The Adventures of Travelocity

Apparently, if you want to spend a good portion of the year gallivanting around the country you have to be prepared to explain yourself. My friend Stacey calls me up and goes,

"I've got it! I have a nickname for you!"
Me: "Let it be nice."
Stacey: "Travelocity!"

My friend Xela asked Rhett while I was gone on this last trip to Washington:
"So how does Melanie get to go on all these trips?"
Rhett: "She buys the plane ticket and informs me that she's going."

SO NOT TRUE!

well, i suppose there's truth to it...

I didn't intend for this to be such a traveling year and I have to give a serious shout out to my family for putting up with me. I promise, I will not ask for another hall pass for the rest of the year:)

This last trip to Washington was with (okay wait a sec, i gotta find that paper that i wrote all this down on) my wonderful, amazing, talented, beautiful and genius friends who are all excellent cooks, Raleen, Stacy and Maureen. (Did i get everything girls?)

Raleen's Mom owns a cottage in Washington off the island of Bainbridge, by the Hood Canal. I had the chance to visit WA this summer for a family reunion and this trip only confirmed my theory that this is one of the most scenic places in the country.

The first night in WA we spent at a hotel in downtown Seattle. (Ever go to Seattle, we recommend the W.)



We met up with Bertie, Raleen's Mom (left) and had dinner at a fantastic restaurant: Lola's. If you would have asked me if I would ever have eaten at a place that had wild boar on the menu, I would have told you, you were crazy. But...never say never...(p.s. great picture Stacy! oh wait, they're all great!)

Maureen, Raleen
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. If there was ever a store devoted to diet and good health, this store would be that store's arch enemy!!

We shopped around the market and picked up some really great fruit. The colors are so vibrant it's almost like art or something.

Maureen, bless her sweet little heart right to heaven, wanted to support the local struggling artists...she bought his CD, wanting to get in on the ground floor.

Breakfast at...Lowell's? I think...

Now this was a moment. After dinner that first night downtown, we hit the mall for some shopping. We found out that Maureen had had that black purse for about 10 years and it took all three of us using every form of peer pressure we could conjure up to have her buy this awesome purse that was ON SALE and everything. (Ultimately I think it was the "you'll only be cool if you buy this purse" that pushed her over the edge.)

She gave the same resistance to some great shoes that we were also able to finally talk her into. She's lucky we didn't suspend her chick card or something.

The cottage was only heated by a wood burning stove, and I realized very quickly that I have become a Texas wuss when it comes to the cold. Especially that first night in the cottage. I slept in my jeans, 2 sweaters, a sweatshirt, scarf and the thickest socks on the planet. After that it was quite pleasant and cozy and I was able to stop embarrassing myself.

This is a Florida avocado and it is massive and good! We asked the fruit stand person why they had these amazing avocados, when, as Texans we are geographically closer to Florida than Seattle. We were told very plainly but bluntly that Texas is picky about what avocados they let in.

Hmmm...I was unaware that someplace somewhere there's a person who holds the title, "Avocado Importing Police." I wonder who we talk to about that...

The fruits of our labors. Well, me benefiting from the fruits of other people's labors, but these are details...

The stars keep aligning for me on these trips I've taken and they didn't fail me this time either. I got to see my Uncle Reed and Aunt Cathy and my Uncle Dick and Aunt Janet. We met in a really quaint looking town called Port Townsen...spelling right on that? We thought fellow Twilight fans might appreciate the sign to Port Angeles. Can you believe we were only two hours away from Forks?? I blame myself for that oversight.

We ate with my family at a yummy cafe called The Fountain. Bertie informed us that it is a famous place. I forget now why. Yep, that's me, always helpful.

Me catching Maureen in a completely spontaneous moment by the fire..

We took a nature walk down the beach and up Bertie's street. Caught some great photos. Love this one of the tree. Nature adapting at its best.

We spotted a jellyfish on the beach...I've never seen one in real life. Kinda ookie.

What do you think Jonathan? Do I get any photog props for this cool shot? (the beach one, not the dead jellyfish one...)

Below is the house I'm going to buy. So as soon as you all donate to the cause, I'll invite you all over for hot chocolate. If we all work together we can pick it up for a cool 2 mil.

We supplemented all the relaxation, reflective meditating by the fire, and guacamole consumption with a Gerard Butler mini marathon.

What do you think the odds are that they would recast Edward with Gerard Butler for New Moon??

This was such a relaxing, fun trip with some really great friends. I'd like to thank my family for being so supportive, my friends for being such gracious babysitters, Rhett, for not reporting my Visa as stolen...and of course the Academy..wait..