Really Fun Things to do with Your Adult Children in Seattle

to do with your adult children
things to do with your adult children in Seattle
Craig and Suzanne, Alex and boyfriend Brent

What are the best things to do with your adult children in Seattle?

First, make sure you create plans that everyone will be happy with and talk about it, negotiate if you have to. Just don’t make it all about Mom and Dad, include everyone’s favorite activities.

Traveling with a young family is entirely different from deciding what to do with your adult children. When the kids are younger, they pretty much have to do what we say and acquiesce to any plans that we make for them. We are the adults and they are the children.

Once these little people grow up, the game changes. Everyone is living on their own paying their own bills (except their cell phones) coming and going as they please and making their own traveling choices. Deciding what to do with your adult children now becomes a bit more of a conversation, not to mention a logistical nightmare sometimes.

All that aside, we happen to have two enthusiastic grown travelers who are willing (mostly) to do anything that I decide to plan. The fun part is that now they can insert their own experiences and planning skills and our combined efforts turn out some pretty awesome trips.

The four of us took two successful trips together last year and will hopefully be planning one for 2017.

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My Best Dinner in Los Angeles, Maybe My Best Ever

best dinner in Los Angeles
best dinner in Los Angeles
The meal began with these “snacks” ~ #1 Sourdough Bread Soup, #2 Tandoori Madeleine, #3 Radicchio Spring Roll

 

I think it was for sure my best dinner in Los Angeles. No contest.

Yes – it’s true. This may have been my Best Dinner in Los Angeles ~ maybe my favorite meal ever. Whoa – BIG statement. Don’t forget that I have been to the French Laundry in Napa and thought that dinner was my favorite. Those are some big shoes to fill.

Trois Mec, roughly translated, means “three guys” in French. So three guys, who happen to be accomplished and now famous Los Angeles chefs, created this one of a kind restaurant. I have known about it since it opened, but this was not an easy evening to put together. We lived in Orange County which is located about 90 minutes to 2 hours each way (only because of typical Los Angeles traffic) plus, the reservation is not easy to get.

It actually isn’t a reservation at all, but a ticket, a golden ticket. Every other Friday, they release about 30 seats for two seatings each night. The meal is pre-fixe and you pay in advance. Sounds a little sassy and daunting doesn’t it?

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Where is the best view in San Francisco ? We found it.

best view in San Francisco

best view in San Francisco

Hands down, no joke, the best view in San Francisco ~

Just a couple of days ago, we visited Point Bonita Lighthouse and thought we had enjoyed the best vistas of San Francisco. But once again, our personal local tour guides, Nick and Kylie, have struck San Francisco gold and really showed us the best view in San Francisco! This is a very tall order (pun intended) because everywhere you look, this unique city shows off its beauty. Many of the tall downtown buildings have incredible bars and restaurants on the top floors offering spectacular views.

best view in San Francisco

However, the view from Cityscape is 360 degrees of wonder. Because of the recent perfect weather and crystal clear skies it allowed us to see for miles and miles! No detail was too small and every hill, every bridge, every street light, every street, every landmark and the ocean seemed so close you felt you could touch it.

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What to Do on a Sunny Day in San Francisco

a sunny day in San Francisco

a sunny day in San Francisco

A sunny day in San Francisco may not happen as often as we would like. The weather is unpredictable and can be colder in July than in December! I’m certain that you have heard the famous Mark Twain quote “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”. According to several sources I have found he never actually said it! He said something similar to this, but not that exact phrase.

I have traveled to the City by the Bay many times and have experienced every type of weather. But when it is a sunny day in San Francisco, when the skies are bright blue and the sun is happily shining, it is time to make plans and get out of town.

I don’t mean out of town, but rather to travel to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoy the spectacular views of the city from the other side of the bay. San Francisco is one of the prettiest cities in the U.S. with its tall buildings, enormous hills, beautiful architecture (old and new) long rocky coastlines and spectacular bridges.

At the suggestion of knowledgeable local residents, our son Nick and his girlfriend Kylie, we drove just a few minutes over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to see the Point Bonita Lighthouse. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and FREE!

a sunny day in San Francisco

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Two Girls Ate Breakfast at Sqirl!

breakfast at Sqirl

 

A Foodie Adventure in LA – Breakfast at Sqirl

I have a foodie buddy, her name is Keri and I have known her since I was 12. Yep, 12. When we moved back to Pasadena, it gave me the chance to reconnect with some wonderful longtime friends. It feels so food to slip right back into a friendship even after not spending much time together in decades.

Breakfast at Sqirl

Keri and I plan food adventures to try restaurants we have not yet had a chance to visit. She and I have so many things in common that this process is simple. We pick a place, set up a time to visit, try a few dishes and discuss. We even allow a little driving distance because the traffic doesn’t bother us, we always have lots to talk about so the time flies!

Breakfast at Sqirl

Our most recent adventure was to have breakfast at Sqirl. Cute and clever name isn’t it? When I lived in Orange County, this type of trip to LA would have been such a traffic nightmare that I never could have driven to this spot for breakfast. Living in Pasadena is such an advantage when it comes to eating at great places in Los Angeles.

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What’s Hip & Delicious in Los Angeles? Silver Lake’s Alimento

Alimento

Alimento

Our visit to Alimento in the historic Silver Lake neighborhood ~

If you have visited here before, you know that delicious food and fabulous restaurants are very high on our adventures list. We do try to search out the most talked about and well reviewed restaurants around the U.S. so we can share them with you! Today’s focus is located in our very own La La Land, Los Angeles. We travel a great deal so our Los Angeles restaurant adventure is a little slow going. I did however just go with my friend Keri to Petit Trois for an authentic French bistro experience recently! You can check that out => here.

However, we were able to get a reservation this week to experience another one of LA’s best restaurants. The tiny and hip area of Silver Lake boasts many fantastic restaurants and now that we live in Pasadena, we are less than fifteen minutes away from this outstanding foodie village.

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Luxury in San Diego: A Sensational Stay in a Presidential Suite

stay in a Presidential Suite

Presidential Suite

To stay in a Presidential Suite is VERY special!

Being loyal is an important personal attribute and being loyal to a particular brand(s) will help a great deal when you travel. We have been traveling for years together as a couple and my husband travels almost every week for business. We discovered years ago that paying special attention to your choices in accommodations as well as the airlines, makes a HUGE difference. If you stay within one chain of hotels, you build loyalty points that can be used for more travel, upgrades and for status.

If you travel a lot, it is especially nice to be upgraded and/or offered lovely amenities, bottles of wine and delightful snacks. Traveling isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. It can be frustrating, exhausting, confusing and there is no one there patting you on the arm telling you all will be ok. If we have issues with our travel plans, we have to solve them. If there are delays, we have to endure them.

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Ten Romantic Getaway Ideas for Empty Nesters

romantic getaway

romantic getaway

Planning a romantic getaway for your sweetheart?

February is here and maybe you are thinking about a romantic getaway with your sweetheart? Maybe you are not… but just maybe you should think about it? I recently participated in a fun post with Expedia where fourteen travel bloggers offered their best ideas for a couples trip somewhere in the U.S. I was super flattered to be included and you can click ==> here to read the article! There were so many cities to choose from and I thought I would add to the list here.

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A Special Cake Baking Class – Seattle Style

cake baking class

cake baking class

A Cake Baking Class Adventure While Traveling ~

Yes, we did it again. Alex and I took a Birthday Layer Cake Baking class at The Pantry in Seattle. When your busy adult child wants to spend time with you… you always say yes! We have found such camaraderie through our common passion for cooking and our son Nick also loves to cook! Lightening struck twice, lucky me!

When I make plans to visit a city, I try to look deeper into activities that most likely are not filled with tourists. I look for things that we (I) have a strong interest in learning more about. We always look for local bookstores, cooking stores, sports related tours, foodie tours, architecture tours, music/record stores, cooking classes, breweries, and distilleries.

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