Catchin' Fish

Seafood is king at Seattle's Pike Place Market.  And I got up close and personal with plenty o' fish during a recent trip to Seattle, Washington. 

On my bucket list: catch fish at the market!  I'm not sure how I talked myself into getting chum salmon thrown at me, but once all the tourists were gathered, the pressure was on!  My fave quotes from that adventure were "Wash your hands, Honey" and "Oh my gosh, I'm gonna die."  Check out the video below for more laughs!

With Pike Place Market Fish Thrower, Taho Kakutani.

As if catching fish in Seattle wasn't enough, I had my fair share of delicious seafood.  Also on my bucket list was trying geoduck (pronounced "gooey duck"), a very unique looking (read: phallic shaped) saltwater clam.  The seafood sampling didn't stop there.  From cod to shrimp to salmon, I must say, Seattle has some outstanding seafood!

From Sushi Kappo Tamura: local geoduck tender with mustard greens and shemeji mushrooms sauteed in a sake soy butter sauce.

From Blueacre Seafood: ritzy line-caught ling cod with old bay aioli, buttered crumb, and whipped potatoes.

From Fuji Sushi: salmon and shrimp sushi feast.

Three Skillets and a Daughter's Surprise

The challenge of living in Alaska, if you're not originally from here, is connecting in person with far-away family and friends.  For starters, it's ridiculously expensive to fly out of Juneau.  Secondly, if you can't get direct flights on your itinerary, it can take an entire day or longer to get to your final destination, especially if that destination is south of the Mason-Dixon line.

I recently decided to surprise my Mom, who lives thousands of miles away in Alabama.  My good friend, Yvette, took my Mom to dinner, under the guise that Yvette would soon cruise through Juneau, and it was ample opportunity for Yvette to bring up some things I had in storage. Yvette totally rocked our surprise, and I couldn't have done it without her.  Thanks, Yvette!

A big THANK YOU also goes out to the kind folks at 3 Skillets in downtown Huntsville.  They helped me orchestrate an epic surprise - complete with a quick and dim jaunt up the back stairway.  Below is the video capturing the surprise moment.   Grab your Kleenex!

It was all I could do to not run towards my Mom when I saw her park outside the restaurant. 

Mom and I at 3 Skillets. 

With my sweet and beautiful friend, Yvette.

Sleepless in Seattle

One of the awesome things about living in Juneau is the proximity to major cities like Seattle.  Since Washington State is just a hop, skip, and a jump from Juneau (read: 2 hour plane ride), I decided to make the most of my summer vacation and traveled to explore the Emerald City and much of the northern Washington coast.

Highlights from the Seattle leg of my trip were third row seats at a Seattle Mariners baseball game, perfect weather for Seafair Weekend, and of course the visual potpourri at the Pike Place Market.

Funny thing about Seattle is that despite the city being notorious for its gloomy rainy weather, I was blessed with blue skies and sunshine the entire trip. 

It was also the perfect weekend to check out Seafair and soak up the sun and sights along the Puget Sound.  The airshow, hydroplane racing, and Budweiser Clydesdales were so awesome to see first-hand.  

A visit to the Pike Place Market never disappoints.  I can't get enough of the hustle and bustle action, the fish tossing, and all the scrumptious treats.  The best part of my visit to the Market was feasting on the "Oh My God" peaches that were so amazing I literally had peach juice dripping down my hands and arms.  Messy, but oh so delicious.  And of course I had to visit the Market a second time - right before heading back to the airport - so I could bring back yummy fruit to friends in Juneau.  With the exorbitant price and lack of freshness of produce in Alaska, fruits and veggies from Washington State make excellent gifts to Alaskans and are met with open arms and big smiles.

Though sad to leave Seattle, I was blessed to have a great seat and awesome service as traveling back to Southeast Alaska on Alaska Airlines.  And best of all, the sun shone on my face as we landed in Juneau - a welcome change from the usual rainforest climate.