Nate with his Rubik's Cube

Julie’s fractions project and report

Biking around Lake Lagunitas in Marin

Trinidad

Our last stay on our post-holiday trip to the northwest: Trinidad and a two-night stay at the Lost Whale B&B on Patrick's Point Road. Gina's brother Mark surprised us as we were hunting for treasures at Agate Beach, and whales were visible offshore for our entire stay, made all the more impressive by the views from our room's deck and main room at the hotel. Our bedroom was on the second floor, and seemed made-to-order for the family: Gina and I had a bed downstairs, and Julie/Nate had a ladder climb to the loft for their individual beds, all with views to the ocean. After Trinidad, we took a meandering path through the Avenue of the Giants redwoods and found some good rock-skipping rivers that demanded our best throws.

Portland - New Year's Eve

From Seattle, we drove to Portland and stayed in our digs at the Embassy Suites downtown. On the way in, we grabbed lunch at Slappy Cakes which was features on one of the cable channels as one of the top 10 restaurants in the US. Not sure if it warrants billing with the French Laundry, but the lines were definitely long, and the novelty of making your own pancakes on special Japanese griddles in the middle of your table was worth the wait (and putting up with the non-PG shapes at the adjacent table). Our gluttony tour continued with a stop at Voodoo Donuts (Nate and I did the honors, see the photo of the hotel above with Julie visible in the window), and with an hour-wait in freezing cold to do New Year's Eve dinner at the Screen Door. 

Seattle

We originally set plans to head from Edmonds to Portland on Monday, but changed our plans to spend an extra in town to see the sights. We slept in, then drove down to Seattle to take the Great Wheel, then hightailed it the Space Needle and finally found (after three tries) an open parking garage so we could watch the Pacific Science Center's showing of the Hobbit - Battle of the Five Armies. Later we caught up with Grandmom and Grandpa to do dinner in Edmonds for our last night in town.

Dawson Family Get-Together

Another enjoyable Dawson family get-together in Edmonds! The kids were spoiled with so much good food, an open/private movie theater (despite the Seahawks game), and more presents than anyone deserves. Thanks Mom & Dad for all the hard work and plans to make it happen.

Christmas morning

Tea Lunch and Cirque du Soleil in SF

Gina planned this year's holiday foray into San Francisco: a tea lunch at LoveJoy Tea room in the Noe Valley neighborhood, and then tickets to see the Cirque du Soleil show "Kurios" in the tents set outside the Giant's AT & T ballpark. Fun show! Everyone in the family had their favorite act, but mine was the guy building a tower of chairs on a dining room table to reach a chandelier hanging mid-way down the ceiling, and then seeing the exact opposite tower being built down from top of the tent by an identical mirror group.