Willy Wonka and Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room

I had heard the hype.

And I have to agree...

It was over the top and

nothing to compare it to, 

other than I expected Willy Wonka and Howard Shultz

 to step out from behind the copper roaster 

singing,

Hold your breath

Make a wish

Count to three.

Come with me and you'll be

In a world of pure imagination.

Take a look and you'll see

Into your imagination.

We'll begin With a spin

Traveling in the world of my creation.

What we'll see will defy explanation.

If you want to view paradise

Simply look around and view it...

Yep that about sums it up our experience at 

Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room.

I was completely sucked in and felt like I was visiting another planet

and I never wanted to return to earth.

Oh my one could come here in the morning 

for espresso and stay for some Serious Pie 
at the attached Tom Douglas restaurant. 

What's not to like?

Don't miss the coed bathrooms with a view of the roasting room while you wash your hands,

or the gift store with $150 barista aprons and bags that really were that awesome,

or the dog bowl outside that will make your dog feel like he is at Disneyland

(except the water was frozen - come on Starbucks couldn't you have sprung for a heated bowl :)

I really do need to go here often just to remember how wonderful imaginations can be.

It's less money than a trip to Disneyland - by a little.

 The copper roaster even has holes poked in it that allow the sunlight 

to reflect a map of the world on the floor.

Hmm wonder when that happens?

It was a seriously delicious cappuccino that went down 

with a Tom Douglas croissant

much too quickly :(

I may have to return tomorrow :) because...

What we'll see will defy explanation.

If you want to view paradise

Simply look around and view it...

Seattle's Great Wheel adventure continues - the saga of the seagull mama

you may remember this post
about our adventures flying high in the sky
and my bonding with the mama seagull and her brood -
as seen at the end of the yellow arrow below.

i was thrilled to receive the closeup 

(taken by a fellow passenger in our gondola)

of her nest today and

wanted to share the view with you.

you can't really see the baby, 

but there is one right underneath her. 

and she is encouraging the second hatchling

to ignore the big dizzy wheel turning above their heads and 

just hatch!

Isn't life grand?

the great adventure on Seattle's Great Wheel

i survived.

i did not throw up,

i did not pass out,

but i did take some deep breaths

and kept my eyes on the horizon.

and it was a thing of beauty and

i am glad i dared to take the adventure.

amidst all the ups and downs 

and the sheer beauty of the seattle waterfront,

i was more entranced with a small miracle beneath us.

a seagull family was trying to have some privacy 

during the birth of their young.

I think they were rather confused that this thing 

was finally moving with lots of spectators watching the event.

the following photo was taken by my husband 

who obviously does not fear heights.

see i really did dare to fly and i survived.

i highly recommend it with the caveat that you don't look down

if heights tend to make you weak in the knees.

did i mention we went out over the water,

and yes the glass walls go all the way to the floor,

and if you are lucky 

you can ride car #49

with a sea-through bottom?

step aboard...

a Seattle stroll

found him in a hardware store window.

  a wall.

metal embedded in the sidewalk.

looking down is beautiful.

recycled fence design.

 the best coffee ever can be found here

and I drank my latte way too quickly.

 passed this decorated faucet.

 two furballs.

 advertising.

 our receipt at oddfellows

says 'friendship, love, truth ' -

how sweet is that?

we shared beignets and eggs benedict and our tummies were happy all day.

thanks for joining me on our Saturday stroll...

Nick Cave at SAM

my Nick needed to visit SAM

for the Nick Cave exhibit

so I tagged along...

 all I could say over and over was "WOW"!!!

 this bear, 

made from knitted sweaters with

gap labels intact,

was my favorite I do believe.

and that is Nick (Cave that is, not my Nick).

 reminds me of a bee keepers outfit.

the buttons made me start to drool,

but I was cool and came to my senses.

his original "sound suits" as his work is called

were twigs.

this was my Nick's favorite medium.

and if the above ones weren't enough for you,

how about porcelain birds suspended from your shoulders?

pure genius or craziness?

show ends Sunday so hurry up if you are in the Seattle area...

West Seattle tidepools

field trip,

sun,

sea creatures,

happy kids...

did I mention there was sun?

no words necessary

until I come to this guy...

see that quite large snail next to him?

well it fell from the sky right in front of us.
then we realized it had been dropped by said bird
as he was smart enough to use this technique to gain access 
to its interior...
smart bird, lucky snail as he gave up with us standing there.