Around the World – Day 3 – Seattle

May 16th, 2015

At the EMP Museum
With Dennis at the EMP Musuem

The last time we were in Seattle, we visited the Space Needle, but we didn’t have time to see anything else in the area. So, this time, we were excited to check out the EMP (Experience Music Program) Musuem.

The featured exhibit was movie themed, with two components; horror and science fiction. The history of movie evolution in these genres, was fascinating. There were also a plethora of display cases filled with the authentic props and information about the filming. We really enjoyed the scream machine, which captured faces of people as they were screaming, it was fun to see the range in peoples expressions!

After the EMP Musuem, we popped into The 5 Point Cafe for lunch. The food there was really good and the service was entertaining. I would highly recommend eating here. You can sit at the bar and avoid the long wait, if you don’t mind the madness of the bar.

It started to drizzle while we were eating lunch, but thankfully we were armed with umbrellas.

Decked out for the Wedding
We got all gussied up for Jon & Melissa’s wedding, then took a taxi to the event center.

Melissa About to Read her Dear Jon Vow
The wedding vows!

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Around the World – Day 2 – Seattle

May 15th, 2015

We woke up to a gloriously beautiful day in Seattle. What a gift! We had plans to meet up with some of my work colleagues for lunch, so we had a nice lazy morning before going into work. I was excited to see my colleagues in Seattle, as we spend a lot of time on the phone together and only have face time once a year. The pitfalls of working remotely.

Pacific Ocean Poser
After lunch, Dennis and I took a walk down to the Pier (yes, we saw the fisherman throwing salmon!). We strolled around the wharf area and soaked in the sun. After a nice 3 mile stroll, my colleague John called and invited us to have Happy Hour with him.

There are so many cool, trendy neighborhoods around Seattle and since we’re from out of town, we don’t know them. Fortunately for us, John, is a wealth of information. I don’t even remember where we went, but it had a great beer/wine selection and some lovely food appetizers. We sat outside and people watched; which is another fun pastime.

For Dinner, Dennis and I ate at an amazing Sushi place, Nijo Sushi. We are not impressed with the sushi in Denver, it just doesn’t meet our expectations. Most likely because it just can’t be fresh product! But, in Seattle, the fish is caught and served in a matter of hours. Nijo Sushi offered a nice selection of fish and the dishes were a decent portion at a fair price. It was Nirvana and we both left there giggling.

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Around the World – Day 1 – Denver to Seattle

May 14th, 2015

My brother and one of my dearest friends are getting married. The problem, or challenge, is that one wedding is in Seattle, Washington and the other is in Istanbul, Turkey and the events are separated by 6 days. How we could arrange to be at both events and not be rushed? Finally, we came up with the marvelous idea of taking a trip around the world!

So, from May 14th to June 2nd, we went from Denver, CO to Seatte, WA to Seoul, South Korea to Istanbul, Turkey to Brussels, Belgium to Reykjavik, Iceland back to Denver. We were both excited about the adventure ahead.

About to Travel Around the World
Waiting for our flight to Seattle.

Mt. Rainier Sunset Splendor
Mt Rainier from 20,000 ft. This view never gets old!

Unsettling Leonardo Pillow
Our room at the Palladian Hotel with a very odd Leo Pillow. The pillow was creeping us both out and the room was on a noisy street, so we were switched to a room on the back side of the hotel. Our new room had a Chuck Norris pillow, which was super awesome and not as creepy.

The Palladian Hotel is a nice boutique hotel right in the middle of the downtown Seattle. It’s a close walk to the wharf, lots of great restaurants, and not too far from the space needle. The Palladian also has a wine happy hour for guests in the afternoon, which is very nice.

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Rock Climbing – Prussik and Rappel Class

May 10th, 2015

My Awesome BRS Group
From L-R: Elizabeth, Peter, Clare & Jill (Instructors), Becky, and Seth

After their exciting multi-pitch day, climbing the First Flatironette, it was time to learn how to use prussiks to ascend/descend a rope, how to rappel, and how to pass a knot. These basic self rescue skills are essential for rock climbers to know and could mean the difference between life and death.

Unfortunately, for the students, they got some adversity training on top of their normal curriculum! With a few inches of fresh spring powder, we were guaranteed a chilly start to our day!

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Rock Climbing – First Flatironette

May 3rd, 2015

Basic Rock School Multi-pitch Group Shot
From L-R: Andy (Assistant Instructor), Seth, Climbergirl (Senior Instructor), Peter, Becky, and Elizabeth

On Sunday, Andy and I took our Basic Rock Climbing Students up their first multi-pitch climb, the east face of the First Flatironette. It is a very mellow climb consisting of two pitches, with a huge tree-ledge in the middle. Students had passed their knot tying and belay exams earlier that morning, so this was trial by climbing!

We started climbing around noon and finished 2 hours later. Everybody got a chance to belay and coil the ropes at the end. It sprinkled on us a little bit as we were topping out, so it was a good lesson in getting an early start. After climbing, we went to a brewpub and celebrated our success!

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