I'll Be Back!

In less than 24 hours we'll be in the air, on our way to Israel! This is my first international flight, never been on a jumbo jet before. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I'm headed to bed soon but don't know how much I'll actually sleep.

 

Please take care of yourselves and I'll write when I get back!

 

I took this in May of last year coming home from San Diego

 

We'd Been Waiting Since November!

Some of you had asked what Beth was drinking in my Frightening Part post. She doesn't like coffee so when we go to Starbucks she'll either get a hot chocolate or a Strawberry Frappuccino. It's just ice, milk and strawberries. No coffee, more like a shake. I think some frappuccinos have coffee in them but not the strawberry one. I'm not a coffee drinker either so these are a good alternative. They're SO good!

Last Saturday Ally and I went to The Museum of Flight just south of Seattle. We were supposed to go back in November but they closed down just 2 days before our scheduled day due to an uptick in covid cases. So we were so excited on the drive down! I've always wanted to see the inside of an air traffic control tower and I didn't know there was one that you could go into there! Ally was so anxious to show it to me! We got inside, they took our temp, we got our wrist bands, made our way up the stairs... and it was closed. Due to covid I guess, too small of a room? I don't know. We were so bummed. There was one area of the museum that had a full sized 747 in it, a Concorde, Air Force One... so many amazing planes but somehow we ended up missing it. We never did see them so I told her we'll just have to come back!

We did see the Great Gallery, the Space Gallery, the WWII area and of course bought a few things in the gift shop! 

She's looking at a model of an aircraft carrier

This is the Great Gallery

There are so many planes you can't get them all in one shot. These are actual, full-sized planes. This room is huge.

 We walked across the sky bridge to the Space Gallery

Here we're standing in the open cargo bay of a Space Shuttle

 

I think the Space Gallery was our favorite part! 

I do love hanging out with this girl!

MOF

On Thursday night we all went to the Museum of Flight. I've been looking forward to this for weeks! I'm fascinated by airplanes so to be able to see them up close was so exciting!

When I told Beth we'd be able to go inside some of them, she was a little worried. The last time her and Diana were on a plane, they were flying from Colorado to Seattle and Beth was more then scared. She's been afraid of heights for the last 10 years or so and the last time on a place really frightened her. So I assured her that the planes were not taking off. She smiled, "Oh!"

Allie on the other hand was disappointed they weren't actually going anywhere! She's been on a plane and loves to fly!

We've never been there before and I was afraid we wouldn't be able to see everything so I just kind of skimmed through it all. After 2 1/2 hours, we still didn't see it all! It was just amazing! The huge variety of planes, the immense size of some of them, the history.

We got to go into the very first Air Force One. The same plane that President Johnson was on when he was inaugurated after Kennedy was assassinated; we got to get up close and personal with a 747; Allie got to sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet... there was so much to see and do! We definitely plan to go again soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a simulation of the jet engine so she covered her ears. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went into the WWII exhibit and Beth and I found ourselves sitting directly under the wing of a plane.

 

 

 

 

I told her about how my mom had always wanted to be a pilot and even took ROTC in high school. Her parents wouldn't let her though and she never realized her dream.

 

 

 

 

There really were a LOT of planes!!

'Bird' Watching

Every once in a while I'll go out to the backyard, settle into my lawn chair and do a little 'bird' watching. We happen to have Seatac Airport to the South and the Boeing Manufacturing plant to the North. There are always planes flying over our house. Here in Seattle you always see float planes. Their sputtering sound is a dead giveaway.

There are helicopters and private jets.

And every once in a while, you get that spectacular look at the amazing! This weekend was Seafair. Hydroplane races, the Blue Angels, wakeboarding contests. This afternoon I heard that familiar low rumble. I grabbed my camera.... and suddenly a huge 747-8 flew overhead. Barely overhead!! This thing was so low, it was incredible!! And there was a tracer plane taking publicity shots! This is the brand new 747-8 series! It's beautiful! 

It circled over our house a couple times (the first time, my adrenalin was pumping so hard I didn't get the settings correct on the camera!) then I heard that low rumble again. I don't know why I get so excited about low flying planes. I think it's their size and the fact that they're in the air. Just amazing! They were doing fly overs for Seafair, giving everyone a good look at the newest plane. 

One time while we still lived in San Diego, Chuck and I bought sub sandwiches, then he drove to Lindberg Field and we sat in the car and ate at the end of the runway! Heaven!