Waiting for the nightly Christmas parade titled Snowflake Lane. Soon the sidewalks will be packed with spectators.
Photos
Fresa Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar
Our daughter suggested a great Mexican restaurant for our supper last night. Sher and I went with her and our grandson and met our son-in-law at the Fresa Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar in Everett, Washington. She said that they had just happened on this place and were glad they tried it.
Stuffed chile poppers
Delightful queso dip
Chunky fresh guacamole with lime, onions, tomatoes and cilantro
We started our dining adventure with some delicious appetizers. The tray filled with Chunky Guacamole tasted as good as it looked. The golden brown Chile Poppers featured full size, not sliced, jalapenos with sour cream and a dish of strawberry jelly for dipping and my was that queso dip scrumptious!
Fixin’s for fajitas
Steak fajitas
On to the main courses, our daughter and our son-in-law shared steak and chicken fajitas for two (see video). Sher raved about her vegetarian enchiladas (see video) and Maj had steak fajitas. The fajitas all came with very generous helpings of rice, frijoles, guacamole, sour cream and lettuce and tomatoes. Of course plentiful tortillas, corn and flour, were also served.
The quality of this restaurant is truly outstanding. The family traditions of this establishment shine through in not only the service but the excellent cuisine. We were very impressed and have to rate this as one of the best Mexican restaurants we have enjoyed. When in the Seattle area, do yourself a favor and dine at Fresa Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar in Everett. This is the Fresa website.
Christmas decorations at Lynnwood, Washington’s Alderwood Mall
We did a bit of shopping after our dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory yesterday. The Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington was decked out in full Christmas season decorations.
Flowing light strands and huge stars
Pretty series of garland displays in store
Lovely pair of red trees
Green trees compliment the red ones
The moon was looking down on the walkways between stores
Holiday lights will help get you in the mood for Christmas!
The Old Spaghetti Factory in Lynnwood Washington
The Old Spaghetti Factory is often referred to as a “family-friendly chain eatery featuring traditional Italian entrees amid turn-of-the-century decor.” The one in Alderwood Mall in Lynwood, Washington remains true to that description.
Trolley full of, and surrounded by tables
Close look at the seating in the trolley
We dined there with our daughter, son-in-law and grandson tonight. The decor is immediately impressive to see, and this location even has an old Seattle trolley car from 1970 in place and used for dining.
Warm bread flanked by our cocktails and a beer, center
We started with some great cocktails. Sher enjoyed the Strawberry Pomegranate Drop, a delightful blend of pomegranate vodka, lime, strawberry puree and a splash of sweet & sour. Maj really liked the Blackberry Pomegranate Long Island Iced Tea, a traditional mix of gin and rum and pomegranate vodka with Triple Sec and added blackberry syrup and a splash of sweet & sour.
Spinach and Cheese Ravioli, filled with spinach and two cheeses, topped with marinara sauce.
Meat Lovers Treat with Sicilian meatballs, Italian sausage, spaghetti with hearty meat sauce
The food at the Old Spaghetti Factory is just plain excellent. The portion sizes are most adequate. Both Sher and I enjoyed our choices, as did the rest of the family. Our grandson is a pasta fan, and he really enjoyed the bread and his spaghetti.
This was a wonderful meal with excellent service. Our server was a very nice young man named Gaige who took very good care of us. He was friendly and helpful in explaining the menu to us. His service added to what was a most enjoyable evening out with our family. We would definitely recommend The Old Spaghetti Factory. OSF.com is their website listing all locations.
Teatro ZinZanni has a great show in Seattle’s Sodo Park
Coming Home is such a fitting title for the return of the Teatro ZinZanni’s production now being celebrated after its long awaited return to Seattle. The terrible events of 2020/21 that closed the show and the vintage 1910 circus tent had left a real void in the entertainment scene in the Pacific Northwest.
SODO Park, 3200 1st Ave S, Seattle
Now the show is back, this time in an old warehouse in SODO Park on Seattle’s south side. This is a limited edition run, now showing until February 19, 2023. The ZinZanni tradition of love, chaos and of course dinner is alive and well at this vintage venue. No tent, but a full bar is open, and the coat check room is in a huge old walk-in safe.
They make a stiff cocktail!
Curtains open, ready to be seated
Photo of menu items courtesy ZinZanni website
When you are seated, you will find the first course of your four course meal at your table. Tonight it was a wild mushroom tart with thyme-infused Madeira cream sauce. Second course was pumpkin soup with coconut and green chili sambal. The main course was your choice of meat, fish or vegetarian entrée. Chai panna cotta with a blood orange glaze wraps up your feast for dessert. The four courses are brought to your table throughout the evening, at reasonable intervals, and not disruptive to the show.
The old warehouse becomes home to actors
The band, complete with Grand Piano
Now on with the performance! The setting here is an old warehouse of some kind. The trappings for the “Coming Home” show covered most, but not all of the old warehouse interior. Elaborate lights and sound systems were in place and provided technical support. The band was seated on an actual stage, and my did that small group of musicians put out an amazing variety of sounds.
Not enough can be said about the talented cast! Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer make up Duo Madrona, trapeze artist extraordinaire. What they do is heart stopping!
Rizo is more than a superb vocalist. Her passion flows in every verse she sings, and her ability to hold a note seemingly forever will captivate you.
Vita Radionova defies the laws of physics with her contortion and hula hoop performance. As her act progresses, the number of hoops she uses increase!
Manuela Horn is the 6’2″ tall Yodeling Dominatrix. Yes, that’s what I said. Her antics keep everyone in stiches, and her interaction with one hapless audience member, well, it was interesting.
Elena Gatilova is a former World Champion of rhythmic gymnastics, and you won’t believe what she does on a suspended ring. Plus she is an excellent comedic actor.
Domitil Aillot trained at an internationally renowned Circus School in Paris. What he does with a stack of chairs from floor to ceiling will blow your mind, as will his performance on the Chinese Pole!
Michael Evolution is a world-class basketball freestyle juggler. Never heard of one? You are in for a treat! What this man does with three basketballs defies gravity!
Kevin Kent was a cast member of the original Teatro ZinZanni show in Seattle in 1998. His improvisation skills are unmatched, and his interactions with audience members in many different scenarios will have you surprised and in stiches. Enough said…
The Teatro Zinzanni trademark
Sher and Maj as taken by the Official Photographer
We were so glad when we heard that Teatro Zinzanni was back in business in Seattle. The new location works fine, and the cast, band and crew make for a delightful entertainment event. Learn more about the cast, band, menus and other points of information at the Teatro ZinZanni’s website. Don’t miss a chance to catch this evening of love, chaos and dinner.
Hot chili on a cold night
Seattle was seeing a very rare 6 inch snowfall. Our grandson was home on a school snow day. And more snow was in the forecast as well. Seemed like a great night to have chili for supper.
A perfect snow day meal!
Our son-in-law made a crock pot full of tasty, hot and spicy chili. It included chili hot beans, diced tomatoes, black beans and elbow macaroni. I know he used some chili powder and other secret ingredients. Topped off with fresh diced onions and shredded cheese we all had a warm and filling supper suitable for a cold snowy night. Our son-in-law and daughter are both great cooks.
Winter snows hit Seattle
December in Seattle area has begun with up to 6 inches of snow on the ground, surpassing the average total yearly snow fall in one event! Our grandson had a snow day, and we were able to explain to him what a “snow day” was.
About mid way through the 6 inch accumulation
Wonder how many kids in Seattle have seen rabbit tracks?
After 120 years of record-keeping, Seattle has witnessed just six white Christmases. The most recent White Christmas was in 2017. In that year 1.0 inches of snow fell at the city’s official reporting site at Sea-Tac Airport. Seattle’s winter weather is limited greatly by the Pacific Ocean, where temperatures stay fairly even throughout the year. Our daughter shared with us that snow removal equipment is few and far between out here, understandable as snow plows are rarely needed.
Burgermaster a Seattle area fixture for decades
Burgermaster began in 1952, and currently there are five in the Seattle area. Our daughter suggested we go there for supper before we went to see the Christmas lights.
No missing the name
Lots of parking, inside dining to the right
Sher and I were surprised to see what looked like an old fashioned drive-in, complete with car hops. (No, they were not on roller skates) No speakers to place orders here, the car hops had hand held devices to take our order. Large menu boards were prominently placed in front of each parking spot.
Fish hot from the fryer, lots of fries and slaw
Sher took a bite before I got the picture, rings to the right
I had the fish and chips, three pieces of “hand breaded in house” cod with a huge portion of fries and a small cup of slaw. Sher had one of her favorites: grilled cheese with a slice of onion and a slice of tomato. Her side was onion rings, thus we were able to share and enjoy both fries and rings. Our grandson wanted a hot dog, and it was split into three slices and served on a hamburger bun. I’d never seen that served in a restaurant that way. He loved it!
The big menu board
Now you know where we were
All in all the food was good, served hot and quickly. We actually enjoyed eating in the car with our grandson between us. Our daughter and son-in-law were of course in the front, and enjoyed their burgers. We all had great conversation and good food and drinks.
“The Lights of Christmas” celebrates 25 years
The Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center, a well known and popular camp, conference and retreat center has been in Stanwood, Washington since 1956. Stanwood is north of Seattle and south of Bellingham. In 1997 it opened the first “Lights of Christmas” event on the beautiful wooded grounds. Please note that our iPhone photos do not due justice to the quantity and quality of this wonderful festival of lights!
A waterfall in lights
Here we are getting into the Spirit of the Season
Sher and I went with our daughter, son-in-law and grandson to see this attraction, billed as the largest Christmas Festival in the Pacific Northwest. It features over one million lights and of course Christmas themed light displays. We started our idle speed driving tour with the purchase of some absolutely warm and decadent mini-donuts and a bag of freshly popped kettle corn. By tuning your car radio to a particular FM station you get some great Christmas music, some good clean humor and an excellent background program.
Festive canoes
The whales are here!
Tall ship in lights
In the past patrons had left their vehicles for out of vehicle activities like the train rides. The website calls out a lack of staff this year, so you stay inside your vehicle, with the exception of the snack bar/store and Santa’s Village areas. Santa’s Village and store was, for us, quite a walk from the parking. Restroom breaks and stopping at Santa’s Village aside, the drive time through the lights takes a little over 30 minutes.
Santa gets a break talking to kids
What a remarkable event this has become over the past 25 years. What started out as an idea to keep the Camp & Conference Center busy during the slow winter holiday season has turned into the holiday highlight for thousands of Pacific Northwest families each year. This is a delightful attraction, and we heartily recommend it.
Tickets must be purchased online before arriving at the event to control the attendance numbers. Admission costs are per vehicle and are very reasonable. This is The Lights of Christmas website. Dates, times and all other information is provided here.
Roadtirement Happy Thanksgiving
Right out of the oven
A bountiful start to the meal
Roadtirement 