Days 6 and 7:
On to Seattle to visit my old college buddies! I hadn't been back since the wedding of my friends Megan and Jerry, in 2000. They moved to California after college, and we had sons at roughly the same time. They've been back in Seattle for five years, and it was so fun to get the kids together again. They spent most of the time doing their favorite things -- rocking out on the Wii, and building with Legos!
I hadn't seen my dear friend and UW roommate, Emily, in at least seven years, so it was exciting to meet her and her adorable little blondie at Pike Place Market. The kids were not so into the tourist trap, but it was fun for me to see it all again.
After lunch we found a bug exhibit that had some amazing (creepy) insects, including Madagascar hissing cockroaches, the Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula, and even the Tailless Whipscorpion, on which Prof. Moody demonstrated the three forbidden curses in the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!
After the bug exhibit, we took the Monorail back to Seattle Center to meet our other friends, grab some ice cream, and check out the Experience Music Project.
Okay, time's up! I may not get back to Wi-fi for a few more days, but we are alive and well in South Dakota at Scott's mom's house -- after pulling an unplanned all-nighter from Cody, Wyoming.
Road trip tip #3: Be sure to call and check on your reservation the day you arrive, to make sure they haven't accidentally given your room away. Especially when there's a rodeo going on, and you're pulling into town at 10 p.m. Just sayin'.
