Normally, I don’t travel for Thanksgiving since most of my family is still in Cincinnati, but this year we went on the road to Seattle. With a slight detour on the way home, I flew more than 5,500 miles in a week!

Nataliya wanted to visit Sasha, her childhood friend from Ukraine who also emigrated to the US and settled in Seattle. In addition, another childhood friend Lilya, who still lives in their hometown of Kharkiv, also made the 18-hour journey to Seattle for the holidays.

Part 1

Nataliya, Sasha, and Lilya grew up together in Kharkiv. They lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same school. After graduation, they went their separate ways: Nataliya studied art and emigrated to the US and so did Sasha. Lilya started working and got married. Despite moving away, they all stayed in touch. Nataliya and Sasha talk frequently on the phone and usually visit each other once a year.

Sasha helped arrange flights and permits for Liyla and her two daughters to stay with her near Seattle for a month. Since the Russian invasion in 2022, the US government has made it easier for Ukrainians to get visas and travel to the states. Sasha’s own daughters had moved out, so she had several spare rooms. However, it was a full house once we all arrived since Sasha’s mother had also moved in after the war started!

We flew in together on Sunday, Nov. 19, and took an Uber to Sasha’s house. By the time we arrived, it was quite late, so we settled in and went to bed.

Monday, Nov. 20                                                                 

Our first excursion was to the Museum of Pop Culture ($37.50), which features exhibits related to science fiction, fantasy, hip-hop, video games, and Nirvana/Kurt Cobain. Nirvana was one of the first bands that sparked my interest in pop music, and Cobain’s death in 1994 was a tragic milestone. The exhibit, titled “Taking Punk to the Masses,” focuses on the influence punk had on the band and features lots of interviews, artifacts, and memorabilia. All the artifacts (instruments, photographs, flyers, t-shirts, etc.) made the exhibit feel a bit like visiting a holy shrine. I would have liked to spend more time in the exhibit, but we had a lot more to see.

The “Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction” was a close second for my favorite exhibit since it had a few Star Wars artifacts, as well as items from Doctor Who, Blade Runner, and Battlestar Galactica. I enjoyed the collection of pieces from The Empire Strikes Back, including storyboards and a miniature AT-AT from the Battle of Hoth. Incredibly, they also had an original cloth costume from Tron (1982) that I also loved seeing on TV as a kid. I loved seeing the “light cycles” race, and the glowing costumes were amazing! Although it had deteriorated slightly, it was in great shape for being more than 40 years old and very thinly constructed.

“Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic” features several weapons from the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as the Wizard of Oz  and Game of Thrones.

Nataliya’s son Alex was excited to visit the indie video game exhibit but was a little disappointed that the games were only available as abbreviated demo versions. “Hidden Folks” is interesting since it’s a hand-drawn black and white version of Where’s Waldo? “The Light in the Darkness” was also striking since it focuses on an obscure topic: a family of working-class Polish Jews living in France during the Holocaust.

The Museum of Pop Culture is right next to the Space Needle, which Nataliya and Alex had visited during a previous trip in 2021 ($35), and the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum ($35). Due to my acrophobia (fear of heights), I had no interest in the Space Needle, but we did visit the Chihuly museum. The collection features numerous colorful and imaginative glass sculptures that formed wonderful scenes. The “Ikebana and Float Boats” was one of my favorites, and it was inspired by Chihuly’s visits to Japan. The Glasshouse is also very impressive which features a single large sculpture that spans more than 100 feet and is suspended from the ceiling! The inspiration for the design comes from two of Chihuly’s favorite buildings: the Sanit-Chappelle church in Paris and the Crystal Palace in London (destroyed in 1936 by a fire). We also got to see a glass-blowing demonstration (available daily every hour after 11:15am until closure).

If we had planned to visit the Space Needle, the Seattle CityPass ($119) would have been a great deal since it includes the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Pop Culture, and Chilhuly Garden and Glass which separately would cost $146.50. Even without the Space Needle ($35) the CityPass could save you a little money and also includes either a harbor cruise ($39) or the Woodland Park Zoo ($21).

Tuesday, Nov. 21

After an eventful first day, we took a leisurely ferry ($9.85) across Puget Sound from Edmonds to Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula. Originally, Alex wanted to ride the Amtrak train for a day trip up to Vancouver in British Columbia; however, an undisclosed problem on the rail line led to our trip being cancelled! Due to Thanksgiving on Thursday, Alex was disappointed we couldn’t reschedule, but we quickly pivoted to the ferry instead.

Luckily, the waters were calm, and the crossing only took about 30 minutes. Alex enjoyed being out on the deck and buffeted by the wind. It was overcast and cool, but we were blessed with very good weather overall on the trip. We walked into town and stopped for lunch at the Filling Station bar and grill, which offers soups, salad, sandwiches, and pizza. The prices were reasonable, and the service was quick. Lilya and her daughters all ordered enormous hamburgers since they wanted to compare it against the Ukrainian version. They were all very impressed, and I was astounded when they each ate a whole hamburger!

After lunch, we walked around the waterfront a little more and stopped briefly at the small park sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club. The skies were still a little gloomy and overcast, so we cut our trip short and headed back to the ferry terminal. We arrived just in time to catch the return trip. I was a little disappointed we had to cut our trip short, but next time I’d like to take a cruise on the Sound (weather permitting). While we were disembarking in Edmonds, Nataliya and I noticed something down in the water. At first, I thought it was a log or something floating in the water, but then I realized it was a sea otter! It bobbed around for a moment before disappearing back into the water – it was too quick for me to snap a photo. I was astounded to see it so close to the ferry terminal, but it was a wonderful surprise!

Wednesday, Nov. 22

While yesterday had been low-key, today was packed with fun! We first grabbed brunch at Belle Pastry in Bellevue. I had a ham and cheese croissant, and Nataliya shared a few bites from her pastries which were all tasty. Again, Lilya and her daughters were impressed by the superior quality and craftsmanship of American patisserie bakers.

The Seattle Aquarium was our next stop ($39), and it’s right on the downtown waterfront and is within easy walking distance from many other attractions. Of course, the aquarium has lots of colorful exotic fish, but it also has a number of aquatic birds and mammals too. First, we visited the “Life on the Edge” exhibit which features several artificial tide pools where visitors can touch various creatures including sea urchins. There’s also a large tank nearby with a Giant Pacific octopus which was fascinating to watch.

The aquarium has a schedule of daily activities and the sea otter program at 2:15 pm is delightful! The sea otters were very playful and charismatic. However, the Tufted Puffins in the bird section were also highly entertaining. Alex couldn’t stop laughing when one of the Puffins went began flipping and flopping around in the water. It seemed to be bathing but took it to the obsessive extreme.

Next, we walked across the street to Pike Place Market. Founded in 1907, the market spans nine acres and houses more than 220 artisans, restaurants, and boutiques. The market is huge, and the variety is overwhelming! I highly recommend selecting a few shops to visit ahead of time, but we just wandered the main arcade.

One of the most iconic tourist destinations at the market is the Gum Wall located in Post Alley. What began as an impromptu way of disposing of gum in the 1990s has become an example of “collective art.” A dense collection of graffiti has also taken root on the opposite side of the alley, which included a caricature of Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senator from Kentucky, and a poster inquiring after a missing “burrito unicorn.”

The market was very busy and boisterous with fishmongers yelling at potential customers as they passed by. We stopped for an early dinner at Mr. D’s Greek Delicacies and ordered some gyros and kebabs (souvlaki). I haven’t had a good gyro in a long time and Mr. D’s was pretty good. I ordered it “Greek” style which meant the French fries were mixed in with the meat inside the pita, which was a tasty variation. Service was very fast, and the prices were reasonable for large portions of food. Lilya and her daughters were also suitably impressed by their first gyros as well.

After dinner, we watched the sun set over Puget Sound from the MarketFront pavilion on the west side of the market. It offers a great view of the Seattle waterfront.

By this point, the market was starting to close, and there were a couple stores I was disappointed we didn’t have time to visit, including the Market Magic Shop and Golden Age Collectibles (comics). That just gives us another reason to return.

Although it had been a busy day, the youngsters in our group weren’t ready to call it quits yet! They wanted to catch a ride on the Seattle Great Wheel down on the waterfront ($18). It reaches 175 feet tall, and the ride lasts for three revolutions (12 minutes). You can book a VIP seat in one of the glass-bottom gondolas ($50) or order a four-course meal ($125). I waited at the bottom while the thrill-seekers went up.

Although I had been ready to go home for a while, the youngsters weren’t and wanted one last adventure in the Wings Over Washington “4D ride” ($19). The ride features drone footage of Washington’s natural wonders to create a flying sensation, which I again opted out of. The kids had lots of fun, but I couldn’t wait to get to bed.

Finally, the youngsters’ thirst for adventure was sated and we headed for home. Thankfully, we could rest tomorrow!

Thursday, Nov. 23

Today, we would recuperate and partake in an international Thanksgiving feast. Aside from hanging out around the house, we took a walk around the neighborhood and a quick hike through the nearby St. Edwards State Park, which originally operated as a Catholic seminary from 1931-1976. The state of Washington bought the property after the facility closed, but the seminary building fell into disrepair. The seminary architecture is a blend of Romanesque Revival and Art Deco interiors. In 2017, the state formed a partnership with a private company to renovate the seminary, and it reopened as a hotel in 2021. The dormitories have been converted into 84 guest rooms, the dining hall is now a restaurant, and the former barbershop has been transformed into a bar.

The park covers more than 325 acres and includes hiking and biking trails as well as aquatic activities. Admission is $10 per day.

Before we started to feast, Nataliya also led an impromptu yoga class in the living room – Lilya and one of her daughters also participated. Nataliya and I usually go to an exercise class at the YMCA nearly every day of the week, so, while I appreciate the R&R, I was also glad to work up a sweat before dinner. Nataliya was a great instructor and could probably teach her own class at the YMCA someday.

The feast included some traditional America dishes, like turkey, but also several Ukrainian ones, including one of my favorites – spicy Korean carrot salad. In addition to all the houseguests, several of Sasha’s friends and relatives also attended as well which made it the largest Thanksgiving in which I’ve ever participated! I made one of my staple side dishes – Brussel sprouts with bacon. It proved to be a big hit! I am inspired to redouble my Russian language lessons through the Babel app since it was difficult to communicate with some of the Ukrainian guests (especially since we hope to visit Nataliya’s family in Ukraine once it’s safe). For example, I would have liked to be able to talk to Lilya more since it turns out she also loves history. After working for several years, she went back to night school and earned an undergraduate degree in ancient Egyptian history. Although my specialty is modern European history, ancient Egypt is what fascinated me as a kid. While other children wanted to be cowboys or astronauts, I wanted to be Indiana Jones! I hope I can learn more about Lilya the next time we meet – hopefully soon.