State 47 Here We Come!

The airfares are always more affordable in October, which is when I usually pile on as many races. Last year, my family and I tackled 5 events during October (2-5ks, 1-10k, half marathon, metric century ride). And this weekend, we will tackle another race - a 5k in Seattle, Washington. This is also a tradition for Bridget and me. For the last 3 years, she and I have been running a Halloween race together with the help of the jogging stroller. But this year, Bridget will be tackling her first Kids Dash and SHE will be the one checking off our 47th state!

Our first costume was Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy. Last year we were both witches. And this year, we are vampires - complete with the teeth!

So I will leave you with a few fun facts about our next state of Washington:

1. Seattle is home to the first revolving restaurant, 1961.

2. Washington state produces more apples than any other state in the union.

3. Washington state has more glaciers than the other 47 contiguous states combined.

4. Everett is the site of the world's largest building, Boeing's final assembly plant

5. The highest point in Washington is Mount Rainier. It was named after Peter Rainier, a British soldier who fought against the Americans in the Revolutionary War.

6. The Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge at Evergreen Point is the longest floating bridge in the world. The bridge connects Seattle and Medina across Lake Washington.

7. Washington is the birthplace of both Jimi Hendrix (Seattle) and Bing Crosby (Tacoma).

8. The oldest operating gas station in the United States is in Zillah.

9. The world's first soft-serve ice cream machine was located in an Olympia Dairy Queen.

10. Spokane was the smallest city in size to host a World's Fair. - 1974

11. By the turn of the 20th century, Aberdeen had the distinction of being "the roughest town west of the Mississippi" because of excessive gambling, violence, extreme drug use and prostitution (the city remained off-limits to military personnel into the early 1980s).

12. The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state, and church membership is among the lowest of all states.

We are so excited about visiting Pike Place Market, the space needle, visiting the waterfront to trick or treat and just enjoying the drizzle of Seattle!