-
Strawberry Picking
On Saturday we went strawberry picking at Biringer Farms. The day was gorgeous, the strawberries ripe, and the scents incredible! I grew up picking strawberries in my back yard so paying to do so, always feels, well very city-slicker-ish. But this was worth every scent. For one, it was Tom’s first experience picking strawberries (besides…
-
Franklin Falls
On Monday we went for our first Seattle hike. It was absolutely gorgeous, and Scotland was in heaven. He loved the endless supply of sticks, rocks and water. I loved that he could throw anything anywhere, that he could run and jump and roll around and I didn’t have to advise him about what wasn’t…
-
Memorial Day
My parents and sisters came up Memorial Day weekend to help us move in, which was a HUGE help. Monday, however, we decided to abandon our work, and enjoy the holiday in downtown Seattle. One of the best choices we made was to take the bus in. It allowed my Dad especially to enjoy the…
-
Tibetan children- I want one!
By the time we were in Tibet I was missing Scotland like crazy. I had this overwhelming desire to run up and grab every child I saw so I could just give them a big hug and kiss. Considering, how awkward that would have been for the child and family, I resorted to taking pictures:…
-
Three Gorges Dam
Locks The final morning of the cruise was spent touring the Three Gorges Dam. It's a massive site, and (surprise, surprise) the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. We went through the locks the night before, which were particularly impressive, having seen Panama's a few years ago. Four- six cruise boat size boats can…
-
Fengdu
Our first shore excursion was to Fengdu, the Ghost city. It's a very odd place, believed to be, essentially, hell. Beautiful pagoda at the top of the hill. The Chinese believed that pagodas helped contain floods, so they lined the hills along the Yangtze with them. These were some of the devils in the oldest…
-
Yangtze River Cruise
Our boat, the Victoria Katarina Pam's main request for our trip to China was to take a cruise on the Yangtze, we were all glad she suggested it. After several intense days of travel and site seeing, it was the rest and respite we needed before our next adventure. There's something so soothing about being…
-
Xi'an II
My favorite part of Xi'an was the Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque. I'd read rave reviews about this part of town on tripadvisor and other blogs and so I wanted to check it out. It lived up to its reputation. The streets are lined with amazing market stalls, small alleyways separate the buildings leading…
-
Beijing III
I continue to be shocked at how populated, build up, and advanced it is here. I knew that Beijing and Shanghai would be modern, developed cities, but I expected the others to be more like large villages. My ignorance has been blaring. Even “small cities” in China number in the millions of occupants. With Chongqing…
-
Beijing II
I'm not quite sure of the best way to go about sharing and documenting this trip. I'm taking SO many pictures and we're seeing so many incredible things that I'd love to share. If I feel like I'm experiencing China for my younger sisters, nieces and nephews then I suddenly see it through various…