Pike Place Market

On our very last day in the Pacific Northwest, we were able to actually spend some time in Seattle! 

We hung out at Pike Place Market and went to all of the quintessential places... I even tricked my husband into checking out the gum wall in Post Alley. In case you've never seen it, the gum wall is more disgusting than you'd expect.  My favorite memory from viewing this spectacle was a mom lecturing her child who was posing in front of the wall: "Stand away from the wall... NO! Don't touch it! Just stand still near the wall.... Don't lean on it!!" This seemed like a traumatic photo-op, so we just kept walking without documenting our disgust.

Obviously, watching the fish mongers throw around HUGE halibut and salmon was a must. What made it even better is that we had a pint of fresh raspberries from one of the farmer's market vendors to munch on while we took in the show. Yummy!

Those lobster tails were as big as my arm!!

I loved walking through all of the flower vendors. The dahlias, sunflowers and peonys were my favorites.

As we walked, we munched on a delicious amandine (the best almond croissant ever) from Le Painier. 

Holy cow... I could eat those every day and still marvel at how perfect they are.

Our view from a rooftop bar.

We also went to Beecher's for some of their "world's best" macaroni and cheese.  We took it to-go and ate outside in a park. We also shared a dungeness crab grilled cheese sandwich. Everything was superb! I only wish that we'd had room in our suitcases to take some of their homemade cheese with us.  Our favorite was the Raw Flagship cheese.

When we needed a break from walking around in the blazing summer heat (just kidding, it was in the 70s), we ducked into the Frontier Room for some local beer. We both had an IPA from Diamond Knot.

I guess we really ate and drank our way through Seattle!

One thing we did that didn't involve eating (or drinking) was our visit to Seattle Glassblowing Studio.  I imagine that I forgot to take a picture in the gallery because I was too busy trying to take it all in.  The vases, figurines, bowls, and sculptures were spectacular.  We bought a little evergreen tree to remember our foray in the Pacific Northwest :)

Last, but not least, we saw the first Starbucks shop. It was swarmed with people, of course, so we didn't stop in, but it was fun to see where the coffee magnate originated.

The French Quarter

When my husband was assigned to Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi, for the month of April, he had every other Friday off. He was excited for an extra day of studying (woo hoo! right?), but I convinced him on one of those Fridays to go to New Orleans with me.  It's only an hour or so away from Biloxi, and I drove so he could study on the way there/back.  Have I mentioned lately that I am REALLY good at the whole medical-student's-wife thing ;)?

My first priority in NOLA was to go to Cafe Du Monde.  I don't care that it is always jam packed and touristy.  I could eat their beignets and drink their cafe au lait every day.  We grabbed ours to-go and sat overlooking the canal as we had the healthiest, most nutritious breakfast in the world.

Part of the joy of beignets is the powdered sugar that ends up everywhere- pants, shirts and hair included.

After getting loaded up on carbs and caffeine, we walked around the French Quarter shops. My favorite find was Santa's Quarters because I have an unhealthy obsession with rather expensive Christmas ornaments. Michael preferred the open air French Market where he purchased an actual alligator head. Yikes! His only reassurance to his freaked-out wife? "The eyes aren't real, they're black marbles." What a relief. 

These pictures were taken in Jackson Square Park which overlooks the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral. All of this is in stark contrast to the activities a few streets over on Bourbon. We walked through (briskly because of the smell) for the heck of it, but found to need to linger in a bar at 10 am to drink Hurricanes and Daiquiris.  We were saving our day drinking for lunch at Commander's Palace!

We also caught the St. Charles Streetcar to take us to lunch, and I don't think there is a better or more picturesque way to travel into the Garden District!

Our day in NOLA was absolutely lovely... everything from the weather (70's and sunny) to the food was perfection.  Except for the silver dollar sized blisters I got on the BOTTOM of my feet from all the walking. Worth it!

The Little Things

We have stayed at a wide array of hotels so far this year.  They have ranged, in my opinion, from mediocre to downright sad.  I have never had a propensity for motels, despite my mother's warnings that being a "hotel snob" was not an endearing quality. However, my standards have yet to be lowered (and perhaps may be reinforced) by the exterior hallways and poor temperature controls that plague the Army, Air Force and Navy lodging.

My expectations, which were realistically low in January, have now become non-existent.  This jaded mentality has been one of the best additions to my repertoire of military-medical-student's-wife tricks to get through anything with a smile on my face.  Now, the little things that would normally make my day a little better seem downright magical.

Example: The Keurig

Anyone that was around when we began receiving wedding gifts last year knows that I raved about a little coffee-making appliance called the Keurig. I was so enchanted (read: caffeinated) that I convinced nearly everyone in my vicinity to buy one.

Mine was this dainty little model...

Then, when it came time for the storage unit to steal all of our belongings for the year, the Keurig (along with my caffeine habit) and I parted ways... until we moved into the Navy Gateway Inns and Suites in Portsmouth, VA, two weeks ago! I saw this little beauty when we walked in:

As an added bonus, housekeeping leaves the tray to the right of the Keurig stocked with k-cups at all times. I don't want to lose ground in my fight against caffeine, so I've stuck to the decaf and black tea options for now... but I have the feeling that another 5 AM morning in the near future might cause me to relapse. It's a slippery slope...

But for now, I'm keeping it positive and enjoying being reunited with one of my favorite appliances. Enjoy the little things everyone!