Blue Angels Air Show: Traverse City

Yes, this is the photo that says it all. It was a beautiful day and I was in the perfect spot to enjoy the Blue Angels air show. You need to know that this photo is unedited. I aimed my iPhone to the sky and this is the photo I captured - I was thrilled when I saw that you could read U.S. Navy on each plane. Wahoo! 

I have been watching the Blue angels perform at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan since the late 1990's. My paternal grandmother loved the Blue Angels and I have great memories of driving into the town with my parents and Nama, excited to watch the air show from a parking lot. Back then, we watched from the intersection of M-72 and M-22 (W Grandview Parkway). We didn't take many pictures because it was the era of film and the pictures rarely worked out. 

The Blue Angels tend to perform to Traverse City every other year. When I'm in Michigan, my friends and I meet for lunch and viewing (just north of our old spot) at Harrington's By The Bay. The food is delicious and the location is ideal to watch the show.

I found this great YouTube video of the Blue Angels flying at the National Cherry Festival this year posted by TRYPlaneSpotting. It is nothing short of spectacular.

#blueangels #airshow #blueangelsairshow #momentsofdelight #traversecitymi #puremichigan #summer2018 

Golden Arch of Flowers on Mother Daughter Trip

I must show you this spectacular Golden Chain arch that I saw at Bayview Farm & Garden on Whidbey Island on May 24, 2018 (for your reference when you are trying to visit it in years to come). It resembles a wisteria and smells heavenly.

What I really love is that they announce that it is blooming on the nursery's sign board out by the road. It tells all the people whizzing by, "Hey! You're going to want to stop and see this." And boy are they right. It is an incredible example of a healthy plant having just the right conditions to flourish.
It was a beautiful day and I was on a day trip with my mom and her friends (and their daughters!) from their apartment building. We had taken the ferry to Whidbey Island to visit one of their friends and had cleared the whole day to have lunch and go gallivanting. 

Our group loves gardening and our exclamations caused a stir when we saw this Golden Chain in full bloom. We naturally started posing for pictures. It was all I could do not to strike a dramatic "America's Next Top Model" pose, the lighting and conditions were right! Think of the close up framed in yellow blossoms! But alas, I posed normally with my mom and then corralled the rest of the ladies into appropriate combinations.

Sometimes a case of being in the right place at the right time is up to Mother Nature. Remember to look for the beauty of every day moments and if you see a sign by the road that says something is happening, Go Look!

#daytrip #motherdaughter #goldenchain #bayviewfarmandgarden #bayviewfarmgarden #whidbeyisland #gardeners #amomentintime

Pike Place Market: Foodies & Families

When you visit Pike Place Market (and you must visit Pike Place Market), you will be overwhelmed with the people, the flowers, the fish and the overall bounty of Seattle. The fruit is bigger, the selection is wider and the staff is friendlier. I am always impressed and I want you to come and enjoy it. And now you can walk past some of the artisans and walk outside on a huge open air platform (near the Market Parking Garage on the map) to enjoy the fresh air and activity on Puget Sound. Don't miss this chance to watch the ferry traffic.

I suggest you download this official map that will help you understand where you are and what is not to be missed. I personally recommend these places to stop and snack. If I've blogged about them, I will leave a link for you below.

Confectional - tiny delicious cheesecakes (trust me)
Starbucks Original storefront on Pike
Piroshky Piroshky - Russian pastries
Rachel's Ginger Beer - delicious hot, I like Lemon Ginger
Daily Dozen Doughnuts
Ellenos Greek Yogurt - try some, but get the Lemon Curd
Pike Place Chower - excellent clam chowder in a bread bowl

I know that this photograph looks like a painting, but it is real and unedited, I swear. The light was just that good that day. Enjoy.

#pikeplace #pikeplacemarket #seattle #pugetsound #foodfordays #foodieheaven #ellenos #dailydoughnut #pikeplacechowder #rachelsgingerbeer #originalstarbucks #confectional

Coffee Foam Art: Starbucks Roastery

I wanted to share this beautiful coffee foam art on our lattes at the Starbucks Roastery. I love the wood serving tray, and how the dark chocolates match the mugs. Beautiful.

We often bring our out of town guests for a decaf coffee and a chance to sit down after a whirlwind tour of the city. Our friends always enjoy it and in the winter, when its another dreary Seattle night, the beautiful felt curtains, leather furniture and copper touches helps to make the space feel cozy and special. I wrote about visiting Starbucks' impressive roastery here and three years later, I still feel just as enamored with it. 

Now I drink lattes daily, but when I don't have to order it "to go," I'm enchanted when they serve it to me with a heart crafted in the foam. It is a moment of delight and I appreciate it.

#coffee #coffeefoamart #starbucks #starbucksroastery #seattle #coffeelover #guestsintown #pnw #coffeetown

Easy Planting Tip for Indoor Pots

I saw this tip on a garden show (was it British icon Monty Don?) a few months back and when I went to move this indoor plant into a more permanent home, it came back to me. After choosing a pot with drainage holes (or placing rocks/pottery shards to allow water to collect in the bottom), remove the plant from the pot it has been growing in and use that empty container to use as a guide to fill the new pot with dirt. You can manipulate the plastic container, turn and pack the dirt and fill to the right height easily. Then remove the plastic guide pot...

And you are left with a hole the exact size of the plant you are moving. I gently lowered it into the dirt hole and it was as snug as a bug. Perfect!

#garden #indoorplants #plantsinpots #tipsandtricks #seattleblogger #momentsofdelight #houseplants #greenthumb #gardenhacks