In Seattle....

.....where I have found myself at one of my favorite spots, The Sorrento Hotel. I haven't stayed here in years, and it really is as great as I remember. This year marks their 100th year in business, and apparently President Taft was their first guest. Who knew? I have attached a few pics of the hotel, since I didn't have any extra time to get much further than the lobby and to a few meetings across the street.

View of the entrance.

A glimpse of the mini bar.

Between the Tanqueray, Pelligrino, and Amstel Light, it looked like a mini version of the fridge at home.

Turndown service.

In Tacoma....

....where I am staying at the Hotel Murano, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite little hotels. I stayed here last time I came through town, and as I was running off to my meeting at the crack of dawn the next morning, they had a pipe burst overnight and there was no water. After spit shining myself with the bottle of Evian in the mini bar, and some strong words exchanged at the front desk, I came back to a very nice upgrade in one of their suites without even asking. Score! It really is a cool little boutique hotel right downtown surrounded by some fantastic restaurants, and the entire hotel is covered in amazing glass art from artisits all over the world. One that stood out to me was Bertil Vallien , (showcased on the 18th floor) one of Sweden's best known artists. (holla!)

I could not take going out to dinner one more night, so room service was in order (literally). I ended up getting the most fantastic homemade lobster pot pie that I have ever had. (Eat your heart out Marie Callendar!) The chunks of lobster and the fresh veggies and the most amazing crust were to die for! I topped off the evening with some Pinot and a Pedi and was a new woman! But even after the eating, the drinking, the pampering, there is still no place like home..... (headed your way tomorrow P.!)

Fantastic meal!

A closer look at the pie. Oh man, I would like a lobster pot pie body wrap!

Sandcasted glass boat by Bertil Vallien. (pathetic attempt to capture it in the display)

Bertil says, "The ship is a perfect vessel for the expression of loneliness. It is evocative of femininity, of adventure, of catastrophe, a thin protective shell that demands the absolute respect of all aboard. It is a society in isolation, a self-contained world afloat on the sea."

Deep.

Greetings From Seattle

So I have been in a meeting since 8 am (which as we all know that is way too early for a Frog!) and I thought I would share a few sights I could see while I am trapped in this building. Once again I left the house without my camera so the poor quality is due to my handy cell phone camera.

View of the Space Needle. Note the beautiful sunny day. (Not so much)

Anyone can see the Space Needle, but what about the home of the World's Largest Trophy Cup! How awesome would it be to place this on the hood of the Volvo as we proudly display our bocce ball victory in the 4th of July parade??

Chambers Bay

This week I am headed back to Seattle for a little work, and hopefully a mean piece of fish. When I was there back in June I had a little free time to check out Chambers Bay, which will be the home of the 2015 US Open. It was hands down the most challenging course I have ever hacked my way through, but I couldn't resist hitting the sticks on the grounds where future champions will be discovered.  

The word of the day is 'ungulations.'

Couldn't resist the classic 'senior class picture' pose. 

One last look from the top at the 18th hole.

Puget Sound

A view of Puget Sound

I spent some time in the Seattle area this week doing some work and a little exploring. I haven't been there in years, and I forgot how beautiful it really is. The weather was perfect: sunny and 70 degrees, and the entire area was going crazy as summer had finally arrived. It sounds like they had a pretty rough winter up there and everyone was certainly ready to dry out!

I couldn't believe it, but I left the house without my camera! I snapped a couple of pics with the camera in my phone, but it doesn't doesn't quite do it justice.

Mt. Rainier

Oh man....this pic is pathetic, and doesn't quite capture the essence that is Mt. Rainier. The sun was setting and you could see the moon rising in the background. I did the best I could to capture the moment. It was really amazing at the time.

Driving down the highway