Birthday Surprise

The adventure started here



As Richard stated in the previous blog my birthday surprise began in DuPont, WA (Dusty and Jedd's house). We stopped in Poulsbo, WA for breakfast, hit the road again, stopping at the Clearwater Casino for about an hour. Dusty took me there two years ago for my birthday surprise and one of the 9 clues stated that where we were going is someplace we had never been together so I knew we weren't staying there. She kept looking at her watch and about 11am she said it was time to go. We continued north arriving at a ferry terminal and I thought at that time I would know our destination since most ferry terminals go to several places. This ferry has only one destination and somehow I missed any signs saying where that was so I was still unsure. The ride only took 30 minutes and when we arrived I asked Dusty what the building was that was right by the terminal, she was surprised I didn't recognize it and it turned out to be Safeco Field. Well, I knew we were in Seattle; she did a great job of confusing me. So, the whole time I'm thinking we are staying in Seattle and was very excited. She drove to the Space Needle and we had lunch reservations at the top. It has been years since I was at the Space Needle and what a wonderful view, it rotates and makes a complete 360 degrees in 47 minutes. The lunch was awesome and I had a birthday desert of ice cream with a candle but that was sitting in a bowl of dry ice which overflowed over the entire table and down the sides, it was really awesome. She bought me a souvenior at the gift shop and back in the car we went. We got on I-5 north and drove another hour. She was busy talking and I wasn't paying attention so I wasn't sure where we were when we got off. We arrived at "Tulalip Resort and Casino" and it is an awesome 5 star resort. We had a beautiful room and when we arrived there was a birthday card, candy and bottled water for me. She even bought us matchin PJ's! We had a great dinner at one of the restaurants called "Black Fish" which had wonderful seafood. We started with raw oyster appetizer and both had Coho salmon that was cooked over an open flame and it melted in our mouths. They brought me a birthday dessert with "Happy Birthday Gloria" written in chocolate across the plate. We played some slot machines and then went back to the room to watch movies in our matching jammies.

Friday was an exceptional treat. Dusty made reservations for a 5 hour spa experience and what an experience! The spa is on the second floor of the resort and takes up the whole floor. They start with giving you a bathrobe and shower shoes and put you in a "relaxation room" with candles, fireplace, soft music and water, tea etc. The first treatment was a 40 minute soak in a jetted mud bath which is special mud from Canada that is for detoxification. Back to the relaxation room to hydrate for 10 minutes and then we went for a sugar/coffee scrub and chocolate mud rub. This was our favorite since it was so different. They actually rub a sugar/white coffee mixture all over you which you rinse off and your skin feels soft as a baby's bottom. Back on a heated table where you lie on a plastic sheet while they rub a chocolate mud (smelled like brownies) all over you all the way to between your fingers and toes. Once that is on, they wrap you up in the plastic blanket and then more cloth blankets that are heated, oh my. While you are wrapped in that, the massage therapist is massaging your scalp. The idea is to really sweat all the toxins out of your body and boy did I sweat. After about 30 minutes then you rinse that off. You get back in your robe and go back to the relaxation room to rehydrate for another 10 minutes. Up next was a 1 hour massage. Dusty made arrangements for us to be in the same room which was nice. The massage was wonderful. When finished with the massage it was back to the relaxation room where lunch was served and another birthday dessert. After lunch we went for an hour facial, I have never had a facial before and it was a real treat. After the facial we went for a hot rock pedicure which was awesome as well. By the time we got back to our room we had been gone 8 hours and so relaxed we felt like gumby.

Dusty made reservations for my birthday dinner at a restaruant called "Tulalip Bay" which is a steak house and the food was phenominal. We had surf and turf which was prawns and a 4 oz filet after sharing a salad and lobster bisque. We had a great bottle of wine from Walla Walla and of course another birthday dessert with "Happy Birthday". It will take me weeks to work off all that wonderful birthday desserts. Off for more gambling.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and we went to the outlet mall where Dusty bought a nice dress, skirt and tops for her formal Christmas parties coming up. She made reservations at a retaurant/wine bar in Seattle called "Purple" and then we were going to Pike Place Market to purchase some seafood but we both decided we weren't hungry enough to eat again (breakfast was at 10:00) and lunch reservations were at 1:00 or drink anymore wine so we decided to skip that portion of the trip. Didn't she do good?

For nine weeks prior to our trip she would give me a clue every Sunday. Below are the clues and how they related to the trip:

1-It's a place we have never been together (Tulalip Resort and Casino)
2-Bring something fancy to wear (Dinner at Tulalip Bay)
3-Bring a cooler (Seafood from Pike Place Market)
4-Bring your travel coffee maker and coffee (We never have enough)
5-Ferry tales will come true (Ferry ride from Bainbridge to Seattle) notice the play on words
6-This trip will offer you many outlets (Outlet mall)
7-You'll enjoy a ride to new heights (Space Needle)
8-There will be muddy grounds (Spa treatment-mud bath/coffee scrub)
9-Your journey will begin in DuPont