🌅 Sunsets and Suitcases: A Perfect Farewell to Seattle

🧭 About This Trip

There’s something tender and timeless about a final day on the road — the kind of day where the pace slows, the memories pile up, and the heart holds on just a little tighter. Our last day in Seattle was exactly that: a gentle, joy-filled close to a Pacific Northwest adventure we’ll never forget.

---

☕ Slow Start, Sweet Surrender

After days of exploring cities, chasing whales, tasting spirits, and uncovering hidden history, we gave ourselves permission to sleep in — and it felt like a luxury. There’s nothing quite like waking up knowing you don’t have to rush. We lounged, sipped coffee, and let the morning stretch long and lazy.

But eventually, reality called… in the form of a very full suitcase. Correction — too full. Which led us on a spontaneous mid-day mission:
Buy another suitcase. 🧳

We laughed the whole way to the store, because honestly — isn’t buying a second suitcase the real sign of a great trip? Bottles of wine, spirits, local maple syrup, handmade gifts, and a few too many books later… we zipped it shut and gave ourselves a high five.
Totally worth it. 🙌

---

🍽️ Dinner with a View: Back to Anthony’s

For our last dinner in Seattle, we couldn’t resist going back to a favorite: Anthony’s at Pier 66. There’s something about that place — the way the lights dance on the water, the skyline stretches out like a painted backdrop, and the seafood? Still fresh, still flawless. 🐟✨

It felt right to return. A delicious full-circle moment.

---

⛵ Sailing Into the Sunset: Evening Colors Sailboat Cruise

Then came the highlight of the day — the final bow on our trip: a sunset sail aboard the Evening Colors with Seattle Sailing Ship. We boarded the classic wooden schooner just before golden hour, the air cool and salty, the sky shifting from blue to blush to gold. 🌊🌇

The captain and crew were incredible — welcoming, funny, and full of stories. With drinks in hand, we glided across the bay as Seattle shimmered behind us.

And then — as if the sea knew we were leaving — a pod of orcas appeared in the far distance, surfacing and diving in a peaceful rhythm that took our breath away. 🐋

Jason, brimming with excitement, got to fire the ship’s cannon — and I’ve never seen him smile so big. He was like a kid again, completely caught up in the wonder of the moment.

🧡 Fun Fact: The Evening Colors is a 65-foot gaff-rigged schooner built in 1972 and is one of Seattle’s most beloved vessels for sunset cruises, offering intimate and unforgettable views of the city from the water.

As we sailed back to the harbor, the Seattle skyline lit up in the twilight. The Great Wheel glowed, spinning slowly against the orange and lavender sky. And in that moment, it felt like the city was saying goodbye — or maybe, see you next time. 🎡💫

---

🧳 The Day Came When It Was Time To Go Home…

As we packed our bags and zipped up that extra suitcase filled with liquid treasures, we realized something: we weren’t just bringing home souvenirs — we were bringing home chapters of a journey we’ll never forget.

This trip through the Pacific Northwest — from petting reindeer and walking through a Bavarian Village in Leavenworth, to the misty harbors of Anacortes, from the rolling vineyards of Woodinville to the whispered secrets beneath Seattle’s streets — was everything travel is meant to be.

---

📖 🌲 A Few Favorite Pages from Our Travel Story:

• Sampling Loganberry liqueur at Whidbey Distillery, sipping wine at Greenbank Farm, and chatting with Holley, whose warmth matched the flavors in every pour 🍷
• Spotting a humpback named Divot and stealthy seals on a thrilling tour with Outer Island Excursions, all narrated by the incredible Brooke McKinley — part naturalist, part marine-life magician 🐬
• Watching Jason fire a ship’s cannon with childlike joy as we sailed into a candy-colored sunset on the Evening Colors, orcas in the distance 🌅
• Eating pepperoni-and-honey pizza in Woodinville, savoring sourdough by the Sound, and realizing that every stop was a memory in the making 🍕
• Petting reindeer at The Reindeer Farm in Leavenworth; watching the joy and excitement in the eyes of our great-nieces 🦌👧

---

✨ What This Trip Taught Us:

• Wander slowly. The magic lives in the in-between moments — a spontaneous tasting, a quiet walk, an unexpected conversation.
• Say yes. To new flavors, new routes, new stories. Even when your sunset cruise gets canceled… something better might be waiting.
• Let wonder lead. Whether you’re walking under Seattle’s streets or watching whales break the water’s surface, let yourself be amazed.

---

📌 Plan Your Own Pacific Northwest Getaway:

If you’re dreaming of a trip filled with nature, culture, history, flavor, and soul — you can’t go wrong with this corner of the world. Here’s what we recommend:

• Start in Anacortes for ferry access to the San Juan Islands and incredible marine wildlife tours 🐳
• Spend a day or two in Whidbey Island for wine, spirits, and coastal beauty 🍇
• Escape to Leavenworth for Bavarian charm, reindeer encounters, and mountain magic 🏔️
• End in Seattle — where modern life and rich history blend with sunsets, seafood, and a skyline that glows golden at day’s end 🌆

---

🧡 Final Thought:

We arrived in Seattle with curiosity and an open heart. We left with full bellies, new friends, an extra suitcase, and stories we’ll be telling for years. As the sun dipped behind the Olympic Mountains and the sails lowered back into port, we knew — this wasn’t just the end of a trip. It was the beginning of a beautiful chapter in our journey together.

We came for the scenery and the stories — but we left with something deeper: a sense of connection. To the land. To the sea. To each other.

This was more than a vacation. It was a timeless travel chapter, full of meaning, memory, and magic. 🌄✨

Until our next adventure… 🧭💫