

And then I am on the road and headed to Seattle ... Portland you win hands down for foodie paradise ... And I will return to eat and to partake of said whiskey library 

Hills and hippies ...

 

   

My first stop in San Francisco was Haight-Ashbury

... It was a scene of hippies and hills and head shops everywhere ... So Ithaca on a grander scale ... I loved it ... I spent some time with my girl Anny (of tavern lore)

and had some drinks in the Castro area with my boy Eric (also of tavern lore)

and back with Anny to see a band ... I also had the most delicious Carne Asada tater tots ever!!! (Not that I had ever had them before but I've had tots and I've had tots with many toppings and these were just marvelous) 

If you happen to be in San Francisco you must locate these specific ones ... A place called parkside near a bar called Connecticut Yankee (ickkk crappy not personable bartender and boston gear everywhere) ... And then I sleep ... 

Day 2 I ventured out to see the San Francisco of local lore ... I hop aboard BART and head to the ferry building also known as the Port of San Francisco 

This building was like a really nice reading terminal ... If you've been in Philly you will understand ... If not it's a maze of stands offering foods of many flavors with a spattering of other options 

Enjoyed a light snack of some delicious empanadas that knocked all empanadas I have had out of the water 

Corn, basil and cheese 

Asparagus, roasted red pepper and cheese 

And then I made my walk to the wharf seeing so much along the way 

Alcatraz 

Sailboats galore 

Golden gate bridge far off in the distance 

All the sea lions !!!!!

Seagulls here are no joke ... They are HUGE 

Fishing boats ... The wharf must be near ... And all the delectable sourbread seafood yumminess I have heard of 

Random sites along the way 

I am here and all I can smell is delicious seafood everywhere !!!!

I want ... But I shan't have ... I have come for one thing and one thing only ... I must have one 

Ahhhhhh ... I have it ... Sourdough bread bowl and chowdahhhh ... It is good ... Although those who have had mine know I can do better ... It was still delicious 

And now I am too full to walk ... So I hop aboard a cable car 

See my bloated stomach from my chowder bowl ... It could have been warmer but it was still a good time 

It takes me to a mall with the most incredible escalators ... They turn!!!

This mall was huge !!! This is looking up to at all the escalators going up!!! I want to shop ... I want badly to shop ... But that means more to tote along and ughhhh to that ;) but I am cold so I return to the hotel and a hot tub to warm myself 

Day 3 and final day off to see the golden gate and the famous hairpin curves of Lombard street (that I learn while searching it's location was named after Lombard street in philly) I decide today shall be a walking day ... Yes I am aware San Francisco has hills ... I am undaunted ... I am focused (besides I've eaten many carbs) 

And I have seen it ... It is big ... It is beautiful ... And I now feel like ok been there done that ... Time to go 

And the walk begins 

I begin at just about sea level and apparently go below sea level ...

A few sights along the way ... Fort Point 

The Palace of Fine Arts 

 And I take on a quite rapid incline that I decide I shall jog up ... I make it half way before I lose my momentum 

Yes this hill ... I decided to run up this hill ... It doesn't look nearly as daunting till you make it up and look down 

And now I understand my loss of momentum ... It was way more incline than I had thought ... But I push on the famous hairpin turns await me at the top 

Made it! And now I can also see Alcatraz again 

Thank goodness for a panoramic view to capture a hairpin ... There are 8 because this portion of Lombard street would be too steep without them ... It is still very steep 

And then I go to get myself a reward for my walking and running ... 

rock crab and shrimp salad ... It disappoints me ... I only taste the mayonnaise and nothing more ... But of course the sourdough is perfection and then I opt for a second cable car ride ... 

And then I am ready (well it is time) to leave San Francisco ... But I will return ... It is beautiful and the vibe is awesome ... If a one bedroom didn't cost $4500 a month it could be a contender ... But for now it's a great place to visit and fall in love with