Sometimes traveling is not about the destination. It's about the people.

Have you ever wanted to visit a friend or family member that moved away? Or maybe it was you who moved away? Sure, there are the very special occasions you see each other like weddings. In other cases, some people don't visit until a family member is ill. Have you ever wanted to visit without needing a special occasion or reason?

My auntie Lilian wanted to see her sister, my auntie Leriza in Washington. My auntie Leriza lived in Washington because my uncle Steven is in the military.

My auntie Lilian called me to see if I was able to accompany her to visit my auntie Leriza. She doesn't like traveling by herself and it is difficult coordinating work schedules for everyone to get off. I was honored that she asked me. It was also a great opportunity to bring Cassy and my brother.

We all flew to Washington. It was fantastic! We have business in Washington, but it' something different visiting family with family. I even got to see my cousin Jessica and my uncle Steven who haven't seen in years because of his service to our country. The best part of the trip was how happy my auntie Lilian was talking to my auntie Leriza and seeing Washington, Oregon, and Vancouver, Canada for the first time. Also it was sunny in Seattle all week! We even got to see some family friends.

My aunt wanted to see as much as we can while we were in the Pacific Northwest. What started out as a Seattle-Tacoma trip turned out to be a Washington, Oregon, Canada trip!

Seattle, Washington

If you want to do the touristy things in Seattle and you have a few free days, I highly recommend getting the City Pass to save money and time. I don't normally get City Passes, but it makes sense in Seattle because everything is near and the attractions that are included are pretty amazing. We went to the Space Needle for a view of the skyline, the Argosy Cruise Harbor Tour, the EMP Museum which had a Hello Kitty Exhibit and the Chihuly Garden and Glass which was my favorite.

We also did a lot of free sight seeing in Seattle. We saw them throw the fish at Pike's Market and saw the gum wall. We had chowder and other seafood, of course. We evenhad Indian food at Saffron Grill. Indian food in Seattle is better than Indian food in Hawaii

Mount Vernon, Washington

Fortunately, we were in the right place and time for the tulip festival in Washington. We just had to drive a couple hours to get to Mount Vernon. I've never seen so many tulips in my life! Some of my friends that have lived in Washington for years have never been to a tulip festival. If you want to learn more about the tulip festival in Skagit Valley, click here.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Cassy and I have been to Oregon several times before, but we've never been to Multnomah Falls. If you are travelling to Oregon and have a free day, I highly recommend that you visit the falls! Later that evening, we even stoped by some malls for some sales tax-free shopping.

Vancouver, Canada

My aunt Lilian has been to Canada before, but not Vancouver. This was the first time traveling to Canada (and crossing the border) for Cassy, my brother, and me. We only had one day there so we saw what we could. We went to Stanley Park which was a lot bigger than I expected and we went to visit the Granville Island.

We even stopped by Costco. If you are from the US, don't go to Costco, they don't have souveniers, you have to pay for parking, and if you are looking for Canadian wine, they don't have any. We did however get to eat Poultine fries. They did accept US Dollars as well.

JBLM, Washington

The Fort Lewis base (now part of Joint Base Lewis McChord) had beautiful lakes. On our first day we saw Mount Ranier. Cassy and I got to go to the shooting range with my cousin and uncle. It was our first time at the shooting range.

Visiting Loved Ones

When there's a will, there's a way. Even an ocean can't keep families apart. Do you have loved ones that live far away? Is your career keeping you away from loved ones. I get it. I was the same way. I pushed it till the next, then next year, when a year becomes five. For some it can it turn into decades. With the right planning and actions, traveling to visit loved ones can be a reality.

To your success,
Holan