King Tut and Hidden Beaches

The King Tut exhibit is on its last-ever tour of the U.S.  When Dave and I suggested visiting the Flindts in Seattle on Memorial Day weekend, Lisa mentioned that was also the opening weekend of the King Tut exhibit.  Of course we had to go.

Seven of the eight Flindts came to the King Tut exhibit (Spencer had to work), and Grant brought his friend, Paul.  We first watched an IMAX film on the making of mummies,  and then toured the exhibit, with its precious, beautifully displayed Egyptian statues, sarcophagi, and jewelry.

We even saw a mummy.

Afterwards, in the gift shop, the kids posed in Egyptian finery.

We also spent an hour at the Northwest Folklife Festival, near the Space Needle, where thousands of Seattle residents listened to music and bought food and crafts.  The kids voted for burgers and fries, rather than the Kenyan curry plates Lisa and I chose.  We bought two orders of fries, which came in huge, square blocks.  Dave wore his new Western hat to protect himself from the bright Seattle sun.

In the evening, we lounged at the Flindts' neighborhood Pine Lake. We launched the Flindt kayak. Kyle and the kids took turns riding it, as the rest of us chatted and dipped our toes in the water. 

The Sunday Church meetings were extraordinary.  Michael K spoke in Sacrament meeting, with the other graduating seniors, and Michael, Spencer, Grant, and Kirsten all sang in the YMYW choir.  Michael was released as second counselor in the priests' quorum and Spencer was set apart as first counselor in the priests' quorum.

After Church, we took a picnic to a beach north of Seattle, which Lisa discovered while working as a home health nurse in the area.  We watched families fly kites, we went beachcombing, and we took lots of photographs of the Flindts all together ("This will be the Christmas picture," we often hear our children exclaim, as their families gather to share and document our visits).  Most of the artistic photos below were taken by Michael K.

Back home, there was time for Alyssa to show us the poster she presented during her "week" at school, and to show us how well she reads her Fancy Nancy books.  There was time for Dave to explain to the kids how his iPad works and give Bryce a hug.

And there was time to share some fresh apricot crisp ala mode.

Gift Trip to Victoria

Grant Flindt won a travel package to Victoria B.C. as the award for winning a race.  Since 15-year-old Grant was not in a position to treat a significant other to a weekend in Victoria, Kyle and Lisa bought the package from Grant and gave it to us.  Dave and I had a great time, on Memorial Day weekend, first spending a day in Victoria and then visiting Kyle and Lisa in Seattle.

We drove from Seattle across the Kitsap Peninsula to Port Angeles to take the ferry.  We had a couple of hours in Port Angeles to admire the port and follow the logging trucks from the Olympic Peninsula to a lumber mill and a paper factory.

We also wandered through the many Port Angeles antique shops.  David found a bronze replica of Bernini's statue of David.  I dressed in a mink stole and posed on a vintage, brocade sofa.

We love ferry rides anywhere.  As we left shore, we looked back at the picturesque Port Angeles harbor and out to Canada beyond.

In Victoria, we ate dinner at Skinnytato, an excellent Polish restuarnt recommended by Yelp!  It was founded by Polish refugees who migrated to Canada in 1985, before the Iron Curtain collapsed.  The owner told us about her long-time hope to start a restaurant, which is now being fulfilled.  A camera crew from Food Network filmed a segment on Skinnytato last weekend.   Dave and I ate piroshkis stuffed with sauerkraut and bacon, potato pancakes served with goulash and a selection of root vegetable salads, and apple cake with plum sauce.  I will continue with my search for a great Polish restaurant in Chicago, another area with lots of Polish immigrants.

Grant's gift package included a night in the penthouse suite of Chateau Vistoria, just a handful of streets from Victoria's colorful pier.  We had our own living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom and two baths, and a deck looking out to sea in three directions.  It was the most luxurious hotel room in which we'd ever stayed!

Next stop was Buchart Gardens, which we visited with Lisa, Camille, and Michael many years ago and then with Lisa's family in 2008.  It is as beautiful as ever, with spring bulbs still in bloom and summer flowers blossoming.

We took a boat trip into the bay surrounding Buchart Gardens.  It was a treat to see elegant yachts, a plane that landed on the water, and even a funky houseboat with a hammock hanging out over the bay.

Next stop was Craigdarroch Castle, a 19th century mansion owned by a family that made its fortune in coal.  I love Victorian and turn-of the-20th century furnishings, and the examples in the castle were distinctive.  It was also fascinating to learn the family's soap opera history, ranging from a drowning on the Lusitania to marrying into English nobility.

We walked the Victoria waterfront and then watched an IMAX movie in the BC Museum on building railroad tracks through the Canadian Rockies.  There was a special dinosaur exhibit that was particularly interesting because Alberta, Canada, has made some of the greatest dinosaur discoveries in the world.

We finished the day with seafood chowder and sweet potato fries on the wharf.  As we walked past the elegant Empress Hotel to the ferry, we passed a reception for a Canadian pop singer guarded by (who would have suspected?) female Mounties.

Farewell, Victoria.