Yea! I'll be in the PNW twice in the next two months!

[emilycat]

I don't know why I feel compelled to report to you all about this -- well, probably since many of you live up there, and I love the area so much.

In August, I'll be in Seattle and Whidbey Island for 5 days; my cousin is having a restaurant opening, so we're going to that, and then we'll spend a couple of days on the island.

Then, I'm too excited about this because I've wanted to go for the longest time -- I'm running the Portland Marathon September 30, and since I've never been to the city, I'll be spending a long weekend there. Kim, isn't your husband doing this one?

Anyway, I just wanted to share. :D

[KValley]

Yay, Emily! A perfect time of the year to visit our beautiful region! I know you've been here before (don't you have family in Bellevue?), but it's great that you will get to see new places. I love Portland! It has a sweetness, a friendliness that hasn't been as prevalent in Seattle since the dot.com boom (now, bust :() That's MHO!

There have been several threads on what to do here, so I won't belabor the point, but you will have a wonderful time no matter what you do! I think there was an extensive list in May of Washington state to-dos/to-see.

Any questions, you've got a panel of experts!
Have fun planning,

Julie

[mariakj]

KValley, Would you mind posting some of the links to the "what to do in Seattle" threads. I'm also going to be in Seattle the third week in August and would love some suggestions. Do you know of any really good and healthy restaurants we should try while we are visiting? DH and I have lost over 100 lbs. together and would hate to gain a bunch of weight on our vacation. Thanks.

[KValley]

Hi Maria,

Here are some recent (within the last four months) threads on the Pacific Northwest:

Seattle:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9049&highlight=Seattle+or+Pacific+Northwest+or+Washingt on

Portland:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8077&highlight=Seattle+or+Pacific+Northwest+or+Washingt on

Spokane/Inland Empire:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?
s=&threadid=7702&highlight=Seattle+or+Pacific+Northwest+or+Washingt on

Hiking in the Northwest:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6932&highlight=Seattle+or+Pacific+Northwest+or+Washingt on

There are restaurant suggestions, but you may want to try the Healthy Restaurant Locator that Amanda brought to our attention a few months ago: shoot, I can't seem to bring it up on a seach. Amanda, if you are out there, what was that website, again??

I'll keep looking in the meantime!

The Puget Sound has loads of healthy restaurants, particularly those featuring seafood or Asian cuisines.

One of my favorites is Santa Fe Cafe- there is one in Ravenna, NW Seattle- a great area.

Here's a little tidbit from the web:
Santa Fe Café

2255 Northeast 65th Street
Seattle, Washington 98115 ph: 206.524.7736

Relaxed, bright, and cheerful, the Santa Fe has been working its Southwest spell on the Northwest for over fifteen years. Standouts include a garlic custard appetizer; tortilla soup; and the blue mesa plate, which includes a fabulous green enchilada, posole, beans, and spicy carne adovada stew. And, people are devoted to the Santa Fe's margaritas. Here you'll find an eatery that serves a southwestern American menu. Expect to pay in the range of $20 to $30 per person.
Atmosphere: The restaurant has an authentic décor enhanced by tropical flowers. In general, the lighting is via track lighting.

Eating & Drinking: Open for lunch and dinner.A full selection of alcoholic beverages are served.

Details to Note: Smoking is not permitted. Entrances and walkways are wheelchair friendly. Children are welcome.



Congratulations to you and your husband on your weight loss! Have a wonderful holiday.

BTW- I LOVE Richmond- I very nearly took a job there, but home won out... :)

[browneye]

Mariakj-
Definitely check out the Seattle thread mentioned by Kvalley above. I posted some eateries there, most of the "Pacific Northwest Cuisine" restaurants will feature some pretty healthy stuff.... also, Cafe Flora http://www.cafeflora.com a very delightful vegetarian restaurant worth checking out. I love their food! You can view their whole menu on their website. Absolutely delicious stuff!!!
Don't go to Mama's Mexican Kitchen if you are watching your calories!!
I find Seattle a pretty easy place to eat healthy because there are lots of fish and seafood entrees.good sushi too. For great Asian,Wild Ginger or Nikko. You can find healthy alternatives at those two places.
If you go to Ray's Boathouse, sit upstairs at the Ray's Cafe area. Better view, better food (!) and less expensive. My dh and I recently ate at both the upstairs and the downstairs areas. We were very surprised to find that Ray's Cafe upstairs was tastier and much less expensive!!!
Have fun in Seattle!

[aggie94]

Emily,

DH & I spent last weekend in Portland and had a wonderful time, as usual -- seems we discover even more great shopping and eating every time we go.

There are some great hotels in downtown Portland, which is where we normally stay, although it can get pretty spendy. By far, though, I think it's the best place to be. This last trip, I got us a great deal on a downtown hotel on Priceline -- never done a hotel on Priceline before, but it worked out great!

Maybe a group of us NWers can head up (or down) to Portland to cheer you on for the marathon. I'm so glad you picked Portland - I hear it's great!

[RunnerKim]

Yes, Emily, my husband is doing Portland. I might do the associated 5M but probably not as I'm a devoted cheerleader for the big runs. It is so much fun to cheer people on. I normally have my golden retriever with me and people that run about the same pace as my husband get to used to seeing me every few miles. Since this is our hometown marathon my husband says he expects to see me at every mile! Yeah right. I told him he's going to have to be support for a marathon some time - it's not so easy (particularly in strange city and trying to drive around and get to certain mile markers). He's planning to "wimp out" and just run the marathon with me (when I finally get to that point in my own training).

When it gets closer you'll have to let me know what you'll be wearing so I can try to pick you out.

Kim