Fall has definitely arrived here in Tacoma, WA, but it took a bit longer to make its appearance than I’m used to after almost 20 years in New England. Most of September felt like an extension of summer, which was a pleasant surprise, and we did our best to take advantage of the mild weather.
Our “extended summer” allowed for many more afternoons at playgrounds and trips to the Point Defiance Zoo. In many ways this month was a bit of a “repeat” of last month as we revisited some places we enjoyed for a second time to explore further.
With a young toddler in tow, many times we’ve only got a short window before or after a nap to fit in an adventure, so multiple visits becomes a better strategy than trying to soak in everything super quickly. And, of course some places you couldn’t possibly get enough of during a single visit… such as…
Exploring Seattle
We spent another weekend day exploring Seattle. We walked through the Olympic Sculpture Park along the waterfront enjoying thee fountains and watching the barges and ferries on the Sound. Then, we had lunch at Queen Anne Beerhall, a replica German beer hall that definitely reminded me of my time in the Bavarian beer halls many years ago back in 2001. The most unusual part of this meal was the mind spin that happened when considering pairing beer with brunch. We arrived around 11:45am, and they were still serving their brunch menu… which I LOVE a good brunch. However, once I moved past the mental resistance I can definitively say that raspberry Lambic is AWESOME with stuffed French Toast… seriously. Really good.
We wandered up underneath the Space Needle (although we didn’t go up this visit) and discovered the wonderful playground outside the MoPop museum, which was a big hit with our Pumpkin. She loved the rope bridge on the little kids climbing space, and I think Brian was relieved that she wasn’t yet trying to scale the 2-story rope net and slides structure meant for bigger kids. I know I would have been straight up that one when I was a young kid… maybe 4 or 5 years old rather than 2 however.
During mid to late September we finally started getting a bit more of the rain that the Pacific Northwest is so famous for. However, that just meant a few Sunday afternoons at the Tacoma Children’s Museum and the Library picking up new books (which have been a huge benefit, as I’ll explain shortly.)
Flowers, Fish, and Flying Friends
On one sunny Wednesday afternoon, we made a return visit to the Point Defiance Zoo and then took a picnic out to enjoy under a large maple tree in the gardens at Point Defiance. The dahlias were in full and amazing bloom, which resulted in many stunning photos. It was a beautiful and perfect afternoon together as a family.
Unfortunately, our planned visit to Vancouver and Squamish last month got delayed due to a change in our friends’ availability, but we made an awesome pivot and went back out to visit April and Don again in Leavenworth. By sheer luck this visit coincided with the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival which was a great “world schooling” opportunity and such fun for our Pumpkin.
She saw hawks, owls, a falcon, and a bald eagle as well as a giant tortoise called “Squirt” (which demonstrated its ability to squirt quite far from its rear end as we watched *smh*.) We listened to a Native American storyteller sharing traditional tales about the animals. We toured the tanks in the fish hatchery and saw actual salmon roe, while learning about the process of how they grow.
However, I think probably the highlight for Pumpkin was her first trip inside a bouncy house. *sigh* It was somewhat harrowing for her two parents watching all the much bigger kids jump and bounce around her, and just praying that she wouldn’t get crushed. All she generally was doing was riding the bumps and bounces of others since she was not yet able to keep her balance amidst the chaos. I was relieved to see that most of the bigger kids were very thoughtful and even occasionally tried to help her stand up and jump.
After a morning at the festival, she took a super long afternoon nap, unsurprisingly, and we actually had to wake her up in time for dinner. So, that gave April and me time for a long, heart-felt catch up chat. The next day we drove to Wenatchee to explore a bit more of the area, and then back to downtown Leavenworth for a wander through the Bavarian town again.
Memories, More Sweet Than Bitter
The following weekend was a dramatic change of pace. I left on Friday, September 27th to fly back to the US east coast to attend the memorial service for my dear friend and bonus Mom, Susan Curewitz Arthen. If you’ve followed my Facebook or Instagram for the past few months, then you know that she passed in late July, and I’ve shared a few memories of her on my posts. Her family decided to postpone the memorial service until the last weekend in September which put it close to her birthday and gave those of us traveling from long distances plenty of time to make plans and join in.
<- Memorial Service Photo Credit – Dawn Flatt
Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel attending the memorial for a whole host of reasons. Sue was my strongest connection to that community for the past 10 years, although I had been a vibrant and active member for the 10 years prior. Many of the other community members I had only occasionally seen in a decade. However, the hugs were warm, the tears ran freely, and the laughs and shared stories were plentiful… just as Sue would have wanted.
The trip back to Massachusetts also gave me an opportunity to see our “hometown” of Salem, MA gearing up for its Halloween exuberance. If you’ve never been to Salem in October… it’s a sight and an adventure. I was blessed with a stunningly beautiful Saturday afternoon, weather in the 70s, and plenty of tourists exploring the cobbled Salem streets.
Coming “home” again also has this bittersweet feeling for me these days. I love the eccentricities of the Salem. I love the rainbow sidewalks that emphasize to me the acceptance and open-heartedness that the town has grown to represent, particularly under the guidance of Mayor Kim Driscoll for this past decade+. And, really, how many other places will you see folks walking through town dressed as “witches” … just because. (Note: that happens year round, not just for October.)
Brian and I both still envision having a “home base” in Salem someday that we’ll “travel from” on our adventures in the future. But, for now, we’ll continue being nomads, and exploring places we’ve never seen before.
Clarity Looking Forward
I’ve been somewhat astonished that many of our friends somehow got the idea that this was a “one year adventure,” and they are asking when we’re coming back. I’ve been doing more clarifying recently that we have no specific “end” in sight.
We plan to continue traveling until we decide we’re “done.” But, even then, likely several years yet in the future… we’re envisioning having a home base that we continue to travel from for extended trips of 3-6 months (or more) at a time. There’s simply too much world out there yet to see and share with our Pumpkin.
For instance, we had a wonderful afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum discussing colors, shapes, and African animal masks… since that’s the basics of art appreciation for a 2-year-old. That was followed by a visit to Beecher’s Cheese Shop and a stroll through Pike Place Market when it was closing down and less crowded.
We’ve continued to find new parks to explore, as well as just spending some time at home. The most recent adventure has kept us much closer to home as we’ve started the journey of potty training (for which those library books I mentioned earlier before have been a huge blessing.)
Luckily, she’s picked it up very quickly, and although there have been a couple of accidents during her first week, we actually spent almost 5 hours out of the house at a park and then a restaurant this past Saturday with no serious incidents. So, *fingers crossed* even this new experience will not slow down our adventures for very long.
What’s Next
Our road trip up to Vancouver, British Columbia and Bellingham, WA is now on the calendar for early November, and I think there will be some adventures in a pumpkin patch coming up soon, as well as good Halloween fun.
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