Activities - Oct. 7th

Today was my last day in the beautiful Emerald City. Sigh :(
Where did my vacation go?? How is it possibly over already?
Tomorrow morning I will wake up and head straight to the airport, so be forewarned, this will most likely be my last post regarding this trip.

I spent my last day like a bum, at least for the first half. I slept in until 10am and then lazily hungout at the house until 1:30pm or so. Esther and I then grabbed lunch near Greenlake and afterwards she dropped me off at the Gwaltney's for another afternoon with Steph & Nicole. Steph and I walked Greenlake again and also stopped for Chocolati hot chocolates again (the hot chocolate lived up to my expectations, almost as if I had forgotten its splendor and rediscovered its greatness). In addition to walking, I also snapped photos of Nicole. That little girl is such a cutie pie. Her bright blue eyes are intoxicating and her red hair is simply delightful.

This evening Jonathan, Esther and I went to the Queen Anne area for Vietnamese food. Under Jonathan's recommendation, I tried Phó for the very first time. I really liked it, it was very tasty! It reminded me a bit of gourmet ramen noodles, but 100% better. And the spicy kick from the jalapeños & red pepper sauce hit the spot. I would definitely have it again!

Photos of the day:

Food & drinks to note:
Tacos Guaymas veggie tostados
Chocolati hot chocolate
The Signature veggie phó
Stumptown decaf latte

Fun/interesting fact:
If you need help pronouncing Phó (my tasty Vietnamese dish), you can visit good 'ol Wikipedia and they'll help ya (click here for quick link).

Okay, it's time to wrap up. Thanks for following my journey; it's been fun and will be remembered fondly.
Until next time, so long and good night :)

Rachel Grace

Activities - Oct. 7th

My day alone to explore.
Yesterday morning I dropped Esther off at work and headed Downtown where I stayed until early afternoon. I mostly walked around Pike Place, stopping every once in a while to look at vendor tables and quaint little shops in the area. I also chatted with some of the locals and some not so locals. I lost count of how many times I had people ask me for directions; half the time I knew what to tell them, but the other half I had to reveal that I wasn't from around there. One of the places I didn't know directions to was the Gum Alley, so I joined the tourist in her search and helped get directions by asking one of the fish tossing guys. We were literally 30 feet away from the alley, so I decided to follow the woman and see the disgusting wall for myself. It really was disgusting, in a artsy/modern/intriguing sort of way. If you get close enough, you start getting whiffs of the faint gum. There are also some interesting finds stuck to the wall [besides gum]... some of which are cute or cool, but others were the opposite. Okay enough said. If you feel the need to see the Gum Alley now, by all means go, it's not like you have to pay to see it, but if you're content with not seeing it, that's superb.

Once I was satisfied with my Pike Place wandering, I headed east to the larger store district for an hour or so and then ventured even more east in search of my favorite coffee shop, Stumptown. The directions I had written down from Google were wrong, so I had to find the coffee shop all by myself. I over-guessed by 3 blocks, but despite the one way streets and such, I found my destination :). Having said that though, I still haven't got the hang of driving around the downtown area.... all the pedestrian crossings, bus lanes, different stop lights, etc., they are all so confusing. However, I am still in one piece and Jonathan's car is too, so I guess I'm doing okay.

Yesterday evening Jonathan, Esther and I headed back to the Downtown area where we caught dinner and a concert. Frightened Rabbit was playing at the ShowBox and a good show it was! The gig was quite entertaining, especially with Frightened Rabbit's lovely accents. The venue was nice too, a little big, but I'd prefer it over Cats Cradle any day.

Photo of the day:

North entrance to Pike Place Public Market

Food & drinks to note:
Beecher's melt in your mouth *amaziness* - mac&cheese
Pike Place produce stand honeycrisp apple!!
Stumptown americano
Mighty-O Donuts lemon poppy seed donut

Fun/interesting fact:
...I already mentioned the Gum Alley. So that's going to count as my 'interesting fact' for this post ;P
I've got to run. Cheers!

Rachel Grace

Activities - Oct. 6th

I can officially say that I have experienced Seattle's public transportation; this morning Jonathan and I took the bus into Downtown where we spent the entire day. We walked along the Puget Sound for awhile, snapped lots of photos, explored local shops, ate at an incredible Irish Pub, shopped/browsed more shops, walked around the SAM (Seattle Art Museum), and then caught a showing of 'The American' at the movie theater (side note: the movie was good - great cinematography & foreign/independent vibe, which made it beautiful and very artistic, but I would caution everyone to read a detailed 'content review' before watching, especially if you're a fella.....). The bus ride home was entertaining to say the least. It was very full and some interesting characters decided to hitch a ride as well, which made me realize that people watching at the mall isn't where it's at. Haha.

I took too many photos today to only pick one, so here are a few instead:

Food & drinks to note:
Cherry Street Coffee House a decent mug of drip coffee
Fabó turkey burger with sweet potato fries & a black velveteen (half Guinness & half hard cider - yum!)
Zeitgeist latte

Fun/interesting fact:
I have always wanted to learn how to blow glass. Consider it a phenomenon that has continually intrigued me. Well, today at the Glass House in Pioneer Square, Jonathan and I got to watch glass blowers at work in their in-house studio, it was fantastic and oh so enjoyable. It was remarkable to see the development of the pieces, especially when the workers added simple shards to add color and dimension to their pieces. Hmm... I guess I should really add glass blowing to my so called 'bucket list' ;)

I need to catch some ZzZzz; tomorrow I'm taking Esther into work so that I can have the car and explore on my own, which means waking up early. Later alligators!

Rachel

Activities - Oct. 5th

A grand day of sightseeing took place today; we (Jonathan, Esther and I) adventured to Vashon Island, WA where we drove around somewhat aimlessly and then stopped for a peaceful afternoon at one of the waterfronts/beaches. We pretty much just walked around, snapped pictures and sat on a blanket talking and enjoying our lovely surroundings. This evening was spent at home, eating leftovers and watching a ridiculous movie.... the film will remain nameless because I'm embarrassed to say the title. It wasn't a very good movie.

Photo of the day:

Lisabeula Park/Beach, Vashon Island WA

Food & drinks to note:

Cafe Flora potato & corn chowder and a vegan blackbean burger (if you are vegetarian, vegan or have any allergies, this restaurant will rock your world!! The food there is amazingly good and they are so great at catering to your diet. I think they're easily a Seattle favorite).

Fun/interesting fact:

When you want to escape the big city life, Vashon is your place; however, if you think you'll want coffee during any portion of your trip, bring your own!! ...the coffee shops there are few and in between and the ones that do exist are absolutely dreadful. I think I drank 1/16th of my mocha, possibly only 1/32th. It was really that bad. And the entire time I stood there watching the barista prepare my drink, well, lets just say I was clinching my jaw and maybe biting my tongue. Sometimes being a barista or at least knowing the proper techniques for espresso making can be frustrating & harmful........

Activities - Oct. 4th

Today was spent: sleeping in, venturing around Capitol Hill & University District, trekking to West Seattle to run some errands, and then enjoying the company of Jonathan & Esther's small group for dinner & discussion. Overall it was a great day and I scored a pretty sweet scarf at one of the vintage shops in Capitol Hill, so today can be concluded ;P

Observing my whereabouts and tendencies during this trip, I was kind of surprised and intrigued to note my lack of picture taking. I've broken out my camera everyday for at least a few shots, but compared to past trips, the camera hasn't come out near as often. This is probably due to the fact that we've mostly been visiting shops & researching areas, which is quite alright because I've really enjoyed doing that. However, I'm really looking forward to taking my camera out for purposeful photographs too, which should happen on Wednesday when Jonathan and I venture Downtown together.

Photo of the day:

Taken from the car while driving to West Seattle

Food & drinks to note:

Stumptown latte & a Mighty-O cinnamon sugar donut (psst.. if you haven't caught on already, Stumptown is hands-down my favorite coffee shop here...)

Fun/interesting fact:

...Gosh darn it, I can't think of one. Let's see. Oh wait, I've got one; if you're ever in Capitol Hill check out Elliott Bay Book Company. They used to be located in Pioneer Square, but they relocated within the past year. They are a phenomenal bookstore and one that I could definitely spend all day in. I personally love all their journals and craft books, but they pretty much have everything you can imagine.

Okay that's all for tonight.
Much love & well wishes :)

Rachel Grace

Activities - Oct. 3rd

I'm super tired and showing all symptoms of sleepiness, but I will try my hardest to make this post understandable and hopefully enjoyable to read.

This morning I got to tag along with Adam, Steph, and Nicole and attend my very first service at Mars Hill Church. I loved it. I really did. The congregation was definitely a lot larger in number than Grace Church in Chapel Hill or any other church I attended while growing up, but that was quite alright with me. Mars Hill still felt personable and like a church that I could easily call my "home." The worship blew me out of the water, it was so phenomenal and did not feel performance based like most large churches I've visited. It was also quite cool to have Mark Driscoll preaching in the room which I was sitting in rather than just listening to him on my ipod or on my computer. I think God has given Mark great favor and has gifted him with wonderful teaching abilities and wisdom. Each and every sermon I have heard him speak has evoked a mulling process in my mind and in my heart; challenging me & my faith. I could go on, but this post can't be too long... I'm starting to doze.

After church I met up with Jonathan & Esther in Downtown Ballard. We got gelato at D'ambrosio, lunch and sangrias at Matador (yes, we had dessert first) and then shopped/browsed the local shops & street farmers market. Today I acquired: 4 CDs, 1 book, and 5 air plants.

Later in the afternoon Jonathan and I ventured to Sky Nursery in search for terrarium worthy plants and then to a thrift shop for jars. Jonathan shared his terrarium knowledge with me once we got back home and we pieced together 4 different ones. It was fun and peaceful, and I might just be hooked. Dirt and rocks are just cool in my book :).

Photo of the day:

Jonathan's terrarium collection is continuing to grow.... :)

Food & drinks to note:

Fresh Flour latte (made with Stumptown beans)

D'Ambrosio fragola (strawberry) gelato

Matador grilled broccolini, nachos (superb!) & red sangria (yum!!)

Fun/interesting fact:
If you love to garden or you just have a fetish with plants & flowers, you should seriously consider moving to WA. I'm not exaggerating when saying that I so badly wanted to spend hundreds of dollars today at Sky Nursery. There were soooooooo many plants that I just absolutely loved, which is unlike my plant trips in Durham (I can easily spend an hour at home trying to find one plant that I truly love and that will work with my apartment's lighting and whatnot). Oh and the bouquets here are also super cheap; you can find large ones for $5 at Pike Place Market or at any of the local Farmers Markets.

Okay, I'm seeing ZzZzZzzz.
Good night!

Rachel Grace

Activities - Oct. 2nd

Tea cups? I think so! Anthropologie's tea cup dress is now in my possession, which makes me one happy camper. I had been stalking the dress since July, waiting for it to go on sale and it did and I snagged the very last one (at least in the Downtown Seattle store). It's uber cute in my opinion, but you can judge for yourself here.

Jonathan, Esther and I spent most of the day shopping and trekking around Downtown Seattle & then Fremont. We visited lots of local boutiques, some mainstream shops (Nordstrom, Anthro, etc), and several antique/vintage shops. I didn't purchase much, but I sure did enjoy wandering around and looking at all the fascinating things around me. This evening was a chill one; we hung out at the house while enjoying each others company & catching up on all things "computer."

Photo of the day:

and a scenic Seattle shot too:

Food & drinks to note:
- Stumptown latte at home
- Nordstrom Grill roast chicken focaccia club
- Neptune mocha latte

Fun/interesting fact:
Mighty-O Donuts are vegan and I get to try one tomorrow!! Also, I get to visit Mars Hill for the first time with Adam & Stephanie Gwaltney :). Tomorrow is going to be a fantastic day!

G'night lovely readers.
<3 Rachel Grace

Activities - Oct. 1st

To name a few of today's activities: coffee shop biding, reconnecting, lovely chats, beautiful weather, scenic routes, walking & driving, laughter and so much more. 

Photo of the day:

Nicole & Steph :)

Food & beverages to note:

-Herkimer latte 

-Cafe Presse croque monsieur (french sandwich)

-Vivace latte

-Chocolati hot chocolate & truffles (seriously... the best hot chocolate. ever. for realz)

Fun/interesting fact:

Driving in Seattle is much easier than one would think, especially if you stay away from heavily condensed pedestrian areas & rush hour time periods (yes, both are avoidable, I promise), but even still, it's not near as bad as most other large cities. I began the day feeling a little bit intimidated at the thought of driving about town all by myself (J + E had to work), but quickly started to enjoy it. I appreciated the kindness of the other drivers on the road (most were extremely polite, sharing the road as they should and not shoving themselves along) and enjoyed the relaxing pace at which most people traveled. I will admit that I have lead-foot tendencies and love to drive fast, but it was so enjoyable to not feel rushed, pushed, etc., when going the speed limit or maybe 5 over. I might think different if/when I move out here, but for now I find it refreshing and it gives me yet another reason to love this city.

Okay, I'm off to catch some shuteye. Later alligators :)

Rachel Grace

Here & Happy

In the Umbrella City, safe and sound. Enjoying the fall-like weather and basking in the joy that comes with being here, in my treasure of a city.

I'm not sure how I managed it, but my body is already on Pacific time. I would like to think it's because my body just loves this time zone and would prefer to call it its own, but reality would probably argue that my eating & sleeping habits the last few days are the ones to thank.

At the moment I'm enjoying a lovely latte at Herkimer Coffee, biding time until it's time to meet up with a good 'ol friend Stephanie Gwaltney & her adorable little girl Nicole. Little side note: it's quite amazing how much you can do on the computer when killing time... so far I've taken care of a full inbox, paid rent, bought a b-day gift for Bekah, researched a handful of photographers & studios in the Seattle area, browsed Facebook (of course) and obviously blogged. I think a book will have to be in order next; too much computer use isn't good. right? yeah.

I'm not sure what to expect this next week, probably because I don't have any specific plans... but I'm 99.9% this trip is going to rock and that God will use it to restore my soul and hopefully reveal some things. I'm not sure what it is, but I definitely feel like He's making wheels turn in my head and He wants this trip to be of significance. So yes, I'm super happy and also super excited :)

That's enough for now, I'm gonna get back to my yummy latte.
Much love,

Rachel Grace