Every Saturday Is Waffle Day: driving trip

A month or so ago my brother came up with the idea to pop over to San Fran and check out his law school he will be starting in august (which is acutally located in Santa Clara). This idea boomed into a big driving trip to see family and see San Fran for the first time (at least for my siblings and I), which meant each leg of the trip was like 10+ hours of driving which I thought was going to be horrid, but wasn't too bad with all the movies we watched and playing Name That Tune.

this is going to be long. this blog is like my journal. so enjoy or just X out of this tab now before you get bored. haha.

First Stop...California

We drove through Reno and such for what seemed like forever...we stopped at this sweet kind of ghetto diner in the middle of somewhere?

looking fly...who gets ready for a 12 hour drive when you leave super duper early in the morning?

then finally we made it to Santa Clara where we stayed the night and found out about the death of Osama...crazy news. On Monday we woke up and went to my brother J*'s law school, we checked it out, walked around, and looked for housing around it. It is a nice school and dang jealous that my bro will be living in such nice weather. (Sadly I took no pictures of my brother's future home).

After Santa Clara we drove to San Fran for the day. It was my siblings and my first time there so we tried to squeeze all the sites into one day.

We drove down LOMBARD street in our Suburban. Let's just say that we probably woke the neighborhood up.

Us in front of Lombard Street.


We drove across the San Francisco Bridge

Everywhere you look, there's a face of somebody that needs you...when you're lost out there and you're all alone. WE LOVE FULL HOUSE!

We went to Fishermens Grotto for Lunch (apparently my dad has fond memories of this place from his childhood. Guarantee that it has not changed since he was a child. I would not recommend it, but then again who am I? I don't even like seafood).

Pops TRULY enjoying his crab at Lunch.

Riding the Trolley in San Fran to China Town

You know you're in China town when you see a bunch of Pokemon decorating the streets.

China Town San Francisco.

Before leaving San Fran we stopped at Ghiradelli Square and ate some Ghiradelli ice cream.
Then we drove along to get out of the city traffic and stopped for the night in a little town on the border of California and Oregon.

Next Stop...Portland, Oregon

We drove for a couple hours the next day and stopped in Portland to visit all of my mom's family and my grandparents. We went to dinner at Spaghetti Factory and again excuse my really cute not so cute car look in these pics of my cute cousins and family!

Me, my cute little cousin A* (she wouldn't smile), and my sister!

The Cousins at din din!

Brother J*, Me, Grandpa, Grandma, and A* outside the restaurant before heading on another drive!

After dinner, we said out goodbyes and kept driving on.

Next Stop...Washington

We drove into West Seattle my childhood stomping grounds and got into our house that we rented. We didn't visit family since it was so late. We got out "beauty" sleep so we could be prepared for helping clean out my other Grandparents' house.

(Excuse my humid, wet, not so good looking hair in Seattle)

we went to Seattle to help my grandma with her problem of keeping too much. Her whole basement is full of treasures (some not so treasures and some are...my sister took home a bunch of new clothes that were in style 20 years ago and are back in style! It was quite fun!)

Straight after getting Matson at the airport and after all the work was done at Grandma's, we showed Matson our old houses then headed for dinner at Alki

Matson's Seattle Tour starting at our fave restaurant, Pegasus! (Now that's a restaurant I would HIGHLY recommend) We then went to Husky's for some ice cream, of course!

Matson LOVED his first night in Seattle and our view from our room. He is obsessed with Skylines.

The next day we started out our day with the Seagulls. (Most of you right now are probably thinking...you went to Seattle to feed seagulls? YES, we did. This whole part of the trip was to show Matson all the things I did and memories I have from my childhood). Our whole family was TOTALLY enjoying it, just like when we were younger. We through one piece of bread with no seagulls around us and then BAM 40 seagulls were by us. We had a blast with them. Seriously probably one of Matson's favorite parts of the day.

This picture was the best. Matson was laughing so hard and way into feeding the birds, as you can tell by his face.

After feeding the birds, we went on a ferry ride over to the piers and Downtown. We say a bunch of seals on our ride (maybe I will post those videos later).

The Guys standing outside of Ye Old Curiosity Shop

I loved the Curiosity Shop because I found my FAVE. Old Fashion TAFFY.

Pikes Place Market waiting for the Fish to be thrown...I loved all the beautiful flowers and arrangements. Then we bought some yummy mini doughnuts.

All of us outside of Pikes Place.

Next we headed to all the shopping and ate some lunch at Nordstrom Cafe, which my sister and I always ate at after my mom dragged us around for what seemed like hours and hours of shopping when we were kids. I had the best memories of the Snickerdoodles there and yep still so good!

A* and Matson at lunch at Nordstrom. I miss this Nordy's. P town's just isn't as great. I guess that's what happens when you are raised going to the flagship store.

One of my favorite pictures of the day. All of them with crossed legs and their phones out sitting in Nordstrom.

We took the Monorail to the Center. We tried to sit in front like we always did as kids but someone took it before us :(

It was raining but we decided to go up the Space Needle anyway

Me on the Space Needle and West Seattle behind me. Matson LOVED the Space Needle! Him and his love for views, skylines, nature, and such. It's good for me, he helps me appreciate them too!

Matson loved all the "Matson" ships and crate/boxes being shipped in to the ports

Pops and Matson by the fountain that we went to all the time as kids. I got impatient waiting for it to explode up so the picture isn't that cool. The best part of this photo is that my dad was trying to tell Matson that you have to touch the fountain to become TRULY apart of our family. He didn't fall for it.

we ended Friday by walking around the city a little more and then we went to my Aunt's house (my dad's half sister) and we ate dinner with her and her family. I didn't take any pictures but we had a great time there...we talked for HOURS and HOURS. I learned a lot of family history about my dad's dad's family, so my grandpa's family. Sadly we did not know my grandpa very well due to my grandma and grandpa divorcing when my dad was 8 and we never really saw him. Anyway all the funny stories and facts I learned will be for another time. But let's just say...I am not sure if my maiden name is truly my real maiden name...it could all be a lie.

anyway the next day we went to breakfast in Bellvue with my Uncle P* and his family. The cousins all had baseball games that day so we could only spend time together at breakfast at Lil Jon's (HUGE yummy cinnamon rolls). After breakfast we went to the EMP (the music muesuem which I don't think I have ever been to because as kids it was newer and too old for us) then we went to watch our twin cousins softball games.

A* and Cousin B* at Lil Jon's

Me and Cousin L* (all in her cute Mariners Softball uniform)

Matson at EMP

At EMP, my dad and Matson got in a singing booth it was quite hilarious. I will have to post the video sometime.

Everybody at the Girls softball game!

We left the softball game (they won and L* even got the game ball which kinda means she did the best...I mean she did get a home run) to go visit our good friend W*. He was my grandma's business partner and good friend. He is almost like a grandpa to us! Matson was shocked at how smart and good he was for being 90 something. Right when he met Matson he said, "Well aren't you a hunk of meat." Matson loved that comment...anything having to do with his muscles makes him feel good...cocky boy.