Nine Years and Counting

Shad and I recently celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary by playing the day away amid the warm sun and cool water of Seattle. I have no pictures to share from the day because I left my camera at home. Zero pictures. WHAT?!?! You gasp. Yep, I even left it on purpose. My goal was not to record the day but to be fully engulfed in the beauty of living it.

It was eighty degrees without a cloud in the sky. A slight breeze and a clean smell to the air. It was breathtakingly beautiful. A rare day even in Summer on the Seattle waterfront.

We started the day out at the University district Tully's and sipped lattes like any good Seattleite does and waited for the Augua Verde paddle club to open. We rented a double Kayak and paddled around the ship canal enjoying the sun and amazing houseboats. We drooled on all the boats that slipped passed us and daydreamed that we could take one home. I also made the decision some where on the heading of Gas Works Park that I will someday own a kayak and cruise Lake Union again with my mother. I LOVED the silent beauty of slipping through the water, our strokes perfectly matched, taking in the salt air. Shad would say that he noticed my steering abilities made us appear to be a Russian attack sub. (for those of you who don't understand: It meant that I had a habit of veering left, then right, then left, then right, in big lazy "s" shapes... You get the picture.) I didn't care. As long as I stayed away from bigger vessels, what did it matter that I covered twice the amount of water to get to the same place. I WAS HAVING FUN!!!!!! If you are EVER going to Seattle, make it a MUST DO. Believe me, you wont regret it. Even if you have NEVER kayaked before, you can do this and you will have fun! You even get a small discount for paying in cash.

http://www.aguaverde.com/kayak.htm

After we paddled the morning away we headed back to Augua Verde to have a marvelous lunch of fresh and original Mexican food. Check out Augua Verdes menu's. There is a reason that Rachel Ray did a piece on $40 dollars a day that included it. Take a peek at the unusual ingredients. It is a favorite of the college crowd. Great food and great prices. If you start drooling over the menu I actually have their recipe for halibut tacos. Just ask nicely and I might share. All the while we were munching we were sitting outside watching the waves and the sailboats pass by. As we waddled back out to the car the line to get in was already going down the block. Get there early!!!! It is one of the best little secrets on the waterfront.
Take a peek at their unusual house drinks and the Margaritas menu too, its phenomenal! My fresh mango Margarita was yummy!

http://www.aguaverde.com/cafe.htm

Next we headed towards the Needle and scoped out Tower Records. We were searching for another Cross Canadian Ragweed CD. Live at "Billy Bobs" is on Shad's wish list. Then off we went to Pike Place Market to carouse through the antique shops and one of my favorite past times, people watching. There is no better place to watch people and entertain yourself like downtown Seattle. My eyes and attention don't even know where to settle!!!

I have so many memories entwined with that particular stretch of waterfront. Years of taking out of towners for the tour, stolen weekends during my teen years, bachelorette parties, one particularly interesting weekend that included a trip to "Cowgirls Inc. Which I now affectionately call the "Den of Sin". Not a place for the faint of heart but it will keep everyone out there who likes to people watch entertained for years!!!! I think my mother would faint if I recommended it, no good little girl would, so I won't, nope not me, I wouldn't do such a thing, wouldn't even think of it, not even simply for the entertainment factor....would not even mention that Saturday nights are the rowdiest... hehehe

Anyway, Hubby and I walked for miles upon miles in the sun simply enjoying each others company. We took the afternoon Argosy "Locks Cruise" and spent the next two hours sipping cocktails on the bow of a boat seeing parts of Seattle that I didn't even know existed. It was like seeing "the other side of the railroad tracks" except it was on water and there were million dollar houseboats and commercial fishing vessels and an entire industrial world that I didn't even know was there. We passed under one bridge with less that a foot of clearance. That was pretty darn freaky with cars zooming overhead. The locks were very cool. The Salmon were jumping three feet out of the water all around the Locks. We cruised along on the bow in shorts and teeshirts and never even got cold. It is so rare to have a day like that on the waterfront. I could not have begged for more perfect weather. We sailed and we laughed.

http://www.argosycruises.com/publiccruises/locks.cfm


We got off the boat while I longingly looked at the parasailing outfit next door. With my eyebrows raised hubby said "I don't think so". Oh well, I will keep working on him. We set off walking again. We walked from Pike Place to Safeco field and back again. IT WAS A LONG WALK!!!! My poor little feet died but we had a great time.

We went to FX McRorys and had a couple of mediocre appetizers before heading back. Shad was not impressed but after having lunch at Augua Verde it would have been hard to find anything that would. Although, If your ever in town for a game at Safeco check them out. They are directly across the street and have a special game night menu.

We had brought extra clothes to head out and see the night life or head for the comedy club but by eight we were getting pretty tired and decided that going home and snuggling in an empty "kid free" house sounded better than a site seeing trip to the "Den of Sin". It was a great day!

The following morning I had a few moments of regret that I did not have fantastic photos of our day but I think it's ok. The film could never have caught the feeling of fun, excitement and energy that the day held.

Happy Anniversary baby, I absolutely adore you. Nine years and we're still not tired of kissing each other. I am so glad that I married you. Thank you for a spectacular day and for the best waterfront kiss of my life..... so far...... (: