Ken and I traveled to Seattle last week to visit our youngest son and his family, then on to a weekend adventure in beautiful Port Orchard, Washington. For these landlocked Kansans, the Pacific Northwest is like an amazing foreign country, and even though the weather was chilly and damp, with snow flurries, we had a wonderful time!
We stayed in the charming, plant-filled seaside cottage of writer friend Kathleen Freeman and her husband. Our views were to die for—even when the sun wasn’t shining.
We could see Seattle and the Space Needle far across the bay.
Our daughter-in-law planned all the meals and brought everything we needed to cook and eat at the house. Such fun to share two days with this precious family. We played board games around this table when the weather didn’t allow for playing outside.
The kids’ sleeping loft doubled as a playroom and the kids loved sleeping on cots (which doubled as baby barricades) and playing with new toys.
But their favorite was playing on the beach.
We were all mesmerized by the changing tides.
And this little guy amassed quite a rock and shell collection before the weekend was over.
Our morning and evening views were stunning.
A special treat was having tea with Port Orchard resident and best-selling author Debbie Macomber at her charming Grey House Café. Debbie is a delight!
After speaking to the Northwest Christian Writers Association on Monday night (the real reason for our trip) we flew home Tuesday—after a 3-hour adventure involving car trouble on the freeway with three hungry little kids, in a “blizzard.” The adventure involved a tow truck, a ride in a rental van, house keys forgotten on the tow truck, while everybody really, really had to go potty, and to top it off, a wayward ball and a broken dining room light. (Thrown not by one of the kids, but their daddy! Our sweet 3-year-old grandson kept saying, “It was a accident, Mommy. Daddy didn’t do it on purpose!” ) As annoying as those unplanned parts of the trip were, they are memories we’ll laugh about some day.
Even the trip home was a pleasure, with time spent in Sea-Tac’s prettiest food court ever, with lovely live music to entertain us while we ate Ivar’s fish and chips and waited for our flight to board.
And the view from the plane as we headed home was just incredible! (I think this was over Oklahoma City.)
Latest posts by Deborah Raney (see all)
- Decade birthdays - May 26, 2025
- Deb’s Favorites - May 25, 2025
- We Shopped at Piggly Wiggly - May 12, 2025
What fun! You’re making me want to go to Seattle again! Of course, I already did since our son is there! 🙂
Don’t you love when your kids choose to live in great vacation spots!? 😉
Your trip sounds wonderful! =) And your pictures are so pretty!
I met Debbie Macomber about 6 years ago, she is so sweet!
Debbie Macomber is just an amazing woman, and for all her accomplishments, as sweet and humble as anyone you’ll ever meet!
Those pictures are fantastic! Glad you had a great time and are home safe even with a mishap or two.
Thank you, Paula. I’m not the world’s greatest photographer, but it was hard to take a BAD photo in that beautiful setting!
I truly admire how you can turn all the “bad” stuff like rain and breakdowns into things you’ll laugh about ssomeday. You gave me a more positive attitude today as I look out on snow-covered streets. Thanks Deb!
Sorry about your snow, Lynn. Thankfully, March snow simply CAN’T last too long, can it? We came home to a cold snap here in Kansas too. But spring is JUST around the corner, I’m sure!
Thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures I really enjoyed seeing them and hearing about your trip.
Thanks for your faithful comments on the blog, Diana! We appreciate you!
What a fantastic trip! I loved all the photos you shared. I decided to set my new series in that part of the country because I find it so majestic and moody and beautiful.
It is ALL of those adjectives and more, Becky! I can’t wait to read that series!
Thanks for sharing your super weekend with us. Your pictures are a delight and really enhanced the story for me.
What beautiful country that is!
Isn’t it just gorgeous there? So very different from our Kansas, which is beautiful in its own right, but in very different ways.
Sounds like you had a fantastic time! I’ve only been to that area once, but I loved it and want to go back sometime.
We can’t wait to go back again! Thanks for your comment, Winnie (and I love your name…that was my mom’s name. 🙂 )
Great article and yes, there is nothing like the Pacific Northwest and Seattle! can’t beat the scenery and I ought to know – I’m only 280 miles inland and visit there often. Thank you for sharing!
You have a beautiful place to live, Lynne! We hope to go back someday before too long!
I think so, too. And your photos were great, by the way!
These pictures are beautiful. Thank you. It looks like you all had a great time.
I wasn’t too jealous about your trip until you said you ate Ivar’s. We lived in Spokane for years and now live in Tennessee. I so miss Ivar’s!!! Some of my husband’s family still lives in Spokane, so hopefully we will get back out that way before too long and I can have an Ivar’s fix. LOL! The Seattle area is beautiful!!! I do miss the year-round green of the Northwest (but NOT the snow we would get in Spokane). Glad you had a fun trip!
What a wonderfully memorable trip! Our family is spread out and the best parts (in hindsight!) when we plan an event with all of us together are those things that went wrong … and what you did in spite of that. Those are the things that bind us together … and make us laugh!