Friday, June 7, 2013

The Pacific NW – A Cribb Food & Wine Adventure – Part I - Seattle


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. Cribb
cjcribb@gmail.com
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