We have a limited number of opportunities to create memories with our children and I’m here to tell you these times become much more precious as we age. I recently took a weekend-adventure trip to Seattle with my oldest daughter Megan. Disconnecting from routine and spending alone time with someone you love is such a joy! While we were hiking among the beautiful trees, it became even more evident just how unique and amazing this 23-year old daughter of mine is. Not only did we enjoy walking and hiking throughout the city, but also checked out several restaurants. We couldn’t head home without doing our Vegans in the Hood Seattle thing. As always, we were looking for both vegan and gluten-free menu options and were surprised to find that most vegan restaurants are still limited in the gluten-free category.
Gum Wall Seattle
Beautiful revelations from our mother & daughter trip:
- I had not spent the night alone with my sweet baby girl since her little sister was born 15 years ago. I guess you would call that LIFE with four children.
- Megan has an authentic connection with nature…basically she’s a tall woodland fairy.
- She’s not bad with directions…haha! Who knew?
- Time alone with Megan is one of the most precious gifts God has given me…so blessed!
Me & Meggie at Washington Park Arboretum
Favorite Vegan Eats:
Remedy Teas: Organic tea company and cafe located in Capitol Hill
This place was a tea-lovers paradise filled with over 150 types of tea. You name it, they had it! We headed in looking for a a light breakfast and cup of tea, but we were a bit disappointed with the lack of anything that was both vegan and gluten-free….c’est la vie.
Silver Needle Tea – My favorite!
We enjoyed a pot of tea and planned out our days adventure.
Our next stop was Washington Park Arboretum…absolutely magical.
Megan and I spent a lot of time in this special place, stopping along the way to take pictures, laugh and just take it all in.
We’ll definitely return with Bill and the other kids in the future.
The Flying Apron: A gluten-free and vegan bakery with locations in both Fremont and Redmond.
After our adventure at Washington Park Arboretum, we were hungry and looking for some good vegan and gluten-free eats.
The Flying Apron in Fremont was on our list of places to check out, but after our morning food disappointments we were keeping our expectations low. The place was definitely a bit funky, and the food in the cold case was not the most appealing, but the vegan and gluten free bakery made up for it all.
How funny is this? A little Yoda statue at The Flying Apron Fremont.
The angels were certainly singing as we gazed across this long line of totally vegan and gluten-free sweet offerings that day! Cookies, cake, pie, cupcakes, donuts, macaroons and more! They had it all.
We ended up choosing a cinnamon roll, cookie and macaroon. Needless to say, we nibbled on our sweets throughout the day.
Our final day:
With Megan’s desire for more nature, we ended up driving to Snoqualmie Falls on our final day for another hike. What can we say…living in beautiful, sunny San Diego has its perks but nothing compares to the lush, green landscape of Washington.
We couldn’t leave Seattle without a visit to Choco Canyon Organic Cafe in the University District: Offering 100% vegan, housemade items.
Megan and I truly appreciated Choco Canyon’s food philosophy. They provide items that are not only seasonal but also sustainable, partnering with local farms and changing up the menu to reflect the seasons.
As with most vegan places in Seattle, combining both vegan and gluten-free items is still a bit limited, even at Choco Canyon.
We ordered a sandwich on gluten-free bread (seems to be the “go-to” for the gluten-free, plant-based eating crowd) and a tofu bowl with sesame dressing. Both were tasty but I had hoped for more variety when reading about this place online. I’m not a fan of only having a sandwich or soy based dish as an option.
