12 Days of Christmas

Highlights from "12 Days of Christmas" this year and the 6,000 miles I covered during them...

Day 1 (Dec. 21) - a trip to the new Trader Joe's in Tallahassee, lunch from Hopkins, a visit with the Gilberts--one of my favorite families, and a Christmas celebration with my Tally aunt & uncle

the best sandwich in the world (Hopkins ultimate turkey on rye-pumpernickel)

Day 2 (Dec. 22) - "Christmas morning" with the fam (we opened a few presents that we didn't want to take with us to Seattle),  church at Four Oaks, and seeing my long-time friend Kathryn

our camellia Christmas tree :)

Day 3 (Dec. 23) - a drive to Atlanta and a long flight to Seattle, but without any problems or delays!

Day 4 (Dec. 24) - Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, a chai latte from the original Starbucks, Christmas Eve service at church, and tamales for dinner

the original Starbucks, Pike Place Market

the flower shops at Pike Place

sight of the infamous "fish throwing"

family pic in front of Pike Place Market

carrying on the Nochebuena tradition even in the U.S.

Day 5 (Dec. 25) - Christmas Day--yummy breakfast, delicious Christmas dinner, present exchanging, laughter, Spanish Bananagrams, relaxing...a great day!

Sibling love: without having any idea, we bought the same gift for each other

The cousins

Day 6 (Dec. 26) - a trip to Mt. Rainier-- snowshoeing, a beautiful & sunny day, and a picnic lunch back at the lodge, then back to Issaquah and the Village Theater for a great production of Les Miserables--my absolute favorite play

Snowshoe Fun

Glorious Mt. Rainier

at the theater

Day 7 (Dec. 27) - walking and shopping around Westlake, viewing the gigantic gingerbread houses at the Sheraton, a visit to the flagship REI store, and a hilarious and very competitive game of Encore

Westlake Christmas tree

Culinary teams and architects team up to create these masterpieces.  This year's theme: nursery rhymes

100% edible 

Day 8 (Dec. 28) - ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, a visit to a bakery in the quaint town of Poulsbo, hiking in several places along the edge of the Olympic Peninsula, then the ferry ride back to Seattle at night

On the ferry to Bainbridge Island

Seattle, breaking through the fog on a chilly morning

town of Poulsbo

our lunch spot on the Olympic Peninsula

a whole herd of elk

So serene

Seattle by night

Day 9 (Dec. 29) - church in the morning, a trip to the movies to see Catching Fire for the first time (so good, but definitely got teary-eyed several times), and tasty salmon (that my uncle had caught previously) for dinner

Day 10 (Dec. 30) - Seattle City Center for lunch, the Chihuly Museum, monorail ride from the Space Needle to Westlake, a visit to the public library, and a good last night together at home watching a movie and looking at old photos :)

Chihuly Glass Museum

a classic Seattle day

Seattle Public Library

"the Living Room" of the public library

Day 11 (Dec. 31) - flight back to Atlanta, then Underground Atlanta and the Peach Drop...won't go into details, but it's the sort of thing you only do once in my opinion

Mt. Rainier from the plane

the Peach Drop + this year's bonus: the Peanut drop

Day 12 (Jan. 1) - brunch at Cracker Barrel with my Atlanta relatives at Cracker Barrel and then back to Birmingham, just in time for work the next day