We have been to America! - Week 1 - Seattle

Our youngest daughter and husband live in America, just out of Los Angeles. They have been there now for 4 years, so it was time to visit, see where they live, and get a look at the area. They both work and our daughter managed to take a week off for Thanksgiving, we haven't seen them for two years.

As leaving Australia for a week is not very economical due to the high cost of airfares we decided to have a 3 week holiday, visiting Seattle, Victoria Canada, San Diego and Irvine California.

On our way

 So after spending weeks getting the garden, " holiday ready", and packing and buying Aussie goodies for our daughter. Re-packing, organizing the complete holiday online, finally we flew to Sydney on a Sunday, it was cheaper, and stayed the night in a hotel at the airport. After all the work and traveling to get there, well worth an extra night for the long haul trip of  15 hours.

Sydney by Air.

Bright and early next morning, after a good breakfast we then flew via the International Airport to Los Angeles to arrive the same day we left. Again after being warned it would take several hours to get through American customs we planned to stay another night at an airport as we had to fly on to Seattle, the first leg of our trip. We didn't trust the connection would work and we knew we would be very tired and jet lagged.

First Night Los Angeles Airport.

 I chose Seattle as the last scrap booking show for the year was up that way, and as my brother had just come back from the area recommended the Boeing factory, and the Ferry ride across to Canada to Victoria and a visit to the Butchart Gardens. Perfect. We have been to the States before in 2000, and this was an area we hadn't visited.

 The scrap booking show was great, only a small one but any bigger and I would have had too much to see and take in, and would have  been a very long day.

Favourite Stand

 Saw lots of new products you don't see in Australia and a number of demonstrations and picked up quite a few goodies. It was a wonderful day.

Time out for a Cup of Tea

The Boeing factory I wasn't sure about but really enjoyed the visit. So interesting to see the planes being made in various stages, what is new, and the intensive safety things they do, makes you feel flying is ok.

Entrance

The factory is so large it made the Guiness World Book of  Records. The history of this place is amazing. Planes you see are all marked with the company that ordered it, from all over the world and we saw a Virgin Australia one. No photos allowed in the factory but a few old planes were in the foyer/shop area.

Liked this One.

View of the extensive factory area.

Shopping in the States is amazing. We choose a self contained accomodation which forces us to shop for dinner or lunch, and that is so much fun.

Anyone want some Chocolate

One supermarket owned by the employees was also a bulk food one. I have never seen so much bulk food containers as in this place. Must have been 8 or more isles of bulk food.

Looking down the Isles

Everything you can imagine in bulk. Cereals, 100's of sweets, chocolates, flours,  dried fruit, nuts, including mixtures, popcorn, trail mixes, teas, herbal and otherwise, sugars, all sorts of Rice, laundry powders, cleaners, spices and herbs, Indian curry ingredients in a special section, pasta, coffee many varieties of course, dried beans vast varieties. Some things were in little packets like UHT milk or I should say half and half, or coffee mate.

Both Bottom and Top and Behind different. Note lollies at back wall one of a few.

If you can buy it in a packet you can get it in bulk. You get what you want and tie it up with a flat wired label and write on the label the code number. This is weighed at the checkout and the code entered for price. You can pre-weigh before the checkout also. I am still amazed after choosing a few photos.

Pastas, Cous Cous, Cracked Wheat, price by the pound.

Being Thanksgiving means lots of Autumn decorating, and huge Turkeys, and shocked at the price of $80 for one, not even pre-cooked.  They even sell all the trimmings and side dishes, to take home and heat if you want to. Perfect if you are busy, a packet of mashed potatoes, another of broccoli baked with bacon, glazed yams, bean dishes, carrot dishes, and your set. Found this butter intriguing.

Everything Turkey Related

I looked at lots of Mexican products  as we love it, and bought some home plus a good cookbook that happened to be the months flavour, of a magazine company, focusing on  different types every month. Everything seems to be in different flavours, even tins of  Spam and Cornbeef.

Must have been 12 different flavours in Spam  and tinned Corn Beef.

Anyone???

To get to Canada, means taking the ferry across from Seattle, a pleasant 3 hour trip. We had a package to visit the gardens so a bus was waiting and many of us took it. Ride took about 30 mins. through the township of Victoria, the bus driver pointing out highlights. Lots of old historic buildings have been kept which makes Victoria a beautiful place. Winter was approaching but quite a few trees still in there autumnal colours. We should have planned a night there, as we didn't realise how little time there was while viewing the garden, then catching the ferry back, and the tickets were booked online.

Empress Hotel where we met the bus.

 You actually enter the township off the ferry so only  a short walk while waiting on the bus.

Parliment House

Gatsby Manor a beautiful Home now a Hotel.

Typical view of John.

 View from the bus

Cleverly Painted Window.

Went through China Town. Always seems to be one in every city.

Old school to teach the chinese language, to the local chinese children, from 1850's sometime, now a museum.

Entrance.

As this is quite long now I will leave it and continue in a new post. Butchart Gardens next. Hope you enjoyed our first look.

Till next time