After returning to the relaxing reality of New York I finally am having a chance to post a blog about our most recent trip to the West Coast. Adrien and I took a late night flight Tuesday to Portland, spending the night at the Allreds. In the morning we made breakfast for everyone before heading north for a few days in Seattle. In Seattle we had a wonderful time staying at the Ace hotel. The lobby and rooms were small, but nicely decorated.





We split our time between shopping, going to museums and eating at some wonderful restaurants. Some of the highlights of the trip: eating fresh hot lemon doughnuts with ricotta cream from Tavolata, drinking vintage recipe drinks from Vessel, crepes and coffee from Joe bar, showing Adrien the new Seattle Public Library, strolling the new Olympic Sculpture park, and last but not least checking out the wonderful programming at the Tacoma Art Museum.





Here are some pictures of Adrien and I hanging out in some hanging scuptures in the main building of the Olympic Sculpture Park.





We headed south Friday night to finish getting ready for the Allred party. The party was all day and into the evening Saturday, and as always was quite the spectacle. This year they once again outdid themselves with a catered feast, band, performers, face painters, and more. A map of the garden shows just how outlandish it was. It was nice seeing people, but by the end of the party I was exhausted. Unfortunately I don’t have a single picture of myself in my mask.





I spent much of the following week retreating into a room at the Jupiter hotel to read and ready myself for the upcoming school year. It was nice staying at the Jupiter hotel where I had space to myself, wifi, and some much needed privacy. Also at the hotel I could come and go as a please without having to wait for Adrien to give me rides into the city.



Adrien and I did a bit a shopping, and eating, and looking around Portland, but not all that much. Adrien went out golfing with his Dad, and to yoga with his mom a couple of times. At the end up the week I was so very much ready to be back at home with my stuff, and my New York conveniences. The flight home was a bit crazy because we had Nathan and Desiree’s cats with us. We will be taking care of their kitties for the next few months and so we had to bring them back with us to New York. We think we didn’t drug them up with nearly enough of their kitty Valium because they cried the entire 6 hours.