We took a ferry to Bainbridge Island while we were in Seattle. I would highly recommend going there. It is very pretty and easy to walk around. We shopped, had coffee and pastries, but the highlight was our lunch at Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro.
There are two patios at the restaurant and we sat on the back patio. It was really quiet and pretty. There were and umbrellas and that was good because it was sprinkling. We stayed dry and it was nice. There was plenty of room for us to sit comfortably. I am not sure that the front patio is accessible, but the back patio was just as nice. The inside of the restaurant is small, but there would be room for a wheelchair if you had the right table. Bainbridge Island doesn’t seem too busy, so it was nice and quiet. It had a very relaxing feeling.
We were able to walk right up, but for dinner, we heard them on the phone turning away reservations, so a reservation is probably a good idea.
They had really good octopus (but don’t tell my cousin Diana–we saw an octopus at the aquarium that she really loved). It had a spicy aioli and salad on top and served with potatoes. The octopus was grilled really well and the sauce was great! We all split a charcuterie board and empanadas. The empanadas had beef, potato, green pepper and olives in a puff pastry–YUM!!! My parents split a beet salad that they said was great. My mom tasted some of their wines and said they were amazing. She bought a few bottles to bring home. We could have sat there all day and tried everything on the menu; it was so good!
Bainbridge Island was a really good place to go and explore. I would highly recommend going and definitely have a meal at Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro. You will be happy you did!!!
Charcuterie condimentsCharcuterieBeet saladOctopusEmpanadas (2 missing–ate them too fast)
When I was in Seattle, I went Ivar’s twice for lunch and I would go back to Seattle just for Ivar’s clam chowder (and other food) because it was so good. We went there twice because it was so easy to get in and around the restaurant in my wheelchair. It is a big restaurant and wide open so it is good for a big group. At our first lunch we had 10 people and at our second lunch we had 18 people. We never felt crowded or in the way. It was easy to get up to the table and the staff of the restaurant never ran into me. The front door is wide and the entry has plenty of room, even if people have to wait in the lobby. It was very easy to maneuver the restaurant.
This location of Ivar’s is very big, so there is some noise in the restaurant, but it is not too bad. I could hear the people close to me at the table and had no problem having a conversation. There really wasn’t anything that was over stimulating in the restaurant. It was very pleasant and I enjoyed being with my family and friends.
Ivar’s is known for its clam chowder and it didn’t disappoint. I had it both times we were there and it was delicious! It is now my favorite food. If I could eat it everyday, I would be a happy man. I had my mom find a recipe online that claimed to be theirs and she made it for me; it was really good and I really want more. The chowder is super creamy, the clams are really meaty and there is bacon–you can’t go wrong with bacon. If you see it at your Costco, you should buy it! They sell their chowder at some Costcos.
We ordered the calamari as an appetizer. The coating was really crispy and delicious. It was served with a spicy aioli. It wasn’t too spicy and it was good with the coating. My dad and I split fish and chips one day and fish tacos the next. The fish was flaky and delicious in the fish and chips. We had the cod, you can also choose halibut at this time of year. The fish tacos were good, but I like the sauces I get back home better. Everyone enjoyed the food they had; there were too many people for me to remember what they all had, but everyone seemed happy with their food. We would all recommend Ivar’s for the food and atmosphere.
I am sorry I didn’t get any pictures of my food. I was really busy catching up with all my friends and family and enjoying the food that I forgot to photograph. You can visit their website to see some photos of their food. I would highly recommend that you go to Ivar’s if you are in Seattle.
Enjoying family and excellent foodFriends and family are the best
This hotel was amazing. We chose this hotel because we weren’t going to rent an accessible van for the trip and this one looked like it was in a good location. We were wrong, it was in a GREAT location!!! We were able to get everywhere we needed by walking. We went to restaurants along the waterfront, we walked to the Mariners’ ballpark, to Pikes Place Market, to the ferry to Bainbridge and to the Great Wheel. We did a lot of walking, but it was easy. Seattle has a lot of hills and there was an elevator one block down from the hotel that allowed you to miss going up a really steep incline. We didn’t venture much into downtown, so that might have been harder, but to do the touristy stuff, it was great.
The accessibility of the hotel was great. My mom remembered to get an accessible room this time and it was really roomy. We had a large entryway and the beds were spaced nicely. I could get anywhere in the room and not feel cramped. The bathroom was big and easy to use. We got a nice view of the water and the huge cruise ships coming and going. The hotel was easy to maneuver. They have large sliding glass doors at the entry and a very spacious lobby. This is a good thing because it is very busy due to the cruise ships. A lot of people who are cruising stay at this hotel for a night or two and then all check in and out at the same time. I never had a hard time getting through, even when it was really crowded. They had a side sitting room with a fireplace and lots of seating that was easy to get around. I didn’t use the pool, but went and looked at it. It had a chair to get in and out of the water and was easy to get around the pool deck. Next time, I’ll bring my bathing suit. They had an M Lounge that we can use because of my dad traveling a lot; these usually have breakfast, snacks and drinks all day. Due to Covid, this hotel had just snacks and drinks throughout the day, nothing hot. It was well laid out and had lots of seating that I could get to. It had a large automatic door and I could get around easily.
The beds were really comfortable and the room stayed nice and cool. The blackout shades worked well and I slept great! It is amazing how quiet the room was. There was a train down below and we never heard it. They have some construction going on in the hotel, but we never heard it in our room. The hotel is being remodeled and the areas that we were in (including our room) were finished. The lobby and common areas look great. Our room was very nice too. We had flooring in ours probably because it was accessible and it was easy to move around. We did stop on the 2nd floor for the pool and gym. I don’t think this floor was done yet as its colors and furnishings were a little dated. Once it is all done, it will be great!
I am not going to do a separate review of the restaurant, so I will talk about it here. We ate here a lot. We had breakfast everyday and 3 dinners here. They claim to have excellent clam chowder and they do. I had it 3 times and loved it. My mom ate their salmon and risotto twice because she liked it so much. They had flatbread pizzas that were really good. The only thing we didn’t like was their house salad; it wasn’t anything special.
The breakfast was really good. I shared with Mom and Dad. My mom loved their waffles with lemon, berries and butter, so we had that a few times. It was really tasty. My dad and I split crab Benedict and that was delicious. The hash they make is great; it doesn’t look like a typical hash. It had chunks of meat, potato and vegetables. We did not go wrong with any breakfast selection.
We have to give a shout out to Chris and Hank, who work in the restaurant. They are so short staffed, but you would not know it by the service you get. Chris and Hank were there every morning when we went down to breakfast. We started chatting with them and found out how many hours they are working. They are there all the time and giving awesome customer service. The hotel has not been able to open the full restaurant for lunch or dinner due to staffing shortages, so you order and eat in the bar area. It works out just fine, but I feel bad for all the people who are working so hard. At this hotel, we never felt like the staff was overworked (which we are sure they are). They did not let it show to the guests. Everyone was nice and accommodating, but we have to really thank Hank and Chris for all the great service, conversation and recommendations they gave.
If you are going to Seattle, I highly recommend this hotel. I will be back!!!
(I will get better at remembering to take food photos before we start eating; we are just ready to dig in).
Clam ChowderSalmon, risotto & broccoliniMeat FlatbreadHash WafflesFamily in the lobby
I went to Seattle June 8-13; I flew from Denver to Seattle on United Airlines. I got to see lots of family and friends while I was there. My Great Uncle Hart came from Portland with his daughter Diana (my dad’s cousin) and her husband Don. Hart is 92 and doing great and I want to be like him. We walked all over the city (in the rain) and he really kept up!!! Diana and Don arranged the trip around a Seattle Mariners game. They were there the whole time we were. Then we saw other family members and friends throughout the time.
We flew out Wednesday and I got to ride the cool train at DIA, which I love, a lot! My flight was delayed so my mom and I wandered all the concourses. If you ride that train, drop me a comment and let me know if you got the man or the lady on the train. I will do a full review of my flights later, but United is always good to me. We got there around 5 pm and went to our hotel, the Seattle Marriott Waterfront. By the time we got there, we had dinner, unpacked and went to bed. We were ready for our big adventures.
On Thursday, it was raining a lot, but I didn’t mind because I got to see Steve and Marcy. They drove down from the Tri Cities to meet us for lunch; very nice of them because it is a 3 hour drive each way. Steve was my dad’s best man and they have known each other a long time. I love you both! Please come visit Colorado soon.
Steve and Marcy
After lunch, Diana, Don, Uncle Hart and my family walked along all the waterfront and decided to go to the Seattle Aquarium because it was indoors! Don had to move his car, so he missed it, but we had fun. The aquarium was really cool. I was really relaxing in there. There were lots of exhibits and the colors and the water made it really relaxing. I really liked seeing the octopus they have. It was amazing to see him move around the tank. After the aquarium, we went back out in the rain and walked to an ice cream place that was attached to a fish restaurant. I started with ice cream and then finished with a crab cocktail. By the time we were done with this, Uncle Hart was kind of tired. We walked over 10,000 steps already and I was tired too. It was after 6:00, so we went back to the hotel and had some dinner.
Don, Dad, me, Mom, Diana and Hart at the ice cream/fish restaurant
On Friday, I spent the day with Mom and Dad. My dad had a meeting in the morning, so my mom and I walked along the water and looked for rain ponchos. Turns out, they are very hard to find in Seattle. When he was done, we took a ferry to Bainbridge Island. It was not as rainy as Thursday and just rained a little off and on until we were ready to head back to the city. The ferry was very accessible. I couldn’t go on the top deck, but they had decks on the front and back that I could go out on. There was plenty of room for me to move around within the ferry.
Bainbridge Island is really quiet and nice. We got off the ferry and were able to easily walk to the main street. We had lunch at a neat bistro and sat outside (reviews to follow). The weather was really nice while we were here. After lunch, we kept walking and did some shopping. Still looking for rain ponchos; we bought plastic garbage bags instead. They had a really nice market and we bought a few things. Then we got stuff for my dogs and my friends at some little boutiques. We finished by getting coffee and pastries before we had to go back on the ferry. It was pouring rain on the ride back, but it slowed down by the time we got back. We walked along the water and ended going into a restaurant along the pier for dinner; it was called the Crabpot. After dinner, we went back to the hotel for rest. We got over 18,000 steps that day (my mom is counting).
Ferry back to Seattle
Saturday was a big day for seeing people. My Great Aunt Mary, Uncle Dave, Aunt Kristen and my cousin Moira drove from Portland to meet us for lunch. Kristen and Moira stayed for the Mariners game that night. My dad’s cousin Christina and her husband David met us for lunch and so did LeAnn and her son JJ (my dad’s second cousin and son). It was a big, fun group. This is the group in the photo at the top. I love this group!!! It reminded me of what family really means. Please come visit me.
We ate at Ivar’s for this lunch and the first one with Steve and Marcy. Great place for big groups.
After lunch, some of us went to ride the Seattle Great Wheel. One bonus of being in a wheelchair was that my group got to go to the front of the line and get loaded into the cars. We could not all fit together, so I went with Mom and Dad and the other 6 got into another car. It was cool to see the city from up there! It was fun and easy for me to get in and out of.
After this, we walked on to the ballpark for the Seattle Mariners vs Boston Red Sox baseball game. There was a little bit of teasing my dad since he is a Red Sox fan. Our friends that used to live in Colorado, but now live in Seattle went to the game and we were able to visit with them for a few innings. I didn’t get a picture with Shawn and Amy, but I really do miss them. (I hope I get to go back and see their house there soon. It sounds cool.) We left the game before it was over because I had to walk back to the hotel and it was getting late.
On Sunday, Diana and Don went to another game, so we went to the Pikes Place Market and did lots of shopping and eating. It is a very busy and crowded place. I really liked it, but it old and not very easy to get around in a wheelchair. People were coming from all directions, it felt like. But there was a lot of cool stuff there. I bought presents for friends and family and got some things for myself. We had coffee and snacks and had lunch at a biscuit place. It was a lot of fun. That night, Diana, Don and Hart met us for dinner at our hotel. Thank you Uncle Hart for buying my dinner. After dinner, we packed and got ready to leave tomorrow.
Last evening together
On Monday, we had breakfast at the hotel (like we did everyday) and headed to the airport. It was a good travel day. We had a nice lunch in the United Club Lounge and a good flight. I got to ride the train at DIA again and then see my dogs. Mary Kate took great care of them while I was gone.
This was a great trip with lots of great visits. Thank you Diana and Don for getting it started and arranging the baseball game. Thank you everyone who came to see us. It was a huge deal for some to get there and I really appreciate it (so do my mom and dad)!!! I loved seeing everyone and hope we get to do another trip soon.
Hold On and Get Ready for Take Off 