Pacific Northwest 2016

During Presidents Week in February, Jordyn scheduled several college campus tours in the Pacific Northwest. The tours included University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and University of Washington. Since the kids had never been to Seattle before, we made sure to take some time to see the sights. Seattle is a beautiful city with many tourist spots to enjoy. We visited the Pike Place Market (where we checked out the very first Starbucks), the Space Needle (2 times), the EMP (Sci-Fi Museum), and the wharf (where the boys visited the aquarium). We even drove by Century Link Field! We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and made some life-long memories.

Feb. 15, 2016
Eugene, OR

After the 8 1/2 hour drive to Eugene, OR, everyone was looking forward to settling in at our hotel and getting something to eat. Fortunately, we were staying pretty close to the University of Oregon campus, so there was a wealth of places to eat near by. We found a great place to eat called the Texas Roadhouse. Good food and plenty of it.

Feb. 16, 2016
University of Oregon & Oregon State

In the morning, Jordyn and Daddy headed out to the University of Oregon for the campus tour. Mommy and the boys stayed behind in the hotel. U of O was nice and one could tell Nike was a big donor/sponsor of the school. The athletic facilities were all first rate. The rest of the school, however, was crowded and dense. There wasn't a very "open" feel to the campus and it felt claustrophobic. After lunch the entire family took the tour at Oregon State up in Corvallis. OSU, on the other hand, was very open and spread out. The school was pretty laid back and less frenzied. At this point, Jordyn said she would prefer OSU.

Feb. 17, 2016
University of Washington

After the tour at OSU, we hightailed it up to Seattle, WA to check into our hotel. The next morning, Daddy dropped Mommy and the boys off at the wharf to visit the aquarium. Then, he and Jordyn drove to the University of Washington. UW is a beautiful campus spread over rolling hills looking out toward Mt. Rainier. It is an impressive school with a great many students. After the tour Jordyn and Daddy met up with Mommy and the boys for lunch at the wharf. Later, we walked over to the Pike Place Market and saw the very first Starbucks across the street. In the evening we visited the Space Needle to get a sky high view of the city of Seattle at night.

Feb. 18, 2016
Seattle, WA

Our last day up north would be spent in Seattle exclusively. We purchased these City Passes ahead of time that allowed us entry into the EMP Museum, Seattle Aquarium, and got Mommy and the boys a harbour tour. Also included were two entries to the Space Needle (one at night and one during the day). We went the night before to see things, so now we were going to go during the day to check it out. We were really lucky the weather turned out nice because we could see for miles. Later, we went to the EMP Museum that Daddy was really looking forward to. You see, the EMP Museum houses the Science Fiction Museum. While there, we saw all kinds of costumes, props, and model ships used for filming famous Sci-Fi movies. The EMP also houses a horror and fantasy wing adjacent to the Sci-Fi section. There was also a special exhibit showcasing Hello Kitty and sections for Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and the Seattle Seahawks. In the end, we could have spent many many hours there going from one display to the next, but, alas, we had to start our journey southward and head home.