We have a new home base in our old neighborhood
Back in 2018 when we started our nomadic adventures, we thought we were done with Seattle. The jobs, the grownup kiddo, the townhome we had so loved were no longer there, so we moved on … or so we thought.
Here’s the latest surprising twist in our ongoing journey.
Falling in love again: Corny but true, we had the best Valentine’s Day on record while visiting Seatown this Feb. 14. It started by waking up in the magical Lotte Hotel, which has a stunning view of Elliott Bay. Not going to lie, the downtown section this property overlooked seemed completely devoid of life the night before. It’s no shock to anyone that the heart of the city was on life support during the pandemic. But there was still something compelling there, especially for Leslie, whose family has deep roots in the 206.
Later, after a lovely pastry at Dahlia Bakery followed by an always-thrilling ride to the top of the Space Needle, lunch at the Chuhuly Garden and Glass and a free DeVotchKa concert at KEXP’s gathering space, it was as if a lightbulb snapped on. Leslie said to John over an outstanding meal back at the hotel, “Maybe we should consider moving our home base back to Seattle.”
Say what? John wasn’t as keen on chasing this (“Brilliant!” according to Leslie) idea, but opened the door to considering a move. So, the search began.
We’d been looking to buy something in Bellingham ever since we landed there during the pandemic lockdown, thanks to the generosity of friends who had a condo they used only in summer months. (Ted and Virginia are teachers overseas in Southeast Asia.)
What we found in the HAM was that there wasn’t much available that fit our needs and the prices were on the high side. In Seattle, however, there were a few good deals. No way, you say. Yes, and the reason why has everything to do with our RV-driven lifestyle.
Downsizing: We’ve become comfortable in a teeny space, so brought scaled down expectations to our search and landed on a one-bedroom, one-bath. The major selling point of this historic building on Queen Anne was the gorgeous view of Elliott Bay, Mount Rainier and the Space Needle.
And, so we move in next month. Extra special bonus, our kiddo moved back home after six years in Los Angeles and landed a spectacular job, so all’s right with the world. Well, except now the hunt begins for an RV storage space.
In the meantime, we plan to enjoy the heck out of our month camp hosting at Lopez Island’s Spencer Spit State Park and start making plans and booking reservations for our next set of trips. Yes, of course, we’re still planning on Going Mobile -- just with a different home base.
Check us out online
We’re posting photo updates on Facebook (Facebook.com/goingmobiletravel) and Instagram (Instagram.com/goingmobiletravel). You’ll also find all of our content at Spokesman.com/going-mobile, along with stories from our globetrotting buddy Dan Webster. Dan recently posted about a nostalgic trip to Florence.
