This May I had the unique opportunity to travel and talk
wine as the celebrity sommelier/host for Global Connections Travel on a wine
& food cruise aboard Holland America Cruise Line. Simply put, it was lovely. A great trip that included family and friends
(both new and old) departed from Seattle, Washington heading North to Alaska
and Canada via the inside passage with several stops along the way. In a few words and pictures here are some
interesting tips and fun details about the trip, land, food, wine, and people
we encountered along the way… enjoy!
SEATTLE – A CITY OF SEAFOOD, CAFFINE & CULTURE
I have had the opportunity to visit Seattle and a few
surrounding cities in Washington over the course of the last few years (mostly
for business), but I have not been able to get out and about “exploring”. Touching down and getting a look around you
know what part of the county you are in as soon as you see the first tall pine
and conifer trees. From the airport our
cab driver pointed out the sister baseball and football stadiums next to each
other, the headquarters of Starbucks along the way, and of course the Space
Needle, a beacon in the Emerald City’s skyline; it was great weather –the trip
off to a lovely start. The highlights I
would recommend:
· Pike Place Market – A visit down to Pike Place
Market on Saturday was tons of fun – we happened to be in town the day before
Mother’s day and it was a florist’s dream, flowers EVERYWHERE! The vibe was certainly hipster and as we
watched the news in the hotel later that evening there were many people in town
to celebrate the state decriminalizing the possession of marijuana.
We stopped in to see the Pike PlaceFish Company “throwing fish” and yes, they never dropped one! In my head this was a much larger operation
down by the wharf where they would toss fish by the hundreds from boat to shore…
that is not the case! J
Very nice people – we tried a fresh
catch Shrimp Cocktail / Crab Cocktail chilled in a plastic cup with delicious
cocktail sauce – this was the best seafood of the trip! I highly recommend grabbing
this fresh catch for a bit or lunch or a snack.
If you are hungry in the AM there
is a fresh mini-donut making stand that goes great with your Starbucks! PS – Take a picture of the original
Starbucks, but head around the corner for a cup – same coffee there, 1/4th
the line.
· The Chihuly Museum: Garden & Glass - This
place is breath taking! I usually have a
hard time spending $20.00 to go to a museum, but this is well worth the
money. For those of you that don’t know
who Dale Chihuly is, visit the Belagio hotel in Vegas and look up, or Google – “Most
impressive glass artist in the last twenty years”. A native to the Northwest, this museum
literally sits at the base of the Space Needle and wraps inside and outside
gardens together with an atrium rotunda that is made for an elite wedding! Pictures here say more than 1000 words, it
will be hard for you to pick out your favorite piece and I highly recommend getting
a photo shot by the staff. They have
some nice IT / Technology there that allows you to see your group shot on a
large kiosk screen and email it to yourself and any friends. Small pieces are for sale in the gift shop at
a mere $5000.00 or so per piece so I suggest shooting pictures to remember them
by when you arrive home. Truly a must
see when visiting Seattle for the day, kudos to the city for this gem.
· The Seattle Great Wheel– A trip back to the hotel to
freshen up and a couple snacks / appetizers at a local cafe, where as much
coffee is served as beer & wine every day or night of the year, and we were
ready to go. I was pumped to ride the huge
Ferris Wheel (the largest on the West Coast), but after a nice dinner at
Elliott’s Oyster House (Nice; not a must do - 3 out of 5 stars) that was not in
the cards for our crew. If you do stop by Elliott's I suggest grabbing the waiter's recommendation of large daily oysters.
What ticket did get purchased instead, the
world’s fastest merry go round (this may be an exaggeration, but it was really
fast). Megan, Ellie and myself got to go
for a fun and fast ride that made your head spin, literally. Ellie loved it and while it made my cheeks a
bit tighter from the centrifugal force, I did as well. Would I recommend it, probably not, yet if
you have a teenager or little girl / boy I am sure they would think it was tons
of fun and it sits at the base of the Ferris Wheel.
Our
day of fun in Seattle was coming to a close and the next day was time to call “All
Aboard” and jump on the ship, we wrapped up the night downtown in our hotel –
just a brief cab ride away from the action.
Seattle is a great metropolitan city and with the harbor, sights and
culture I would put this on my list of places to visit in the US if you have
never been before.
More
to come as we continue the trip and explore Holland America and our Alaskan
ports next! A preview teaser - here are twenty-five interesting facts about Alaska.
With
kind regards,
~Christopher
J. Cribb
Today's
Cribb Note - Save the Date - October 9th, 2013 for the 4th
Annual - American Royal Grapes & Steaks Event! As chairman for this
wonderful event please join Christopher & Megan Cribb for a night of great
food, wine & fun for an awesome cause! Tickets and sponsorships start at
$75.00 - book now or ask me for more details!
Christopher
J. CribbMobile - 816.982.5990
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