Riding the Train {part 2}...

Breakfast while traveling through the American Heartland.

Chilling out in the lounge car.

Train stop in Glacier National Park.

There were volunteer rangers from the National Park Service on our train and the kids got to become honorary junior rangers.

Riding the Train...

So I finished posting all our Seattle pictures but that's not where our vacation ended.  We boarded the train from Seattle to Chicago and started our 2 day voyage to the windy city.  The trip was amazing.  The kids had so much fun and Cole decided that he only wanted to travel by train from now on.

Our sleeper car suite.

Eating in the dining car.

Kiley loved the "kid" cups they used… just coffee cups with juice in them, but she felt so grown up.

Dinner at the Needle...

We finished off our final full day in Seattle with dinner at the top of the Space Needle.  It was amazing! We all loved every single minute of it.  The food was excellent (Cole's pasta was shaped like the Space Needle), the view was incredible (we sat right at the window) and the atmosphere was just awesome.  I highly recommend checking it out if you're in the Seattle area.  

Chihuly Glass {part 2}...

It seems like I did a lot of laying on the ground to take pictures from below during this trip.  These were from the Chihuly Glass Museum.  The first is an entire ceiling made from handblown glass.  The last 2 were taken by each of the kids' favorite hanging sculptures.  

Chihuly Gardens & Glass...

Our last stop for the day was at the Chihuly Gardens & Glass Museum.  To say it was amazing would be an understatement.  It was quiet possibly my most favorite thing we did that day.  The glass sculptures were incredible.  The kids really enjoyed the stunning artwork and it was a lovely way to end the day.

The Pacific Science Center...

After the EMP we headed over to the Pacific Science Center.  It was a beautiful science center and we had a wonderful time exploring all their hands-on exhibits.  Evidently, we had so much fun that I didn't take very many pictures.  We also went to a Beetles Laser Light Show while we were there.  The kids loved it, especially Kiley who is a big fan of Beetles songs.

The EMP {part 2}...

A few more from the EMP.  The kids loved the Sound Lab & there was an amazing maze outside where we sat for a snack.  I couldn't resist a picture of Kiley in front of the Women Who Rock sign.  I think that will come in handy one day.  

The EMP...

Our last full day in Seattle we went downtown to the Seattle Center and spent the day exploring the museums and the Space Needle.  Our first stop was the EMP Museum.  The EMP is a music museum that was unbelievable.  I was skeptical about how our kids would like it since they are young and it is geared towards an older crowd.  Well, it was amazing.  The kids loved it and we loved it.  They got to try a bunch of different instruments, listen to some different songs and mix up some tunes.

The Tooth Fairy Visits Seattle...

Cole lost his second tooth while we were on vacation.  He was so funny about writing a note to the tooth fairy and letting her know where his tooth was.  She did indeed visit us in Seattle at our hotel room.  

Seaplane Tour...

Since we stayed at the Residence Inn directly on Lake Union while we were in Seattle, we got to see seaplanes taking off and landing throughout the day.  Jonathan was excited to be able to book us a seaplane tour for one evening after dinner.  I was concerned that it would be too loud for the kids but they loved it.  Half way through the flight Kiley actually pulled out the in-flight magazine and started reading it.  It was so cool to fly over Seattle and see all the sights.

Chateau Ste Michelle Winery...

After spending the better part of the day at the zoo we headed north towards wine county.  We stopped at the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery for a tasting and to roam through some vineyards.

Woodland Park Zoo {part 3}...

One of the last things we did before heading out of the zoo was to feed the elephants.  It wasn't nearly as close of an encounter as we had when we went to the elephant sanctuary outside of Gainesville a while back, but it was still pretty cool.

The Woodland Park Zoo {part 2}...

One of the highlights of the Woodland Park Zoo was where you could feed the birds.  They had popsicle sticks with seed on them and the birds would land on your stick.  Much to my surprise, this was a huge hit with the kids.  

The Woodland Park Zoo...

We attempted to visit the Woodland Park Zoo a few days prior, but it was closing early due to a donor dinner.  Incidentally, they never mentioned it on their website.  Luckily, we were able to rearrange a few things on our schedule and squeeze it in another day.  It was a fantastic zoo and to be honest, we probably could have spent the entire day there.