Easter Weekend

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter weekend whether it was carrying on the traditions from year to year or creating something new. It's been a good weekend in Seattle as Sara has been here visiting. Our weather has been a mix of sun and rain but we have tried to make the best of it.
Saturday we ventured to another island. Who knew so many existed in the Puget Sound? Whidbey Island is about a 20 minute ferry ride from a dock just north of Seattle. We took our car and cruised around the island stopping in an area called Coupeville for a farmer's market and a walk along the main street that sits right along the water. The small number of stores are home to galleries, gift stores, and even a Japenese wood store. We're learning that each of these little towns has a place that sells homemade ice cream and the smell is wonderful as you walk from one shop to the next. After our stop in Coupeville we were ready for lunch but finding a place to eat was easier said than done. Between each area is a lot of open land making it difficult to know whether passing one place up was leaving more time for our stomachs to grumble. Of course we did take a slight detour when Joe read a sign for an "estate sale." His curiosity got the best of him and unfortunately he was at the wheel so off we headed. It turns out this "sale" was just another word for selling cheap things that nobody would want out of garage. We did get to see nice properties that have a great view of the water but did not come away with anything from the estate. This is probably a good thing since we are having difficulty housing the things that we already own. Lunch ended up being a stop at a winery with an adjoining cafe. We got to sample the local loganberry pie before tasting some of the wine. After an afternoon of exploring such open land, I was grateful to return to city as too much space and lack of people tend to make me nervous:-). After a brief rest, we headed to dinner at the oldest Mexican restaurant in the city (31 years) and then to a concert at a venue that was "the" place for the Seattle grunge scene back in the early '90's. The likes of Kurt Cobain and Nine Inch Nails got their start at this venue known as the "Crocodile." The music was okay (I was missing my singer songer writers) but it was something different that took us to a part of the city that we don't really venture to.
Our Easter brunch was at a Chinese restaurant for Dim Sum. A new experience for us as Dim Sum consists of different chinese pastries and other broiled shell like consistencies stuffed with meats and seafood. It was something different to try but I'm still partial to my favorite breakfast foods before 12 pm. The rain was in full force but we still managed to show Sara one our favorite areas and walked the market before finding shelter at the movies for the afternoon. Our Easter feasting continued this evening at Charlie's for jumbalia and rhuebarb pie. All of us were relieved to avoid any contact with the traditional ham and enjoyed a different kind of way to spend the day.