A Reunion of Friends

• Dining on every kind of Salmon
  
• Snoqualmie Falls
  
• Bohm Chocolates
  
• the Seattle Folk-Life Festival
  
• Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market
  
• Capitol Hill
  
• The Arboretum and Japanese Garden

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Our room was very basic and the decor hadn't been updated in the last 30 years. It did serve its purpose, though, offering a soft bed and a clean bathroom. Storage space was ample. At the same time, the atmosphere was somewhat depressing and I hope I never have to stay in a hotel like this long term.

This hotel has inexpensive rates for Washington and is good for the budget traveler. Kirkland is only 20 minutes outside of Seattle, on the east side of Lake Washington. It has a number of nice restaurants, shopping, and recreation areas.

The rooms are modern and large, with soothing decor in soft browns and greys. Ours had a comfortable lounging bench built into the large windows. The W beds are always soft. A DVD/CD player with a flat screen TV was a real plus, and the W has a DVD rental library as well as cable television. We enjoyed listening to CDs and watching DVDs that we had brought for our trip.

The bathroom showcases a glass countertop with a sink straight out of Dwell magazine. The bathrooms are stocked with Bliss products, and have ample linens for even a large family. The only problem was that the sleek design of the bathrooms meant there were no storage areas for hairdryers and other amenities. The hairdryer turned out to be in the room's closet, and other amenities had to be requested from the hotel staff.

The cleaning service here comes regularly. You will definitely need to use the Do Not Disturb sign on your room. They are very thorough. We had no complaints about the cleanliness of the room.

Cafe Dilettante is open late and is a great place for a drink. The port wine shakes are delicious, as is the Schnocolate Shakes (complete with schnappes). I also tried the Peach Schnappes shake. Hot teas come in many varieties, with a selection of chocolate-covered espresso beans.

We also enjoyed drinking the Copenhagen, a chocolaty-coffee drink made with strong Turkish coffee, a few spices, and their special chocolate sauce.

Alternately, you can pick up a bite of dessert or afternoon snack. You might want some chocolate truffles, a piece of cake, or ice cream. Their cake selection is diverse, enough to please any cake-lover. Their signature Rigu Jancsi cake is moist and delicious. A wide variety of sorbets provides a lighter option.

The decor here includes a very classy, dark wood, and old-fashioned coffee bar. We had no trouble getting a seat in the afternoon or late at night.

They say eating chocolate produces the same hormonal reaction as sex. Well, Dilettante Chocolates is a confirmed multiple orgasm.

Our food was really excellent. I must recommend the mango salad, which is better than a papaya salad. I also ordered one of their specialties, spicy duck curry. My friends informed me that any of their basil dishes are amazing.

Wasabi Bistro, located in trendy Belltown, is clearly a place to see and be seen. The modernist decor and brightly lit dining area can make one feel on display, and I was glad I had dressed up, even in casual Seattle.

The menu featured some very creative fusion dishes as well as sushi. The non-sushi eater chose ginger chicken and was very delighted. We, of course, ordered a platter of creative makimono and sushi. If you are avoiding cream cheese, your choices will be limited. The caterpillar roll was quite amazing.

Wasabi Bistro has sockeye salmon sashimi. Sockeye salmon tastes different, perhaps better, than regular salmon sashimi. Above all else, I recommend that diners try this dish. Sockeye salmon is not readily available on the east coast.

Wasabi Bistro also has a long list of martinis and mixed drinks. I imagine they do a good business at the bar.

The service was very prompt - nothing to complain about here.

Reservations are recommended, as the waits are long. We were so glad that we had called in our reservation, as we were whisked past the line of would-be diners. We were, however, able to get a same-day reservation for a Sunday night on a holiday weekend.

We ordered from their menu specials - entomatadas and enfrijoladas. Both were tasty, although I can more highly recommend the enfrijoladas - the sauce was better. My friend, who cooks her own Mexican food and is a food critic, said it was excellent.

Although they were out of coffee at the time, we did enjoy their Sangria. Your meal begins with fresh, hot tortilla chips and a creamy green salsa.

The waitstaff was very prompt about filling up our water and checking in on us. We didn't have to wait for a table and we felt the service was well-timed.

Visitors have the option of an easy walk to a viewing pagoda, or to continue down a trail to see the falls from its base. It is equally impressive from both views. The trail includes wooden steps at points and is easy to follow. Able-bodied people should be able to tackle the trail.

No dogs are allowed in the park, but this rule isn't very well enforced. Getting There Snoqualmie Falls is located about 28 miles east of Seattle, just north of Interstate 90. There are many signs to point the way. Lodging There is a beautiful lodge here that overlooks the falls.

You can even play Dance, Dance, Revolution or partake in some karaoke while you're here.

Food options include Vietnamese sub sandwiches, pho, Chinese (take-out and sitdown), and two Bubble tea shops.

Read more on their website.

The festival goes for three days, and I was there for the final day.

First, we headed for the middle eastern performance where Saqra, our instructor, was performing. During her performance, she made us get up and dance. Sharen ended up meeting some hippies that mendhi'ed her entire body while the rest of us walked around. Gena and I ended up with matching Indian silk tops (burgundy for me and green for Gena). I could tell that if I lived in Seattle, I would quickly become a hippie. We went to the stage where reggae music was being played and, you guessed it, we danced. Then we went to a drum circle and danced. And then we wandered around and found the Greek dancing (100 people at least in a big circle dance) and watched them while we drank bubble teas. It was a very cool outdoor festival and I hope to attend next year's festival as well. For those of us who thought it was just going to be a bunch of folk singers with guitars, we were most happily proven wrong.

Their martinis were excellent. I tried a Lemondrop and a Cosmo. If you didn't want to dance to the drum and bass being played in the club, there was a lovely deck. Here is where I met some very friendly Seattle residents, one of whom offered to show me around. Another one ended up making out with my college friend that I came with. Seattle folk are clearly very welcoming, and it's a refreshing change from Boston.

Later on in the night, the music shifted to Latin. Plenty of people were willing to teach newbies how to dance, but I wasn't up for making a fool of myself just yet.

I also spotted quite a few designers whose clothing is hard to find. However, designer clothing here doesn't cost a lot of moolah. Most items ranged from $25-50 and I saw nothing over $100.

Most notably, Trendy Wendy carries my favorite designer clothing line, Illig. I often order direct, so I noted that Trendy Wendy's prices were not marked up beyond belief.

Trendy Wendy also has a good selection of the unbearably cute French Kitty line. I picked up a simple black a-line skirt with a small pink kitty embroidered on it. I can't tell you how many compliments I get.

The clothes here are so unique that you're bound to get compliments, and everyone will want to know where you got your cool new threads.

The salespeople were sweet. No attitude here! Clothing sizes varied by manufacturer, but I found Trendy Wendy offered a generous range of sizes. I wear a size 10/12, and sometimes I have trouble finding cute clothing in my size. No problems here.

The main floor was playing loud house music. This room had a balcony, small stage area, and a bar. It was far too loud to have enjoyed sitting in any of the lounge areas. Downstairs, the basement held another bar and a packed dance floor with hip hop beats.

We attended the club on a Saturday night. The club had a diverse population that night, which is nice. It was easy to feel comfortable there. The people were respectful of other dancers, not getting too much into their space or touching inappropriately.

The dress code seemed to be casual. My friend got in wearing shorts and sneakers. It didn't seem hard to get into the club like it might be in some other cities.

The cover was $12, expensive, but not unheard of. Apparently they play different music on different nights, and the cover cost may differ. Check out their website for more details on upcoming events and prices: http://www.lastsupperclub.com/.

When I walked in, they were playing one of my favorite songs, so I made a beeline for the dance floor. Later on, I met the DJ - DJ Eternal Darkness - and he played another favorite song - Skinny Puppy's Smothered Hope. Everyone was very friendly there, and I felt immediately comfortable.

One of the best drink deals is to get a bottle of champagne and share it with your friends. It really beats the heat in this non-AC club.

Barca is a gorgeous bar on 11th Avenue in Capitol Hill. Pronounced "Bar-sa", the bar offers up drinks from around the world in a high-class atmosphere. Large, high-backed velvet seats curve around tables. A high metal balcony, clad in velvet curtains, overlooked the entire bar area. Overall, the bar has a dark European flair.

The drinks were excellent. We enjoyed the last of the mint in our mojitos. A variety of beer and wine is also on offer. With its location next to the Vogue, it was a great choice for a pre-club drink and yet I could imagine whiling away an entire evening here, listening to the well-spun world music and sipping on fancy cocktails.

Saqra teaches belly dance lessons out of her studio in Kent WA for a very reasonable price. I learned a lot from her class. While teaching us the dance, Saqra pointed out bits of the culture and history behind the dance. She customized her class to our desires and I learned many new techniques. While Saqra is helpful to new students, offering them suggestions on how to improve their style, she also doesn't shy away from compliments. When we did ribcage slides, she told me that I did them beautifully. I particularly enjoyed shimmying whenever a train went by the studio! Really gives one a workout!

She also has a great supply of Middle Eastern music, dancewear, and jewelry. I was able to find my ideal veil, a light and airy doe-brown silk veil. Saqra also carries beautiful saris.

Saqra performs around Seattle and you can check out her website to sign up for a class!