This past week Matt and I traveled with the United States Naval Academy's Men's Glee Club on their fall tour to Seattle. It was a trip jam packed with concerts, school visits, and fun! The trip started with a 6am flight (and a 3:30am bus ride) from
BWI to Seattle (via Houston). Saturday night the
mids sang at a Catholic mass at a beautiful cathedral in downtown Seattle. This is a photo of the
mids warming up before the mass. They received a standing ovation at a mass!!!! After church, we went out to eat with the
Boones....a couple who had a son who attended the Academy and graduated in 2008. Their son was also in the Glee Club and they actually attended every single concert the club did from 2004 to 2008 when their son was in the club...each and every one...Mr Boone is a retired airline
pilot which makes it a little easier to jet off all over the world! They treated us to an amazing dinner at
Elliots - a famous seafood restaurant in Seattle on the water. I had
dungeonous crab cakes. I didn't think I could like anything better than blue crab (Maryland style) crab cakes....but these were rivaled them!
On Sunday the club sang the National Anthem at the Seattle
Seahawks game. It was military appreciation day, and there was a color guard, a giant American flag, and a
helicopter fly over. This was the first time I have ever been on the field for a professional football game...the grass is way different than I thought it would be. We were able to be on the field early and saw all the players warming up too....very cool! There is A LOT of stuff going on at the beginning of football games....mascots, cheerleaders,
referees, players, photographers, camera men....everyone milling around....crazy, but exciting!
After the Anthem, we went up into the stands and watched the game. I thought this was a beautiful picture of the scoreboard against the skyline. On the other side of the stadium there was an amazing view of the water.
After the game, we did some touristy stuff. We went down to the Public Market and walked around. They have the most amazing fish and produce stands at this market....I would kill to have markets like that around here. We even tried salmon jerky and kiwi berries (looks like a grape, tastes like a kiwi).
We had lunch/dinner at a cheese shop named
Beechers. They make the cheese fresh at the shop. This was probably the most delicious meal I have ever
eaten - that's why I took a picture! It is a
panini filled with two types of fresh cheese, basil and tomato, fresh, homemade mac and cheese and a local
rootbeer.
After lunch/dinner we had to stop next door at the FIRST Starbucks! It was established in the market in 1971...and started it all. It's a cool place - you order at one counter, they write your order on a cup, and throw the cup across the whole store to the other counter where the
baristas are...too fun! Of course I had to take my picture with the plaque!
The sign outside the first Starbucks store. Notice her "special" areas are not covered by her hair in this picture like they are in every other Starbucks logo....funny! Guess they had to make some changes when they went national - and international!
After our market excursion, we met up with Ken and Angel - our friends from Charleston - who now live in the Seattle area. We shared a beer, some crazy stories, and a great time. Miss those guys! It was great to see them!
Our last stop in the market was the Pike Place Fish Market. This is the one that is always on TV. One of the guys stands out front and helps customers with fish. Once the customer decides on a fish, the guy throws it to a guy behind the counter to wrap up. The guy behind the counter is "supposed" to catch the fish in butcher paper. I think it normally happens....but the fish, being thrown at FULL SPEED.....sometimes miss!
On Monday, the club did a high school visit in the morning and a big concert that evening. The concert was held at an Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Seattle. It was a packed house!
After the concert on Monday, we went out for some drinks and some fun with Aaron (the director), Amy (his wife),
Garrettson (the other O-rep) and Becky (his wife). Some of the
firsties joined us halfway through the night. We shut down the bar after a few great games of pool and many more drinks!
On Tuesday the guys did 2 high school visits and then wrapped up the tour at the Boeing Museum of Flight. We started the evening with a tour of the Museum. Aaron, Amy,
Garrettson and Becky were on the exhibit of Air Force One with Matt and I....as we walked out the door of the plane, this is what we see! Some of the
mids waited for us (in the pouring rain) and gave us "sidebars" as we exited the plane. The one and only time this will happen for all of us, I'm sure....I gotta say, exiting Air Force One with 9 military members
saluting us is really really cool. Those guys are so awesome and you can tell they really love Aaron, Matt and
Garrettson! The only thing missing was Hail to the Chief playing in the background.
After the tour we had a delicious meal catered by McCormick &
Shmick. The guys did one last concert for the parents club and some potential candidates after dinner. Then it was back to the hotel to pack and get a little sleep before another 3:30am bus ride to the airport. It was a great trip. Those guys are so fun and I never get tired of the concerts, even after hearing the songs 100 times....the guys are just that good! Can't wait for San Francisco this spring!!!
This past week Matt and I traveled with the United States Naval Academy's Men's Glee Club on their fall tour to Seattle. It was a trip jam packed with concerts, school visits, and fun! The trip started with a 6am flight (and a 3:30am bus ride) from BWI to Seattle (via Houston). Saturday night the mids sang at a Catholic mass at a beautiful cathedral in downtown Seattle. This is a photo of the mids warming up before the mass. They received a standing ovation at a mass!!!! After church, we went out to eat with the Boones....a couple who had a son who attended the Academy and graduated in 2008. Their son was also in the Glee Club and they actually attended every single concert the club did from 2004 to 2008 when their son was in the club...each and every one...Mr Boone is a retired airline pilot which makes it a little easier to jet off all over the world! They treated us to an amazing dinner at Elliots - a famous seafood restaurant in Seattle on the water. I had dungeonous crab cakes. I didn't think I could like anything better than blue crab (Maryland style) crab cakes....but these were rivaled them!
On Sunday the club sang the National Anthem at the Seattle Seahawks game. It was military appreciation day, and there was a color guard, a giant American flag, and a helicopter fly over. This was the first time I have ever been on the field for a professional football game...the grass is way different than I thought it would be. We were able to be on the field early and saw all the players warming up too....very cool! There is A LOT of stuff going on at the beginning of football games....mascots, cheerleaders, referees, players, photographers, camera men....everyone milling around....crazy, but exciting!
After the Anthem, we went up into the stands and watched the game. I thought this was a beautiful picture of the scoreboard against the skyline. On the other side of the stadium there was an amazing view of the water.
After the game, we did some touristy stuff. We went down to the Public Market and walked around. They have the most amazing fish and produce stands at this market....I would kill to have markets like that around here. We even tried salmon jerky and kiwi berries (looks like a grape, tastes like a kiwi).
We had lunch/dinner at a cheese shop named Beechers. They make the cheese fresh at the shop. This was probably the most delicious meal I have ever eaten - that's why I took a picture! It is a panini filled with two types of fresh cheese, basil and tomato, fresh, homemade mac and cheese and a local rootbeer.
After lunch/dinner we had to stop next door at the FIRST Starbucks! It was established in the market in 1971...and started it all. It's a cool place - you order at one counter, they write your order on a cup, and throw the cup across the whole store to the other counter where the baristas are...too fun! Of course I had to take my picture with the plaque!
The sign outside the first Starbucks store. Notice her "special" areas are not covered by her hair in this picture like they are in every other Starbucks logo....funny! Guess they had to make some changes when they went national - and international!
After our market excursion, we met up with Ken and Angel - our friends from Charleston - who now live in the Seattle area. We shared a beer, some crazy stories, and a great time. Miss those guys! It was great to see them!
Our last stop in the market was the Pike Place Fish Market. This is the one that is always on TV. One of the guys stands out front and helps customers with fish. Once the customer decides on a fish, the guy throws it to a guy behind the counter to wrap up. The guy behind the counter is "supposed" to catch the fish in butcher paper. I think it normally happens....but the fish, being thrown at FULL SPEED.....sometimes miss!
On Monday, the club did a high school visit in the morning and a big concert that evening. The concert was held at an Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Seattle. It was a packed house!
After the concert on Monday, we went out for some drinks and some fun with Aaron (the director), Amy (his wife), Garrettson (the other O-rep) and Becky (his wife). Some of the firsties joined us halfway through the night. We shut down the bar after a few great games of pool and many more drinks!
On Tuesday the guys did 2 high school visits and then wrapped up the tour at the Boeing Museum of Flight. We started the evening with a tour of the Museum. Aaron, Amy, Garrettson and Becky were on the exhibit of Air Force One with Matt and I....as we walked out the door of the plane, this is what we see! Some of the mids waited for us (in the pouring rain) and gave us "sidebars" as we exited the plane. The one and only time this will happen for all of us, I'm sure....I gotta say, exiting Air Force One with 9 military members saluting us is really really cool. Those guys are so awesome and you can tell they really love Aaron, Matt and Garrettson! The only thing missing was Hail to the Chief playing in the background.
After the tour we had a delicious meal catered by McCormick & Shmick. The guys did one last concert for the parents club and some potential candidates after dinner. Then it was back to the hotel to pack and get a little sleep before another 3:30am bus ride to the airport. It was a great trip. Those guys are so fun and I never get tired of the concerts, even after hearing the songs 100 times....the guys are just that good! Can't wait for San Francisco this spring!!!
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