I'm finally getting around to the post that I know already will be something of a monster...but I'm blogging this stuff so that a) I can remember and re-live, b) Munch will have the stories ready at hand when she's older, and c) so you all, if you are so inclined, can re-live with me. And it's been a month since the vacation started, so it's about time I re-lived some of it. :)
You may have noticed the title--This is Munch's word for 'Seattle'. I know, I love it too. :) That popped out of her as we were driving somewhere during the first week when we were all in town...Daddy and I were talking and making plans and whatnot as we were on the go, and Seattle naturally kept coming up in the vocabulary, and Munch, being the verbal toddler that she is already, naturally picked up on some sounds that seemed familiar to her. This will be a word of hers that I will be sorry to see go when she's older and 'knows better'.
But I digress...Back to the vacation itself! Which, being in the summer, really did feel more like a vacation than our usual Christmas trips have--we had so much more ability to get around, to walk and hike, to enjoy the chilly Seattle weather...or at least, Daddy enjoyed it. I was simply reminded of one of the many reasons I'd moved away... ;) And I was wishing desperately that I'd packed more pants and long sleeves for myself and the Munch. Oh well. We survived...and probably better than if it had been in the 80's or 90's that I love, as my grandma's house, where we stayed this time around, was pretty stuffy and hot upstairs even in 70 degree weather, and grandma didn't have any fans at all...
All three of us were up around 4 am Saturday morning, finishing packing, pulling all the suitcases to the door, eating a little food, waiting for Daddy's sister to come and get us so we didn't have to take a 2-hour train-ride via CTA to get to the airport. We got there prettymuch right on time, and then had to wait...wait...wait...through the check-in line, through a LONG security line (which we had to start over mid-way through because Daddy had left his already printed ticket in the outside pocket of a checked bag and had to get another reprinted...). So by the time we got into the terminal itself, we were rapidly running out of time. We found our gate (clear at the end of a terminal, as it so often happens when one is in a hurry), Daddy got claim tickets for the stroller and carseat and went to fill the bottles we'd brought with us, and then told me that there wasn't time to get food because boarding started in 10 minutes and the line for McD's was at least 20 minutes long. And he was really hungry, which made this news doubly upsetting to him. So I went on a 10-minute food mission, and found a place next door to McD's with virtually no line at all. It wasn't egg mcmuffins...but it got the job done. :)
In the middle of all this scurry, Munch did amazingly well. I think she was just so overwhelmed by the people and activity and excitement of it all that she didn't stop to think, 'Wait, what is going on, and why don't *I* have a say in this?' She was also very excited about her new little backpack that I'd bought her...and those moving walkways? As soon as we got off the first one, she tried to turn around to get back on! And I think she only had one or two small screaming fits on the plane...Daddy's ipad saved the day on those both occasions, and we were surrounded by other families, so even the fits were taken in stride all by our neighbors.
It was still a long day for us, of course. Waking at 4, an hour in a car, 2 hours in airports, 4 hours in a plane, meeting a dear friend at the airport so she could drive us to a cheaper car rental place, eating Thai with her (and successfully paying for her meal, despite her devious plan to pay for her own ;) ), getting a pack 'n' play from another friend, getting to Grandma's house and getting everything set up so the Munch could take a much-needed nap, getting settled at Grandma's and figuring out plans for the evening, and then getting 2 extra hours added to our lives on top of it all, and I don't think we got to bed until midnight Seattle time. We were kinda tired the next morning in church, but at least the Munch acclimated fairly quickly to the time change...cuz she was tired too.
But Sunday was when the real vacation began. Because that was when I really started figuring out just what we were going to do and when. The goal of this first week was to get as much time with the various Seattle people that Daddy knew as we could, since he would leave that very next Saturday, as well as to do an over-the-mountains trip to visit people we get to see even less frequently than most--so during the earlier part of the week, we got a bunch of my college church friends and my brothers together for a viewing of the latest Batman film (Spoiler alert, it was awesome, although Bain was...well, he's a batman badguy, he's weird...and catwoman wasn't nearly bad enough.), and we had a couple different game nights and outings with friends and with my sibs.
The big thing, though, in that first part of the week, was the hike I planned. Having always come in the winter, Daddy had never gotten to see or really be IN the mountains, so I knew that was something that we HAD to do. I picked an old hike I'd gone on many times as a kid--The Big Four Ice caves--partly because it still fascinates me and I knew it would fascinate him, partly because I'd heard how stroller-friendly the trail had become, and partly simply to reminisce. I invited my siblings to come with us, and the two youngest were able to join. We had PERFECT weather for it--I was so very pleased, because the day before had been rainy and miserable, but the day of was crystal-clear and mid-70's, all day long. And our non-all-terrain stroller rolled along just fine over all but the very last top (much rockier) part. Some pics from this day:
Daddy didn't understand that the trail would take us TO the caves--he thought it was just a scenic path leading near them, and that this, our first glimpse of the snow-field, was as close as we'd get. Imagine his excitement when he learned otherwise!
Yes, Munch LOVED the hike. :) Of course...she barely even hiked...
View of the 'other' waterfalls...usually I'd gone here later in the summer, when they'd slowed or lost the snowfields below already. I had no idea of the suprises that lay in wait for me under those falls!
Backstory on this pic: My sister HATES having her picture taken. She thinks she looks bad in them for some strange reason...So guess how many sneaky pictures big sis took of lil sis during this hike? *evil grin* This one is my favorite--that look in her face is of the moment that she realizes the camera I'm casually holding backwards down by my side is pointed at her (she was walking behind me) and is ON. I got kicked for this one. And I'm not sorry. :D And she should be grateful I don't post any more like this...Cuz I've got a bunch!! :D Mwahahahahaaaa....
The main snowfield, much bigger than I'm used to, and with a little cave just starting to develop along the edges.
Well...maybe not as little as it looked in the first picture...But trust me, still a little one, comparatively.
The Munch got very excited when this dog came into the little sit-down area at the end of the main trail. I think the dog was pretty happy to see her, too!
This was definitely the coolest (pun not intended, but I'll work with it) of the caves we saw...all 3 of those holes in the ice actually lead to the same main cavern. For safety reasons (i.e., cave-ins could happen) we couldn't explore to see just how they met up, but they were really cool to see all the same. This bit of cave was past a hill that we basically had to boulder our way up and over to get to--so Daddy and Uncle took a trip by themselves, and then Auntie and I did the same after they got back...Munch wouldn't have been able to do something like that, and wouldn't have cared anywho. She happily munched the snacks we'd brought while we all did our explorations.
Daddy stands *just* in front of the biggest cave, the main entrance, if you will, to that group of 3. See that brighter spot in the ice above him? That's some thin, dangerous ice...and the reason people aren't supposed to climb the snowfields anymore. Also, do you see the lighter blurriness inside the cave to the left? That was mist from the waterfalls hiding away back behind the snow!
Uncle atop a very tall rock--there's a tiny person in a blue coat down to the right, to give you some perspective. This rock was wedged into a hillside that Daddy and Uncle climbed as they were returning to the sitting area (where Auntie and I were starting to wonder what had become of them).
At the time, I didn't know my brother had also posed atop a rock, but I just *had* to climb up and pose on this one. It was fun. :D And slightly precarious up there.
My sister points into the main side entrance to that monster of a cave.
My sister gazes across the plain that the weight of the winter snow creates. A beautiful, beautiful view.
The last of the caves, a perfect half-circle, and fed by two waterfalls.
And those would be them. Daddy and I both really liked that one on the right, and took a bunch of different pics of it.
We had to take the stroller without a Munch inside for a little distance at the top because the trail ground had too many big rocks on it. On the way up, we'd carried Munch. On the way down...well, can you blame us for being tired? We carried her almost the whole way...and only put her down when we got onto this boardwalk, which should have been an easy thing for her to navigate. But oh, the tears that ensued...
This was the only part of the main trail that got in the stroller's way. Some rather...creative carpentry.
I'm a nerd, and I'll readily admit it. As soon as I saw this, I thought, 'That looks just like a model of Kashyyyk!' Now, who among you will have to go look that one up? :)
There are a lot of hollowed-out stumps along this trail. More than average, I might guess, though I don't really know. This one stopped me cold when I saw it, though. Because I remembered it, out of all those other stumps. Picture my 10-year-old self climbing inside that very hollow, and you'll have one of my memories right there, even if a picture wasn't taken of the moment. :)
Daddy's a fast walker, whether he has a stroller or not. He got pretty far ahead of my sister and I, and actually ended up right below us after a turn.
My brother (close to 6 feet tall) stands beside an uprooted tree, for size comparison. There were a lot of those, too.
I saw that big white trunk and told my sister to stand beside it. And I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I think she should make it her facebook pic. :D hint, hint, whenever you read this. ;)
My brother was standing on the ground behind this stump. It was the perfect height!! :D
The hike done, Uncle and niece share a moment before we have to get back in the car for the hour and a half return trip.
Auntie and niece share another moment. We all had a wonderful day together!!
The remainder of that day was as packed as the morning had been--we met up with my friend and her husband, who enjoys playing games with Daddy, and went out to eat with them. And then I got sick on the way home. Really, really sick. So sick that I am just glad there was an empty gatorade bottle still laying in the car, because otherwise...ugh. I found out later that my friend's husband also got sick that evening. Not sure what it was that we ate that the others didn't--and Munch ate from my plate and was fine--but we won't be going back to that particular restaurant again...Fortunately, the sickies only postponed our going out for a game night with other friends, rather than entirely cancelling it. Which was a very good thing considering that a) the game night had been planned for US, and b) there were at lot of people there who I didn't get to see again the entire vacation, even though we tried to plan other things.
The next day, early in the morning, we headed back into the mountains, but this time we weren't stopping in the middle of them...we were going through them to the other side. Our first stop was my Grandma E, who recently sold the farm my mom was raised on, and who was in the middle of packing up a lifetime of stuff to move into a retirement home. I'd known about the sale, but I hadn't realized that it meant Grandma was moving so soon...or that buildings had already come down. It was very bittersweet for me to visit it at this point, and know that not only was it the first time Daddy would get to see it, it would also be the last time for either of us. But I was very grateful for the timing...another year or even half a year, and it would have been too late.
There used to be about 3 different buildings for the younger cows and a lot of fences in pictures of this scene...It was so strange to me to find the entire area scraped clean.
This is where the cows ate their alfalfa and molasses. There were bars that formed slots for their heads all along that concrete barrier. I can remember Grandpa, years ago, sloshing that bucket of molasses over the food while the cows were greedily tearing in. They loved molasses! Often they'd end up with a slop of it right across their nose as they ate, because Grandpa wasn't going to wait for them to move their snout so he could spread it out properly.
Daddy looks into the old silage pit. I'm sure it will be filled up before long...the sides were already caving in.
My grandma's house. About the only things that have really changed about it over the years are the cars parked under the carport, and the black walnut trees that have long since been cut down...it's not easy mowing black-walnut-seeded lawn, after all...
Of course while we were there, we got some pictures of the people, too!
Great-Grandma with her only Great-Grandchild. The Munch was so sweet during this little photo-shoot.
Me, Grandma, Munch, and my cousin...who's more than 10 years younger than me, but the first child born to any of my mom's siblings. She's been helping Grandma get packed up.
From there we headed to Daddy's Aunt and Uncle's place a bit further south. They'd lived in the Chi-town area until about 6 years or so ago, and Daddy hadn't gotten to see them since...and this was his uncle who'd been his Best Man at our wedding! He's missed them greatly. We stayed about 2 days, which of course wasn't nearly long enough, but was all that we could do for this time. Hopefully we'll be repeating these summer vacations more so that we can do it again. While there, we...
...Ate from watermelon-themed plates...I didn't even know our Aunt HAD those, yet I'd happened to dress Munch in her watermelon shirt that morning. :)
...Played with a mechanical arm at an area museum...Or rather, Daddy did. His uncle and I had a go at it, and it was cool and such, but Daddy...I think he could've stayed there all afternoon. This particular museum was dedicated to nuclear and other energy studies, so this arm mimicked what it would have been like to handle radioactive material while being safely protected by thick glass and lead.
That arm inside did everything we told it to do...such as stack blocks. Daddy made a lot of towers.
...Played with an art installation designed to show us sound waves...
...Like this!! Really, really cool, in my book. :) I was thrilled that it showed up so well on the camera.
...Made sparks. :D
...Posed in front of the first submarine to ever circumnavigate the globe while entirely underwater. And it happens to be nuclear, which is why it ended up in the middle of a desert that over the years has had a lot of nuclear study and tests and dumps...A lot of the sub's waste is stored (safely) not so far away.
Played in the backyard with our aunt and uncle's little dog Peanut.
...Sat on Munch's favorite thing: A swing!!
...Read a book that had lights at the end that blinked.
...Built a puzzle with an oddly familiar image on it...
...and had to take a picture of it in two parts, because it was too long to fit the frames that they have for puzzle building. We split it in two as we built it, and they'll glue it all together later.
...Had fun with a cow hat!! And so many, many other things. Our Aunt spent much of the full day we were there watching and playing with the Munch, and they had a blast together playing with a big doll collection, their dog, books, and any number of other things that this grandma of almost 10 has laying around.
But eventually we had to leave...We took a quick sprint up north to Moses Lake, where a friend of mine recently bought a house, and I *finally* got to meet his 3-year-old son, but we didn't stay long. We were getting a bit tired from all this driving around. From there, it was back over the mountains, with a brief stop at a gas station--at which point I snapped this pic of Munch enjoying a bunch of things all at once...
And then another brief stop at another place I remember oh-so-well: Indian John Hill Rest Area. I really wanted to get a picture of the Munch on my favorite old tree--it was bent severely when it was small, then shot straight up just like all the other trees here, so that now it makes a perfect little bench...But I guess that has to wait until another time, because Daddy was much too tired of traveling at this point...he wanted the pit stop for the bathrooms, and then a quick 'outta here' to get back to 'See-Apple'. The rest will have to wait for a second post...because ALL of this was crammed into just one week...all the time that Daddy had.
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