The Aster girls see Seattle

When my mom began planning her trip out here this summer, I was pleasantly surprised that my sister decided to tag along. Mom's been here before, so when I asked Steph what she really wanted to do most, her answer was: Food! The gluten free options in Seattle are hard to beat, so I totally got where she was coming from. I made sure good eats were at the top of our to-do list.

We had a fantastic time sightseeing and eating, and we even managed to get my mom out for a hike!

Day One

Mom arrived Tuesday morning and we went straight to brunch at Julia's of Wallingford. Then, we did a little shopping in Ballard (mom treated me to a pair of beautiful earrings from Aviv) and came back home to get Thai for dinner from Kaosamai. 

Day Two

This was our big sightseeing day! We had brunch at Blue Star Cafe & Pub, then took a little walk around the Arboretum. We made a quick detour to the library because I knew Mom would love the architecture.

The Seattle Library looks like a stack of books.

She also really wanted to go on an underground tour during this visit, so we scheduled Bill Speidel's for the afternoon. I'd done Beneath the Streets, but the Bill Speidel tour was definitely superior. Our guide was hilarious and they seemed to have access to more of the underground streets.

Gotta love a gluten free waffle cone.

We were spent after the tour, so we had dinner at Bamboo (all gluten free sushi) and ice cream from Frankie & Jo's (where we ended up going pretty much every night during this visit).

Day Three

Steph arrived around 11pm on Wednesday. I had booked "afternoon" tea for us on her first morning, and it was such a good choice! We had tea at Queen Mary's Tea Room, then picked up Matt and Zoe to head out for a hike.

I wanted to choose something relatively easy and short, but with a great payoff. I'd heard good things about Franklin Falls, so that's where we went! It was an excellent choice. With minimal elevation gain, lots of shade, and a pretty impressive waterfall at the end, it checked all the boxes. It was so fun to have my mom get to see the more natural side of Seattle.

The gworls.

Razzi's for dinner completed our third day, and then we got Frankie & Jo's for dessert. Because of course we did!

Day Four

Thursday was the main touristy day for Steph. We started bright and early with a trip to NuFlours, then went to Portage Bay Cafe for brunch. After that, Mom, Steph, and I hit the Columbia Tower for some awesome views, Pike Place for some shopping, and the Starbucks Roastery Reserve for a pick-me-up. That evening we did Ghostfish Brewery for dinner and dessert.

Steph was appropriately grossed out by the gum wall.

Day Five

I dropped Mom at the airport too early the next morning, and, after a brief nap, picked Steph up for her last day in Seattle. We had brunch at Julia's and then made our way to the Talapus Lake Trail. Matt and I have done this hike one and a half times. We like that there are two lakes and only a moderate climb (about 1200 feet).

After we got to the first lake, we decided to continue on to the second. Matt (and Zoe) went for a swim before we headed back.

It was a gorgeous day and not too busy by the time we got there. As usual, Zoe had a blast, and I think Steph was happy to get out on another trail.

After a shower, we made another trip to Bamboo for dinner and Frankie & Jo's for ice cream yet again. We finished what we assumed was Steph's last day with a trip to Gasworks Park.

Bonus Day!

I dropped Steph at the airport around 5:30am, and five hours later she texted that her flight was cancelled. The Crowdstrike glitch got Delta bad! Her new flight out would be Tuesday, so we got a couple bonus days with her!

Sunday—and her checked bag—was lost to airport chaos, but Monday Steph joined Matt at his gym (after he brought her to NuFlours for more treats) and then she and I hit Hot Cakes and Chihuly when I was done with work. We even timed it perfectly to see a live demo.

Always matching.

On Tuesday morning, I dropped Steph back at the airport and we crossed our fingers for a good outcome. Luckily, she boarded on time and arrived home to find her checked bag waiting for her.

The unexpected extra time with Steph meant I had guests for a full week. It was exhausting, but honestly it was so nice! I loved having my mom and sister here together and I selfishly loved the extra one-on-one time I got with Steph after her flight cancellation. I'm feeling all sorts of warm fuzzies from their visit and I'm so glad they made the time to come see me.

Ali