Hint: it’s not just beautiful beaches.
True, the first image that comes to mind when you think about Hawaii is usually one of crashing surf, soft sand and shockingly blue water in every direction. But if such things were all Hawaii had to offer most of us could find perfectly serviceable alternatives closer to home.
Our original plans had us driving the R.V. to Alaska this summer, which would have essentially completed our westward migration across the U.S. But then we consulted a map.
“Holy crap, that’s far,” was my first reaction. “No freaking way,” was my second.
At the Pike Place Fish Market on Seattle’s waterfront, we encountered this adorable kid. When he saw Brian was going to take a photo of a monk fish impaled on the front of a display, he politely stopped to wait. After he was motioned to continue, the brave little guy—timid yet determined—moved in for a close encounter with the fierce-looking sea creature.
There are as many ways to explore a city as there are visitors to it. Every time we roll into a new town, we’re confronted with a blank slate of sightseeing possibilities. Art museums are always high on the list, while natural history museums almost never are. Walking tours sometimes make the cut, while state capitols always do. Famous landmarks are contenders and so is the offbeat.
Factors other than personal preference come into play, too, like time, mood, and money. Full-time travel means we have to keep a closer eye on our wallet than we used to do on week-long trips, which can quickly whittle down a list of options (sorry, Space Needle).
Each itinerary is a unique blueprint of how we spent our time in a particular place. Here is some of what we saw in Seattle, a city that charmed us with its blend of sophistication and quirkiness.
Selfish, decadent, irresponsible are just a few of the words sometimes used to describe those of us who have chosen not to have children. Oftentimes these charges are nothing more than a kneejerk reaction to an emerging lifestyle choice that is at odds with longstanding tradition. It’s common for such criticisms to be levied at people who buck convention. But that fact alone doesn’t prove the accusations untrue.
So when we saw that Time Magazine had titled this week’s cover story The Childfree Life, we hoped it might address these charges. And while the article takes a sympathetic stance regarding childless women, it ducks the central question. Are we and others like us selfish for not having children?
Everywhere Once 