Semiahmoo Resort: Foodie, Family-, Dog-Friendly

September 4, 2018 by foodgressing 2 Comments

Looking for a charming getaway in the Pacific Northwest where you can relax, have great food, be active outdoors and enjoy scenic views? You might just consider Semiahmoo Resort Golf and Spa located on a unique peninsula in Blaine, Washington. My family and I recently enjoyed a weekday stay at Semiahmoo Resort where we had the opportunity to experience what Semiahmoo Resort had to offer. Here’s a look at our stay.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary stay and dinner at Semiahmoo Resort as media. Opinions are my own.

Waterview Room

There’s nothing like enhancing a vacation by staying in a room with a view. We stayed in the Waterview Deluxe Double Queen guest room featuring two queen beds, and a private patio. In the distance were stunning views of Semiahmoo Bay and White Rock, BC.

Soon after checking into our room, we were met with a knock at the door. Staff had brought us a lovely welcome gift including a bottle of champagne and a cheese & fruit platter.

Dog-Friendly Resort

You don’t need to leave your dog at home when you stay at Semiahmoo because it is a dog-friendly resort. Semiahmoo invites you to bring your dogs along for a seaside vacation they are sure to love. We brought along our dog, Aapik, for her first resort experience!

The resort also left a Pooch Package in our room featuring a collapsible dog bowl and a souvenir bandana.

We found the beds at Semiahmoo Resort very comfortable…and obviously so did Aapik because we found her all cozy in the bed a few times.

Dining at Packers Kitchen & Bar

Foodies who visit Semiahmoo Resort would enjoy dining at Packers Kitchen + Bar, the onsite restaurant at Semiahmoo Resort. Open for lunch, happy hour, dinner or a late-night get-together, Packers serves Pacific Northwest cuisine and fresh seafood from local purveyors. Popular items include oysters-on-the-half-shell and their fish and chips.

We loved the Chilled Seafood Platter featuring local seafood (oysters, shrimp, Dungeness crab, clams, tuna tartar) accompanied by avocado lime sauce, cocktail sauce and chip.

We also went with two entrees that came highly recommended by our server.

There was the very comforting pub fare, Crab Mac ‘n’ Cheese, with smoked gouda, Dungeness and red crab, cream and toasted breadcrumbs.

Another popular entree that we had was the Salish Sea Cioppino with clams, cod, salmon, chorizo, prawns, saffron aioli in a rich and flavourful broth.

My son enjoyed his kid’s meal which was chicken tenders (made from chicken breast) and lightly salted fries.

The restaurant features seating on the dock where we enjoyed lovely views of sailboats passing by.

Activities

Outdoor fun is aplenty at Semiahmoo Resort and includes adventures like hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking and swimming to name a few.

There are lots of family-friendly options both indoor and outdoor. My son enjoyed the outdoor oversized chess board.

We also spent time in the library playing some board games.

And always, a dip in the pool is a great option to cool off from the summer heat.

I also enjoyed simply exploring the grounds of the resort and relaxing at the various indoor lounges.

In the evening, we gathered around the beach bonfire where we watched the sunset over the water while making heart-warming s’mores.

Overall Impression

My family and I had a relaxing family- and dog- friendly getaway at Semiahmoo Resort. It’s just 15 minutes from the Peace Arch Border which makes it an ideal quick vacay (almost staycation) from Vancouver. I would recommend others to Semiahmoo Resort. For more information, visit www.semiahmoo.com.

Semiahmoo Resort
Address: 9565 Semiahmoo Pkwy, Blaine, WA 98230, USA
Website: ‎www.semiahmoo.com

Newly Opened: Starbucks Blaine Washington

August 11, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

As my family and I were headed to Semiahmoo Resort this past week, we passed by a uniquely designed Starbucks in Downtown Blaine.

Starbucks Blaine Washington USA lighthouse

Located at 530 Peace Portal Drive, this particular Starbucks had just opened two weeks ago and was built to resemble a 19th century historic Blaine lighthouse that once stood at the entrance to Semiahmoo Bay.

The 2,650-square-foot building features an indoor spiral staircase, an outdoor fireplace and patio. The lighthouse tower itself is 48-foot-tall.

When I went inside, I noticed that the spiral staircase was off limits. There was a sign identifying it as a restricted area with access only for lighthouse keepers 🙁

The shiny, new interior was warm and inviting with communal tables, lounge chairs and small tables.

Starbucks Blaine is part of Skye Hill Station and located next to the new Blaine Welcome Center.

Starbucks Blaine Washington
Address: 530 Peace Portal Drive, Blaine WA, USA

Starbucks Reserve in Seattle: Mixology Bar

August 10, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

One of my favourite places to visit when in Seattle is the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Capitol Hill. During my visit this past week, I noticed a new coffee-inspired mixology bar.

The mixology bar is adjacent to the Princi bakery (which offers Italian food) located within the Roastery.

Starbuck’s cocktail and Italian food offerings are apparently part of the company’s strategy to reach the higher-end and fuller service part of the food and beverage market. It’s also a way for Starbucks to introduce America to Italian apertivo and digestivo culture.

The mixology bar menu features Signature Cocktails inspired by Starbucks Reserve Coffee and Teavana tea, Classic Cocktails, Aperitifs (before meal drinks to stimulate appetite), Digestivo (after meal drinks to aid digestion), wine, beer, cold brew on tap as well spirit-free beverages.

For the wine and beer selections, there are some that are noted to be ideal for pairing with Princi food.

I didn’t order any drinks but one customer welcomed me to photograph the drinks he ordered.

Here is the Starbucks Reserve Boulevardier ($14) where barrel-aged vanilla syrup, Campari, sweet vermouth and bourbon were poured over freshly ground Starbucks Reserve Coffee. It was finished with lavender bitters.

He also ordered a Cascara Lemon Sour ($8) featuring Cold brew, Woodinville Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup and fresh lemon. The garnish was a Luxardo cherry, lemon twist and cascara sugar.

I had a great time hanging out at the mixology bar and watching the mixologists at work. If you love coffee and cocktails, the mixology bar would be something worthy of checking out.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Address: 1124 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
Website: www.starbucksreserve.com/

Seattle Center Playground: Artists at Play

August 10, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

On our day trip to Seattle this past week, we discovered a charming playground at Seattle Center called Artists at Play. Designed by a team of artists, Artists at Play was opened three years ago and features artistic, sound and motion-themed play elements.

Seattle Playground Near Space Needle | Artists at Play | Seattle Center

Seattle Center Location

The playground is located at Next 50 Plaza between the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) and the Seattle Center Armory, just north of the Monorail station. The Seattle Space Needle is also a few steps away from the playground.

Climbing Tower

One highlight of the playground is the 30-foot climbing tower, one of the tallest such structures in North America. I saw that kids were having a great time scaling the rope ladders and climbing net, exploring the suspension bridges, and going down the tall tube slides.

The recommended age for tower is 5 – 12 and it recommended that adults know their children’s abilities before allowing them to play on the tower.

Musical Elements & Accessible

Some tamer playground elements include the human-powered accessible-friendly carousel, child-inspired musical instruments, listening stations, and sound swings.

There’s also a smaller play set for the little ones.

For parents, there are benches to sit on but not as much shade as I would have liked. I sat on the artificial lawn underneath the tower with some cover and it was very comfortable.

Overall Impression

We had a great time exploring Artists at Play and I would recommend other families to visit the playground if they are visiting the Seattle Center area.

Artists At Play
Address: 305 Harrison Street, Seattle,WA 98109
Website: www.seattlecenter.com/locations/detail.aspx?id=170

Review: My Starbucks Spring Cup in Seattle

April 12, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Last month, Starbucks welcomed the Spring season by offering their first-ever spring hot beverage cup. They were available for a limited time only and each tall, grande and venti size had its own cheerful colour in either pastel green, yellow or blue cups. I was in Seattle at the time that the springs cups were being offered and got one on a morning coffee run at the Starbucks across my hotel.

At first, they offered me a plain pastel cup for my grande. But then, with a bit of insistence on my part, the barista liberated the artist within him and drew an eye on my cup. He jokingly suggested that I post a photo of it under creepy on Reddit.

If you look at Instagram posts under #StarbucksSpringCups, there are so many creative and interesting designs on the Starbucks spring cups. This particular one stood out with its positive message.

Loving this blank #springcups from @starbucks coz i can doodle on it all day errrryday! ?? And my entry for #letteringwithpositivity @lettering_with_positivity ….. (Edit) : ohhh and #cb_coffeecup with @calligrabasics ? #calligrabasics

A post shared by Lia Wijasa (@lialettercrafts) on Apr 10, 2017 at 4:46pm PDT

Must-Try Ice Cream in Seattle: Molly Moon’s

April 9, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

When it comes to must-try ice cream parlours in Seattle, Molly Moon’s is certainly one of them. Around Seattle, they have 8 locations (now that’s a lot!) and they known for using local and organic ingredients in their homemade ice cream. For example, they use milk and cream from hormone-free dairy cows and organic fruits and spices as much as possible. After having some deep dish pizza at Delfino’s in University Village, we decided to enjoy some ice cream dessert at Molly Moon’s (also inside the village). It was a nice Saturday night and the line up was outside the door for Molly Moon’s. However, the line progressed at a reasonable pace and we were inside the ice cream parlour in no time.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. The food was not complimentary. I did not receive any compensation or incentive to share about my experience. The eatery did not know that I am a blogger.

Molly Moon’s Ice Cream Menu

Molly Moon ice cream flavours were categorized into “Always Flavors” and “Seasonals.” Also on the menu were additional toppings and sundae options.

“Always Flavors” include vanilla bean, salted caramel, cookie dough and more. For “Seasonals,” they had vegan coconut chunk, chocolate sorbet, fudge brownie chunk and others.

Some of the interesting topping choices were lemon curd, hot fudge, balsamic redux and vanilla bean caramel.

Customers can enjoy a single scoop ($4.50), double scoop ($6.50), and triple scoop ($8.50). Waffle cones and additional toppings are $1.25 each.

The staff seemed friendly and we sampled a few flavours before settling on a double scoop of Thai tea and Strawberry in a waffle cone ($7.75 + tax).

In general, the ice creams were rich, creamy and flavourful. The strawberry is one of their always-available flavours and is made with Washington-grown strawberries. They include chunks of strawberries and you can really taste them! I liked how they include real fruit bits in the flavour. Their seasonal Thai tea flavour is made by hot steeping organic rooibos red tea and organic assam black tea into their milk and cream before spinning it into ice cream. I really enjoyed the Thai tea which had hints of cinnamon, anise and vanilla.

Overall Impression of Molly Moon’s

The ice cream from Molly Moon’s certainly did not disappoint. Although I didn’t order a topping at the time, I wish I did as they seem very interesting and delicious. I’d love to visit another of their locations on my next trip to Seattle. Rating: 4.5/5

Website: www.mollymoon.com

Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza in Seattle

April 9, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Not having experienced deep dish pizza before, I decided to try it out on our recent visit to Seattle. Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza in University Village came up in my research as one of the few places that did serve deep dish pizza in Seattle.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. The food was not complimentary. I did not receive any compensation or incentive to share about my experience. The restaurant did not know that I am a blogger.

Casual, Relaxed Eatery

Coming in on a Saturday night, the eatery was busy with a steady flow of dine-in and carry out customers. My family and I were (party of 3) didn’t have to wait too long for a table. Seating seemed to be plentiful with a mix of booths and dining tables for 2 and 4. There is also another dining area in the back of the restaurant. Delfino’s has a casual vibe to it with a casual, retro-inspired interior. And though it was busy, staff seemed pretty relaxed and on top of things.

Delfino’s Menu & Bake Times

Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza menu is rather extensive as they offer a wide range of items aside from pizza. You’ll find appetizers (like chicken wings, Italian meatballs), salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta, desserts and more. As for the pizza pies, they come in mini (1 person), small (2 – 3 people), medium (3 -4 people) and large (4 – 5 people). Crust options include thin, deep dish and stuffed. The difference between a stuffed and a deep dish is that a stuffed pizza-pie starts with a deep dish crust, toppings, cheese and then is covered with another thin layer of crust, toppings and sauce. For a build-your-own pizza, deep dish starts at $9.00 (mini) up to $21.75 (large); stuffed pizzas range from $9.75 (mini) to $22.50 (large). Their signature combos cost a bit more. Delfino also notes the bake times for the pizzas: 15-20 min for thin; 25-30 min for deep dish and 30-35 min for stuffed. A kid’s menu is also available with chicken tenders, pasta, cheese pasta and more. You can find Delfino’s menu online.

What We Ordered

At Delfino’s, we ordered the following:

Chicago Firehouse Stuffed Pizza, Small ($24.60)
Perfect Pesto Deep Dish Pizza, Mini ($13.00 – even though menu says $12.00)
Kid’s Cheese Pizza ($7.00) with Pepperoni (+$1.00)
Diet coke ($2.50)

The Chicago Firehouse Stuffed Pizza was the star of the show. It was a thick, dense pizza pie made with signature sausage, bacon, sauteed onions, jalapeno, mozza and tomato sauce. My husband, who is a voracious pizza eater, thought that he could easily finish this stuffed pizza pie by himself. And he was so wrong – this pizza pie was fully loaded. He was able to eat only one slice. This thing is a beast and not for the faint of heart.

The crust was crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The tomato tasted like it had herbs in it. The pizza also had a nice spicy kick to it from the jalapenos.

On the other hand, the Perfect Pesto Deep Dish Pizza was a tad disappointing because we couldn’t really taste the pesto. It is supposed to be made with parsley pesto, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, mozza and tomato sauce. The pine nuts were a nice touch and added some textural contrast to the cheesiness. I would describe it more as a cheese pizza.

The Kid’s Cheese & Pepperoni thin crust pizza was a hit with my son. He’s a picky eater and he devoured the pizza. Loved how cheesy it was with a balance of pepperoni flavours.

Extra $1 Charge

Here’s the funny thing as I am writing this post up. As I am reviewing a photo of the receipt from our meal, I noticed that we were charged a dollar more each for the Perfect Pesto pizza. Not a big deal but the menu did say $12. Not sure whether there was an extra charge somewhere, an error or something else…

Overall Impression of Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza

My first deep dish experience at Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza was good overall. The Chicago Firehouse was tasty but the Perfect Pesto lacked enough pesto flavour. Staff was friendly. The extra $1 for the Perfect Pesto Pizza puzzles me. I’m unsure what that was about. Rating: 3.5/5

Website: delfinospizza.com

Seattle’s Pacific Science Center with CityPASS

April 8, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

This past Spring Break, my family and I ventured to Seattle to experience the popular sights and attractions of the Emerald City. Visiting the top attractions was easy because of CityPASS. CityPASS is a fantastic way to save time and money with admissions to activities packaged into one convenient booklet. One of the 5 attractions included in CityPASS is the Pacific Science Center, which is the perfect place to immerse yourself in hands-on science fun. Admission also includes one Documentary IMAX® movie. Read on to find out what we enjoyed at Pacific Science Center.

Disclosure: I am a CityPASS media partner and received complimentary CityPASS.

About CityPASS

CityPASS is offered for 12 different cities in North America. For Seattle, you save 45% off admission to 5 top Seattle attractions. The pass is valid for 9 consecutive days and the booklets can be shipped, received via instant email delivery or purchased at a partner attraction. With CityPASS, you save time from standing in line and paying for admission at the attraction. All you need to do is walk up to the entrance, present your CityPASS booklet, and then you’re in! One tip is that the CityPASS booklet is treated like cash so you must keep in safe. Unfortunately, if you lose the booklet, it cannot be replaced.

Seattle CityPASS Ticket Booklets

Check out an overview of the attractions included in Seattle CityPASS in this official video:

Tropical Butterfly House

One of the highlights of our visit to the Pacific Science Center was the Tropical Butterfly House. This exhibit has been open for 18 years now and is a 4,000 sq ft exhibit housing live, colorful butterfly all year round. The butterflies are imported weekly from sustainable farms in South and Central America, Africa and Asia. The exhibit contains about 500 butterflies and is warm and humid (~80°F) to mimic the tropical environment. I was in awe by the beautiful patterns that I saw on the butterflies. Check out my recap video below.

Oh, I loved seeing the eyespot on the wings of this owl butterfly:

You’ll find butterflies eating juices from overripe fruits. I saw some that were probing fruit pulp to find juicy spots. Butterflies have a proboscis – a hollow tube like straw – to draw nectar from flowers. Some species use fruit juice as food instead.

There were a few butterflies that were simply laying on the ground. But don’t worry, they’re OK! Butterflies need rest too.

Dinosaur Exhibit

The Dinosaur Exhibit features dinosaurs from the Mesozoic Era. Some of the dinosaurs are animated so it is a great place for kids to go and play make-believe.

Physical Sciences & Engineering Exhibits

The Pacific Science Center has numerous science exhibits for hands-on, interactive fun. My son particularly enjoyed exploring the Gemini Capsule Model. It was a particularly popular attraction as there was a line-up of kids for it!

And everywhere you turn, there’s something to engage with to test your knowledge or just have fun!

Just For Tots

The center also has a spacious toddler-centric safe, area for play.

Overall Impression

We really enjoyed our time at Pacific Science Center and am planning to return on our next trip to Seattle. Unfortunately, we stayed just about 2.5 hours and needed more time. It’s really a great place to enjoy a day of family fun and I would recommend visiting the center if you are visiting Seattle. For more information on CityPASS, visit www.citypass.com

Seattle Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour with CityPASS

March 30, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

My recent Spring Break trip to Seattle last week included visits to top attractions in the city thanks to CityPASS. CityPASS offers discounted admissions to popular attractions packaged into one convenient booklet. One of the attractions included in Seattle CityPASS is a harbor tour run by Argosy Cruises. Here are some highlights:

Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour — Ship

Disclosure: I am a CityPASS media partner and received complimentary CityPASS. The links below are affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up. Thanks for the support!

About CityPASS

CityPASS is a great way to experience a city and to save money on admissions. For Seattle, you save 45% off admission to 5 top Seattle attractions. The pass is valid for 9 consecutive days and the booklets can be shipped, received via instant email delivery or purchased at a partner attraction. With CityPASS, you get to save time from standing in line and paying for admission at the attraction. All you need to do is walk up to the entrance, present your booklet, and then you’re in! One tip is that the CityPASS booklet is treated like cash so you must keep in safe. Unfortunately, if you lose the booklet, it cannot be replaced.

Seattle CityPASS Ticket Booklets

Check out an overview of the attractions included in Seattle CityPASS in this official video:

Getting onboard the cruise was very easy. Once we decided which of the tours we wanted to go on, we arrived 30 minutes ahead of departure time and presented the CityPASS booklet at the Argosy visitor center at Pier 56. Tour times are noted inside the CityPASS booklet.

Aboard the one-hour narrated Argosy Harbor cruise, we took in amazing views of the Seattle skyline, Elliott Bay waterfront, the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, shipping terminals, and historic neighborhoods.

TIP: For the best views, coming and going, it is recommended to head to the top of the boat and sit on the city side (your right, when facing the front of the boat).

I particularly enjoyed getting up close with the shipping terminals and seeing US Coastguard ships.

On the tour, you also get a harbor view of the Seattle Space Needle. It was nice to see it from a different angle as we had gone up to the Observation Deck the day before.

Overall Impression

The Argosy Harbor Cruise is a terrific way to see the waterfront area of Seattle. The narrated tour was educational and, at times, hilariously entertaining. For more information on CityPASS, visit www.citypass.com

A Visit to the Seattle Space Needle with CityPass

March 29, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

For Spring Break this year, my family and I visited Seattle to experience the sights, attractions, and of course, the food! On this trip, we had the opportunity to see Seattle from a different angle and with convenience – that is, with CityPASS. One of the 5 attractions included in CityPASS is the infamous Seattle Space Needle.

About CityPASS

CityPASS is a fantastic way to visit a city’s top attractions with admissions packaged into one convenient booklet. For Seattle, you save 45% off admission to 5 top Seattle attractions. The pass is valid for 9 consecutive days and the booklets can be shipped, received via instant email delivery or purchased at a partner attraction. With CityPASS, you get to save time from standing in line and paying for admission at the attraction. All you need to do is walk up to the entrance, present your booklet, and then you’re in! One tip is that the CityPASS booklet is treated like cash so you must keep in safe. Unfortunately, if you lose the booklet, it cannot be replaced.

Seattle CityPASS Ticket Booklets

Check out an overview of the attractions included in Seattle CityPASS in this official video:

41 Second Ride Up

After presenting our CityPASSes right at the entrance, we received a ticket in exchange.

On your way to the elevator, there are numerous informational displays regarding the history of the Space Needle. The Seattle Space Needle was built in 1962 as an observation tower in honor of the 1962 World’s Fair. It is 605 ft high and a symbol of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

The Space Needle elevators can carry 25 people at a time. Each elevator has 7 cables, though one is enough to hold the entire weight.

Check out my 41-second ride to the top in this recap video along with views from the observation deck and the sunset on the horizon.

Observation Deck

The observation deck sits at 520 feet. Fun fact: there are 848 steps from the bottom of the basement to the top of the Observation Deck. Staircase workout, anyone? From the deck, I could see the Seattle Great Wheel, the Seattle Aquarium (included in CityPASS) and Argosy Cruises (also included in CityPASS).

And there were lots of oooohhs and ahhhhs from visitors on the Observation Deck. Although quite a windy evening, the energy was happy and excited.

Many gathered to watch the sun setting in the horizon.

And of course, on your way out, you pass through the gift shop to pick up gifts and souvenirs.

One thing to note about visiting the Space Needle with CityPASS is that it includes Day/Night admission. So you can check out the amazing view in daylight, then return during the last 3 hours of operation to experience the lights of the city by dark.

Overall Impression

It was a fun and memorable experience visiting the Space Needle with CityPASS. I loved the 360-degree views of the mountains, water, and concrete jungle. For more information on CityPASS, visit www.citypass.com

Semiahmoo Resort: Foodie, Family-, Dog-Friendly

Waterview Room

Dog-Friendly Resort

Dining at Packers Kitchen & Bar

Activities

Overall Impression

Newly Opened: Starbucks Blaine Washington

Starbucks Reserve in Seattle: Mixology Bar

Seattle Center Playground: Artists at Play

Seattle Center Location

Climbing Tower

Musical Elements & Accessible

Overall Impression

Review: My Starbucks Spring Cup in Seattle

Must-Try Ice Cream in Seattle: Molly Moon’s

Molly Moon’s Ice Cream Menu

Overall Impression of Molly Moon’s

Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza in Seattle

Casual, Relaxed Eatery

Delfino’s Menu & Bake Times

What We Ordered

Extra $1 Charge

Overall Impression of Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza

Seattle’s Pacific Science Center with CityPASS

About CityPASS

Tropical Butterfly House

Dinosaur Exhibit

Physical Sciences & Engineering Exhibits

Just For Tots

Overall Impression

Seattle Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour with CityPASS

About CityPASS

Overall Impression

A Visit to the Seattle Space Needle with CityPass

About CityPASS

41 Second Ride Up

Observation Deck

Overall Impression

About Me

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