On our 9300 mile, three month trip this spring, we stayed a week in San Francisco, a week in Portland, and a week in Seattle. Each had their pleasures and unexpected satisfactions. The ride along the Pacific Coast Highway also brought unanticipated delights. Many of these experiences, with enough time and money, you could also enjoy. Some experiences we can’t recall quite where they took place, or they were unreplicable interactions with locals.
But here is a list of specific “best of” experiences that you might also find wonderful:
Meal: The High Tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria British Columbia. Second: McCormick and Kuletos, San Francisco
Best dessert: Chocolate cake, Space Needle.
Best brownie: Chef Suzie on the Square, Victoria, British Columbia
Best soup: Chilled Raspberry at the Sweetwater Restaurant, Jackson, WY
Pastry: Cinnamon Crown, Pearl Bakery in the Pearl District, Portland, OR
Best Tea: Jasmine Tea, San Francisco Japanese Garden Tea House
Best clam chowder: Scomas Restaurant, San Francisco; also best sourdough bread
View: Space Needle, Seattle. Second: Pacific Heights, SF
Beach: Cannon Beach, Oregon: tidal starfish, anemone, tufted puffins!
Transit system: Portland
Public art: Sculpture Park, Seattle
Most interesting neighborhood: Houseboats on Lake Union, Seattle. Second: Canals in Venice, CA.
Most different than Midwestern architecture: Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico
City park: San Francisco, Yerba Buena Gardens
Best public musician: saxophonist at Sculpture park, Seattle, playing jazzy version of “Jesus Loves Me”.
Small art town: Port Townsend, WA
Day: San Francisco Saturday, Ferry Building, Farmer’s Market, and Art Fair
Fine craft gallery: Highlight Gallery, Mendocino. Second, Wild Hands, Jackson, WY
Best affordable glass artist: Rick Hunter
Weather: San Francisco
Best saying on a card, bumper sticker or other: “I love you every day. Except yesterday. I was little annoyed with you yesterday.”
Most unexpected sight: number of old Volkswagen vans on the west coast.
Most unexpected experience: young people in Portland giving their seats up for us old people.
Most unexpected nature event: clams shooting water out of the muck in Bodega Bay, CA
Best inland nature experience: Redwoods on Avenue of the Giants in Northern California. Second: The Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic Penninsula, WA
Best music: Chinese stringed instrument played in the Chinese Garden Tea House, Portland
Best weekend art market: tie between San Francisco and Portland
Best outdoor art fair: Streetfest, University District, Seattle, May
Best public garden: Butchart Gardens. Second: Japanese Garden in San Francisco
Best shopping: Montana and Oregon–no sales tax!
Weirdest law: Oregon–can’t pump your own gas
Best church: Seattle Vineyard
One area I’d seen on a previous trip, 21 years before, was better than I remembered. The gardens at the Barnyard Shopping Village in Carmel, California, continue to delight. Trumpet vine, bougainvillea, antique roses, Peruvian lilies, and many other perennials among hundreds of annuals flowed between the brick pathways.
How often is something that we thought wonderful the first time better than we remember?
Travelling for three months was in many ways like everyday life with it’s ups and downs. But the best moments were truly a taste of heaven. We’re very grateful.
Jesus, thank you for all those tastes of heaven you give us. Please give each one of us a small glimpse of heaven today.
Love your Best Of list Karen! So good to be reminded of the many wonders on the west coast of the good old USA during this Independence Day weekend. We’re headed to Sacramento to visit Katie, Nich and kids and your book awaits me there! Will give you a call when I’ve read it. I really enjoyed our time together in Seattle. Say hi to Jerry. Love, Julia
Thanks, Julia. I enjoyed our time, too. I’ll look forward to talking to you after you’ve read Trading Fathers. Say hi to Nigel (you say he’s only 38? :)), too. Thank Katie for me again for making the contact! Love, Karen