7am: Busy & jam packed day! We’re loaded up and out the door by 7, with a quick stop at Starbucks (now a rare treat for us!) The adults get coffee and sandwiches, the kid gets hot chocolate, and the dog gets a Puppachino, something he clearly anticipates as soon as we hit the drive thru! $22.50 Caffeine in hand, we fill up my comfortable SUV (nicknamed the “Emerald Queen” for her smooth ride) ($52.99 in Oregon). Gas & coffee loaded, we begin the first leg of our trip by heading north to our friend’s house, staying just long enough to drop the dog and help her with a few things around the farm before we’re back on the road.

1130am: Made it to the Seattle Space Museum! (Tickets for 3: $58) We spend the next few hours wandering the museum, nerd husband geeking out on everything and nerd in training kid loving the new touch pad screens. My favorite part is the Apollo engines pulled from the ocean floor by Blue Origins; husband loves the Concord; we both keep a watchful eye on the kid, who spends the most time with the space stuff (who knows, maybe his affinity for math & eyesight will be good enough to reach the stars one day!) We  hit up the gift store on the way out due to the kid’s good behavior; he gets a Blue Angels model, his own copy of The Martian that we’re halfway through reading together, and a magnet (everywhere we play tourist, we buy magnets as our collectible thing). I snag a snazzy pair of knee high rocket socks and a colorful infinity scarf, which I wear despite the 90+ degree day outside. $57.50

130pm: A late lunch but soooo utterly worth it! We hit up Din Tai Fung for dumplings; we clear our plates and the kid loves them too! The strawberry mango smoothie and black tea are the perfect accompaniment to this beyond delicious meal. ($70.15) The kid has outgrown his one “really nice pair” of clothes, so we stop at Nordstrom to pick up a nice shirt and pants since we’re at the mall anyway. I’m disappointed with their kids selection, even if the rest of the store is newly snazzy. We get the only nice shirt and pants in his size, but at least he looks adorable! ($50.38, reminds me of why I don’t usually shop there!) By 245 we’re back on the road, heading to the wedding south of the city.

730pm: Wedding done, dinner eaten, we congratulate the happy couple, issue a standing invitation to BBQ at our new house when they have time, and settle in the for the long drive home. We take the scenic route and discuss stopping for Diary Queen since we left before the cake, but when the kid and I conk out the husband keeps driving.

10pm: A brief stop to pick up our dog from our friend’s house (luckily they are night owls!), and to fill the gas tank again ($63.99 in Washington) We get home just before midnight and fall face first into bed. I may or may not dream of dumplings that night!