Tag: 4th of July

4th of July Across the Sound

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In my very humble opinion, I feel that the best way to enjoy the 4th of July and beat the holiday crowds is to head away from the city and out to the smaller towns on the Peninsula. While I know there are plenty of great celebrations for the 4th near Seattle, we just didn’t want to deal with the crowds. So we headed for the Bainbridge ferry and took off to the smaller towns on the Peninsula.
The ferry was busy but not bad. Unfortunately, we were the last car on and my parents and sister were right behind us. So we took the ferry and then we had to wait for the them to catch up. The day was a bit cloudy and cool. To most people, that would be a huge bummer but for us it was heaven. Despite the delay in catching up with everyone, our 4th was off to a great start.
Patiently waiting to head out the door.
Rainier from the ferry to Bainbridge.
Seattle skyline on the way to Bainbridge Island.
Seattle skylines and ferry boat trails.
Snuggles with daddy
Kisses for daddy too!

Once the troops were rallied and potty stops were made, it was off to Port Townsend for some fun! We walked through some shops, enjoyed the beautiful afternoon and then needed to stop for lunch. We found a new little spot to enjoy and the food was AMAZING. Hillbottom Pie in Port Townsend has some of the best pizza, soups and salads I have ever had.The Clam and Corn Chowders were perfect for the slightly cool day and I didn’t want my bowl to be empty.

After lunch we continued our walk around town and through more shops. So many of them were decorated for the 4th. It was so charming and perfect for the day. To me it was far better than spending the day in a crowded spot.

We wanted to make a stop in Port Gamle on the way home, so we eventually had to pack ourselves up in the car and go. As we drove, the clouds that had hung on for most of the day had started to part and the sunset over the Olympics on the drive home was stunning. Who needs fireworks when you have Mother Nature on your side?!

The perfect clam chowder that I wanted to take home in vats.
All smiles and having fun!
Feeling festive and enjoying all of the decorated shop windows.
Love it!
Silly girl enjoying a break from walking.
Perfection…
Happy 4th of July!

Most of that statement about needing fireworks is true however, after our ferry ride from Kingston to Edmonds we were treated with a fireworks show by the city of Edmonds. We stopped along the street and watched. Sure there wasn’t any music or anything to accompany it because we were too far from the park, but it was still pretty and a perfect end to a fun night. Ah, the adventures!

Happy 4th of July!!… A few days late.

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Before I say anymore… I have to remind everyone that on July 1st, Abby turned 9 months old. Can you believe it?? I really feel like time moves faster as each day goes by. Its a little nuts if you ask me, but I guess its something that parents have to get used to.

The 4th of July was a pretty quiet and relaxing day. Time was spent with family and friends but we also had the chance to spend some time together; just Shaun, myself and Abby. Abby had the chance to try some new foods and boy was it an adventure. She had her first taste of mashed potatoes and boy was she in heaven! Abby loved them but more importantly, she loved picking them up in her fingers and playing with them. Mommy also had the bright idea of letting Abby try to eat her peaches with a spoon from her bowl… HA! As you can see that turned out to be a mess. Luckily, we had time to take a bath before we had to be anywhere!


After a well deserved bath, we headed off to Zoe’s house to watch some 4th of July fireworks. Shepard of the Hills church in Porter Ranch puts on a very nice fireworks show and it seems to be quite popular with the locals in that area of the valley. Luckily Zoe’s house sits up in the hills of Porter Ranch and the area in front of her house is still a dirt lot, for now, so we had a fairly unobstructed view. Emerson, Jackie, Matthew, Jacob and Emily all came up as well to enjoy the show and I have to say that it was nice to finally spend some time with them. Emily has grown so big! The fireworks were received with mixed emotions when it came to Emily and Abby. Both of the girls were celebrating their first 4th of July. Emily didn’t seem all that pleased with the noise while Abby was completely engrossed with what was going on. Its amazing how different babies can be! I have to say that it was a fun night had by all!


While its fun to celebrate, watch fireworks and eat great food please don’t forget the reason we are celebrating. As citizens of this wonderful country we may not always see eye to eye or have the same views, but instead of yelling and screaming at each other lets remember how wonderful it is to be able to share those differences with one another and express who we are. Lets honor our freedom, our independence and the beauty that is America… God Bless America! To everyone out there… Happy 4th of July!