I don't know what it's like where you are in the summer time, but here in the Pacific Northwest, we put up with a lot just to get to the absolute perfection that is our summer. Blue skies, heat tempered by the waters of Puget Sound, long evenings with late sunsets... when I die, should I find that I'm there's a heaven, I pray that it is nothing more than Seattle in late July.

We started by playing hooky on Thursday afternoon (that's right, Thursday), scooping up Janelle from National Geographic Traveler's blog, and heading out to the beach. Seattle isn't known as a beach town, but there's a lovely strip of promenade three miles from our door that is transformed into a seaside town whenever the weather permits. While at Alki Beach, we were delighted to find the good people from the Intertribal Canoe Journey winding up the day's leg of their two week paddle from central Washington to the southern tip of Vancouver Island. After checking out the canoes and hearing a bit about the trip from one of the paddlers, we headed off for milkshakes at Luna Park, a kitchy diner that's home to many of the remnants from Alki's former amusement park of the same name.

On Friday, we took a mid-day stroll through our neighborhood and that evening, met friends for Vietnamese crepes in the International District. I nearly burst into tears over the green papaya salad in a fit of nostalgia for our time earlier this year in Vietnam. "We never go anywhere!" I whined, realizing the ridiculousness of my complaints.  "We never do ANYTHING interesting!" Um, okay then. The waiter talked us into sharing a dessert of taro and orange peel, a mushy concoction that didn't make me feel less like going back to Southeast Asia - it only served to remind me further of that wierd restaurant in Saigon and how much I loved traveling there.

Saturday, I joined a handful of folks from my ukulele club at the Railway Museum at Snoqualamie pass where we eyed the rusting old railcars, sang "I've been working on the railroad" with more enthusiasm than skill, ate fresh cherries, and wisecracked with an audience of small children and indulgent parents who'd come up to take their kids on a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine. After our gig was over, we headed west to feast on diner chow at the XXX Root Beer drive in and eye the classic American roadsters filling the parking lot. We consumed enough calories to fuel a small nation - say, Liechtenstein or Andorra - before heading back to Seattle.

And Sunday to wrap it up, a friend and I walked to the beach where the tide was out, exposing giant purple starfish. We snacked and watched the water traffic - the ferries, an empty barge, a few pleasure boats - and the people - kids on scooters, parents rushing off to the swim meet at the pool, couples holding hands. Then, back at my house, we grilled the last of the salmon for sandwiches made with basil leaves pulled off the plants in my garden.

"Are you bummed you weren't at BlogHer?" is a question that might have come up for a few of you over the weekend. Okay, it would have been nice to be there, sure. But wow, look at what I would have missed.

Other summer weekenders:
Tasting Spoons was in San Francisco
Transient Travels was boating in Narragansett
Triathlete Alisha Lion logged some serious miles on her bike

How's your summer,bloggers?

Pam blogs about travel and other adventures at Nerd's Eye View.