To Detroit and back

This afternoon, I returned from my road trip to the Detroit area with my family (Mom, Dad, Lori, Tita Marie, and Tito Gaddy). We attended the annual gathering of east coast and midwest members of PAUSA (Pangilenians Association of USA). This was my first time to attend such an event. I had a really good time, with only a minimum of the aggravation that inevitably comes with being cooped up with family for a few days straight. :-D

We left Chicago on Friday morning. The drive there took longer than we expected, because we ran into traffic leaving Chicago and then again as we approached Detroit, since we got there during the evening rush hour (oops). So we had just enough time to check into our hotel in Troy and get dressed before heading over to a nearby restaurant where a Hawaiian-themed dinner/dance was being held. It was fun seeing my mom and aunt meet up with people from their hometown who they hadn't seen or heard from in years. Lori and I also met some people from our generation :-) which was cool, since I was concerned that we'd be the only "young" people in attendance... I was almost certainly the oldest of the young'uns, but everyone initially thought I was still in my 20s, if not a teeneger, heh. After dinner, Lori headed off to hang out with some of our new friends, while I headed back to the hotel with the "grown-ups" (I was feeling my age and was pretty tired by that point).

On Saturday, we headed over to Metro Beach Park along the shores of Lake St. Clair, for a picnic with the PAUSA group (the main event of the whole weekend). The weather was great, there was a ton of good food, and I met some more people. After lunch, some of the "youngsters" and I walked over to the beach which was populated with seagulls and Canada geese (!) then headed back to the picnic area for some fun and games, photo opps, and more food. The picnic went on till sundown, then we headed back to the hotel to rest for a little while. Around midnight, Kevin (one of our new pals, who lives in Detroit) picked up my sister, me, and two of Kevin's cousins, and we headed into downtown Detroit for some late-night sightseeing. We saw Ford Field, Comerica Park, Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Center, Hart Plaza, and the Spirit of Detroit. We also got to see the Windsor, Ontario skyline, and we drove through Detroit's Greektown. After our little excursion, we grabbed a bite to eat at Steak & Shake and then got back to the hotel around 3am. :-) It was a good time, and Kevin now has a "tour route" that he can use for future Detroit visitors, hehe.

Today's drive back to Chicago wasn't quite as long as the drive out, although we still hit traffic heading into the city (I think a White Sox game let out just as we were driving through the south side... great timing). I had fun spending quality time with the family, and meeting new friends, but it feels good to be back home. Too bad I have to go back to work tomorrow. :-P

Here are a few pics... I will post more once I get access to the ones from my mom's and/or Kevin's cameras.


The PAUSA members


Egg game


In front of Comerica Park


Windsor, Ontario skyline


Mimicking the Underground Railroad statue

Map time

Just updating my visited states map to reflect my recent Seattle trip. :)



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Seattle trip: The (longer-than-expected) voyage home

Well, I'm back home in Chicago! My trip home was a little longer than anticipated but at least I got home safe and sound. The day started off with a traffic jam heading into Seattle airport. Luckily I had left the hotel with plenty of time to spare. Then I managed to miss the ramp to the rental car return area *twice* (it was marked, but due to road construction the entrance to the ramp was partly obscured by cones and barriers). Anyway, I eventually was able to return my car, check in for my flight, go through the (slow) security line, and grab some lunch while I waited to board. Due to storms in Chicago, boarding was delayed about 30 minutes. That wasn't so bad, but then we had to wait on the tarmac for another hour (ugh). Finally we took off, and the flight went pretty smoothly from there, aside from some turbulence as we flew through storm clouds approaching Chicago; this elicited some screams from the elderly ladies seated near me, and the little kids sitting towards the back of the plane (I was jostled awake from my nap, but I've been through worse bumps in flight). After landing I made my way to the CTA station and boarded the train home, which itself was delayed due to track construction along the Blue Line. So, about 2.5 hours later than I had expected, I'm home. :-)

Aside from the slight delays getting home, I had a really good time on my Seattle trip. Here are a few of my lasting impressions of the city:

• So. Many. Trees! And mountains. And bodies of water. There's a lot of topography in/around Seattle that we just don't have here in Chicago!


• The roads are kind of confusing, partly due to point #1, but also because of the naming/numbering scheme. I got lost a few more times than is typical for me. :-P


• It only rained one day during my four day trip. So much for that preconceived notion. :-)

Thank you again to Suzanne and Dave for their hospitality and company over the weekend! I got to experience a lot of Seattle with their guidance, but there's still lots more to see, and I'm looking forward to my next trip there.

Of course, I took many photos, some of which I posted in previous entries, but more of which can be found here:

• Day 1 and 2 photos


• Day 3 photos

Seattle trip: Rainy day and Monday

After a busy day hanging out with Suzanne and her family, I decided to take it relatively easy yesterday, which worked out because the weather was not very pleasant - chilly and off-and-on rainy most of the day. I started off the day at the Bellevue Square shopping mall where I bought a bunch of souvenirs for family and a couple items for myself. :-) Next, I ventured over to Redmond to catch a glimpse of the Microsoft campus. Finally, I drove back the other way on 502 to University Village, an outdoor mall near the University of Washington campus. I got a bit lost on the way back :-) but otherwise, it was a nice little road trip. The rest of the day and evening I just spent relaxing in my hotel room.


Inside Bellevue Square

Today, Dave (Teknodave) picked me up from my hotel shortly after 8am for a full day of sightseeing. We started off by heading over to Snoqualmie Falls. In addition to the falls, we also saw the lodge that was featured in the tv series Twin Peaks some years back. Next we drove through North Bend and then back up through Seattle. We stopped at the Ballard Locks and watched a few boats go through. Our next stop was Gasworks Park where I took more pics of the Seattle skyline. Next we saw the Fremont Troll, a neat sculpture situated under an overpass. Also in Fremont we saw a statue of Lenin, and "the center of the universe" (hehe). Eventually we ended up in northern Seattle where we had lunch at Wedgwood Broiler (very tasty burgers).


Snoqualmie Falls


Me and the Fremont Troll

After lunch, we hit the road again and drove down towards Puyallup hoping to catch a glimpse of Mount Rainier. As luck would have it, the fluffy clouds parted just enough for us to see the peak of the mountain as we drove into Orting. We grabbed some smoothies at Emerald City Smoothies then drove back towards Seattle, this time heading into the west side of town. We drove along the waterfront for a while and stopped a few times for some photo opps, including a few more shots of Mt. Rainier, whose peak was now in full view as the skies cleared even more.


Mount Rainier

We crossed back into downtown Seattle and visited Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle and other attractions. The weather was now really clear so I got some nice shots of Seattle and vicinity from atop the Space Needle, including more pics of Mt. Rainier (since we have no mountains in Chicagoland I had to get my fill of mountain peak photos here, heh). We also checked out International Fountain and got misted upon by some of the higher-flying water jets. After leaving Seattle Center, Dave took me into the Capital Hill neighborhood, where we visited Volunteer Park, including a trip up the old water tower (100+ steps!) where I took more scenery photos. Finally, we grabbed dinner at Dick's Drive-In and headed back to Bellevue where Dave dropped me off at my hotel.


View of downtown and Mt. Rainier from the Needle


Space Needle and International Fountain

It was a very full and fun day, and I greatly appreciate Dave taking time out of his long weekend to drive me all over the Seattle area! My camera and I got quite a workout but it was definitely worth it. :-D


Me and Dave, exhausted :-)

Seattle trip: Island hopping

Yesterday I hung out with my friend Suzanne and her family, who live on picturesque Bainbridge Island, across Puget Sound from Seattle. I picked up my rental car in the morning and drove into downtown Seattle and onto the Bainbridge Island Ferry - the first time I ever drove onto a boat! I took a bunch of photos of the Seattle skyline and waterfront while I was on the ferry (it was about a 30-minute ride).


The Seattle-Bainbridge ferry

Once we docked on Bainbridge, I headed off to meet Suzanne at her beauty products shop (Ambrosia Beauty). She was there with her two adorable kids (PJ and Charlotte) and her friend Ariel and Ariel's two equally adorable children. I got a brief tour of the shop, then headed over with the gang to the toy store next door. Afterwards we all headed up the street to have lunch at a little Mexican restaurant. I had a great time catching up with Suzanne. We hadn't seen each other since she rolled off the project we were both working at in Alabama almost five years ago.


Suzanne in front of her shop

After lunch, we headed over to a cute little candy store where I bought a few items (someone I know will surely enjoy the chocolate espresso beans I picked up, hehe). Then we parted ways with Ariel and her kids, and I followed Suzanne back to her lovely home along the northwest coast of the island. Words cannot describe how beautiful her family's house is! It's like something straight out of a Restoration Hardware catalog. :-) Anyway, we hung out, played with the kids, and chatted some more before deciding to head back to Seattle for dinner, where we would meet up with Suzanne's husband Pat, a pilot who was flying back in from California.


Suzanne & Pat's backyard

We went to this awesome Asian fusion restaurant in downtown Seattle called Wild Ginger. It was crowded, but we managed to find a few seats in the bar area. Pat was running late so Suzanne and I had to keep fending off people who wanted to take his chair, LOL. Anyway, the food was sooo good. We got a bunch of satays (lamb skewers, prawns, and these amazing bbq short ribs) and a seven-flavor beef entree. I also had a yummy mango daiquiri that tasted more like a smoothie than an alcoholic drink. It was a great end to a fun day. Many thanks to Suzanne and her family for spending part of their weekend hanging out with me!


Me and Suzanne at Wild Ginger

Today I plan to do some shopping in/around Bellevue, and if I'm feeling adventurous I may try to drive over to Microsoft HQ in Redmond, just to be able to say I saw it. :-) Pics to come...

Edit: Pics added!

Seattle trip: Greetings from the Emerald City

I'm in Seattle! Well, technically, I am in Bellevue, which is the town where my hotel is located. My flight went smoothly and arrived on time (and I even got upgraded to an exit row in Economy Plus - not that I really needed the extra legroom, but it was a nice little bonus anyway). Teknodave was kind enough to give me a ride from Sea-Tac airport to my hotel, saving me cab fare or a day's car rental. I will be picking up a rental car tomorrow morning though from a nearby Avis. Then I will be heading over to meet my friend/former co-worker Suzanne and her family, who live on Bainbridge Island. Apparently I need to take a ferry to get there. :-) I'll get the details in the morning. Speaking of, I should get to bed, since it's almost 2am here (meaning 4am Chicago time... though I did nap for about two hours on the plane).

Summer vacation plans!

Well, I have decided to follow the results of the survey which my vast readership (ha) responded to, and will be going to Seattle for four days at the end of next month. I'll arrive there late in the evening on Friday, June 22, and will return on Tuesday, June 26. I will be staying at a hotel in Bellevue.

I've never been to Seattle before, so I'm excited. I'll be going alone, which will be interesting, but I do have some acquaintances there, including a former co-worker, and a couple of online friends, so hopefully I'll get to hang out with them during my stay.

Where oh where

So I requested the last week of June off as vacation from work, and my request was approved (yay!) so now I'm wondering where I should travel to, or if I should just stay home and chill for a week. I could try to hit up Seattle, which I had hoped to visit last summer but it didn't work out. Or, I could visit relatives in either San Diego, San Fran, or DC. Or I could check out some other town. It'll probably have to be within the lower 48 or Canada though, since I'll only have one week off. :-)

So tell me... Where do you suggest I should go?

Where should I go for my summer vacation?
	Seattle
	San Diego
	San Francisco
	Washington, DC
	Other
	Just stay home
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