Recently, my family was visiting Seattle from Hawaii.  One of the things I love to do is take them on some sort of ferry ride because it’s pretty cheap and we get to cross the water.

Guava strawberry shave ice

Sexy tofu tacos

We began our Saturday adventure at Marination Ma Kai for brunch.  Marination has always had a special place in my heart since I’ve been chasing Big Blue (the name of their food truck) around since the beginning.  Even though my family is from Hawaii, they love coming here for Marination’s signature Hawaiian-Korean fusion flavors.  Personally, I come for the shave ice since it’s the best in Seattle.  I’m a huge fan of sexy tofu tacos – seasoned tofu, slaw, pickled jalapenos, sesame seeds, and Marination’s famous NUNYA sauce.  Each bite is packed with flavor and they’re the right size so I can get something else on the menu as well.  On this particular day, I wanted to take it slow since we’d be eating a fair amount.  Aside from the sexy tacos, I also had my favorite guava-strawberry shave ice, but took it easy without my usual scoop of Husky Deli vanilla ice cream.  Ma Kai has the right ice machine for the job that shaves the ice into a very fine grade.  They mold it, and cover it with their housemade syrups.  Let me tell you, I’m from Hawaii and there’s not many places that make their own syrup.  This is a special treat!

Aside from the food, we love viewing downtown Seattle from the dock.  Though it was a bit of a gloomy day, my family enjoyed it as they always do.  After filling our bellies, we took off to catch the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge.

The ferry ride was about 35 minutes but felt quicker.  There was a bit of fog off in the distance and it rained a bit throughout the day.

Upon arrival, we headed for the main drag and our first stop was Blackbird Bakery.  It was crowded Saturday with a line 10 people deep and standing room only.  Luckily, we managed to grab 2 tables to fit 9 of us.  They had a pie rack with pies labeled “too hot to slice” so we didn’t have any pie that day.  I had a great soy latte (strong, yet creamy) and a fantastic glazed lemon blueberry scone.

Agate Pass Bridge

Stones at Agate Point

Next, we headed to Agate Pass Bridge.  From the map, it seemed like there was a way to get down to the beach through back roads.  We got a bit lost.  Just when we were about to give up, I spotted a walking trail that led to the beach.  Those who were less mobile in our group stayed behind because the trail was narrow, slick, and muddy.  The beach was covered with beautiful barnacled rocks.  There were also a good amount of birds hanging around and gorgeous trees.

From there, we went to Hidden Cove Park.  The parking lot in the wooded, grassy area was pretty small.  There was a hill that overlooked the water.  Towards the water, there was a stairway that had seen better days.  Some of the group went down to a very cool floating dock.  After a few family pictures, it was time to eat again.

Mashed potatoes

Fried chicken

Tons of milkshake flavors

Side salad

My family had never been to an old-fashioned dining car so we took them to The Madison Diner.  The food was okay and the ambiance was just right!

After eating, we explored a bit more.  We were thrilled to find Pelindaba Lavender, an entire shop dedicated to lavender!  Lotions, soap, lip balms and more!  After a failed attempt to get ice cream (poor customer service), we headed to J’aime Les Crêpes for a sweet treat.  The service was great, the crepes were perfect and it was cheap!  It was arguably one of the best crepes I’d ever had.  The delicate crepe flavor was compounded but the light sweetness.  The honey added sweetness to the toasted, crunchy almonds.  Love!

After a day of eating and exploring, it as time to head back to Seattle.  We caught the ferry for a peaceful journey home.  It was dark when we got back and we got to see the glorious Seattle skyline!