Coffee At 40,000 Feet (And Then Some)

As I mentioned in my last blog, I spent my birthday in Seattle this year.  Flew up a few days before and back down on my actual birthday, with plans for another adventure starting right after we got home.  We flew out of The Bob Hope Burbank Airport.  Rumor has it, they will be dropping the Bob Hope part soon, stating that no one knows who he is.  I was shocked too.  The airport has had something like seven different names in its history so why change it again.
We caught an earlier morning flight out.  The weather was gorgeous when we left L.A. and slightly cooler but equally nice when we landed at SEA-TAC.  It is a short 2 hour and a half flight and when taking Alaskan Airlines, they offer commuter flights daily up north and back so no stops or layovers.  The larger planes have all kinds of charging ports for electronic devices but this flight didn't so I read my book and the husband listened to some audio short stories from the Game of Thrones series as we waited for our drink orders to come.  He got a ginger ale and I got coffee.  Being that Alaska has a few common stops on the west coast, they have a menu that opens up options depending on where you are headed.  They offer Hawaiian beer (Longboard, one of my faves) and snacks if you are headed that way.   Other options of noms and beer for Mexico bound guests.  But pretty standard is the Seattle options on the menu.  There is a fruit and cheese tray that features Beechers cheeses, a Seattle cheese company, and a couple of Seattle Chocolates truffles.  Naturally, that means the coffee is, you guessed it, Starbucks.  Starbucks flagship store sits at the top of Pikes Place in Seattle with a constant 25 person deep line out the door.  I've seen it before, but have never been inside so I'll just pretend that my coffee is as close to it's origin as I see myself getting.  That little cup satisfied my craving for coffee but it was still early in the morning and we were headed to the coffee capital of North America (metaphorically speaking).
When we arrived, our friends suggested breakfast at a place not too far from the airport.  They had been before and said it was like a higher end Denny's.  Think big breakfast and really home-style food.  Shari's offered breakfast, lunch, dinner, and pies.  We passed on the pie this time but each got breakfast and a pot of coffee for the table.  The Northwest Barista Blend was far better then expected.  Bold and fresh, not like the usually day-old flavored coffee you find in other diners.  A very satisfying meal.
We went back to our friend's house and relaxed for a bit.  Later in the afternoon, we were able to catch one of the two weekend free tours offered by a local brewery.  Mac and Jacks is a fantastic beer only available in Seattle.  They have seven different flavors, including a rotating seasonal brew.  Our free tour gave us each a free pint glass and four very generous tastings.  Between the four of us, we were able to sample all of the flavors.  They were all fantastic.  The guy running the tour gave us a fun and informative short walk through the facility as he explained their story and let us smell some of the hops and spices they use.  If you ever find yourself in Seattle, I highly recommend checking out the Mac and Jacks tour especially because it is all free.  The first leg of my birthday vacation was starting out great.

Thanks Mate!

For my birthday this year, the husband and I headed for cooler weather and close friends in Seattle.  Slapped in the dead center of August, my birthday is usually spent in 100 degree weather, avoiding the outdoors, or waiting until the evening to do anything.  We spent the week leading up to my birthday among the trees and breeze of Seattle and departing for home late on my actual birthday.  Prior to heading up, we had to do something we've never done before: Find a cat sitter.
I haven't traveled much in my life, but now we have Nugget and it would be her first time overnight alone, and for almost a week.  We couldn't just leave her by herself.  So my mate that lives in L.A. offered to stay at our house and take care of our kitty.  I went down to his place to tell him all the over protective, new pet parent things I felt he needed to know.  We thought the 2 minute walk to Little Japantown from his house would be a great place to grab a bite and chat.
Lollicup is a coffee and tea place that has a small food menu and a passion for boba.  My mate regularly hits Lollicup up for dinner on his way home from UCLA or work.  The pork they put in their dishes is to die for.  This time we just got a couple of drinks.  Subliminal messaging got me to order the iced coffee.  Ok, it wasn't subliminal, it was even on the big screen above the registers.  Mocha flavor in their regular blend.  Nothing too amazing but a good cup of iced Joe on a hot evening.  My mate got the taro milk tea.  Don't be taken back by the bright purple hue.  Taro is popular in Japanese, Hawaiian, and African culture.  It is a root vegetable that looks like a sweet potato or yam and kinda taste like them too.  A soft, sweet taste that is put into everything from sweet 'n' salty chips to creamy purple ice cream and can also be boiled or roasted to be eaten as the vegetable itself.  The leaves of the plant are also used in recipes and as wrappers like banana leaves.  Milk tea is just as it sounds, tea with milk in it.  Depending on what your preferred calorie intake, boba can be added, but my mate opted out.  I recommend trying taro if you haven't had it before.
We had our drinks with the backdrop of a beautiful California summer sunset.  The busy street filled with people which was our sign to wrap it up.  Nugget was grateful for her sitter.  He spoiled her and sent us pictures to put our minds at ease.  (Thanks again!)

Nugget helped with my mate's homework.