I know, I know – I didn’t blog about June’s date night. Well, there isn’t much to report back regarding June. Although Shane planned it, and it was beautiful (dinner at Wild Ginger, followed up by drinks at BOKA) this date was specifically to talk about some parenting/discipline issues we have been having. I am slapping myself for using OUR DATE NIGHT to talk about these hot topics – but it had to be done. With our crazy schedules and me getting really sick recently (I’m all better now) we never get uninterrupted time to have discussions. Sooooo, this month we made a pact to one another that our following date nights will ONLY involve FUN – no discussions on kids/parenting.
With that said, since the weather was expected to be nice (wahoooo! Summer is finally here) I decided to take the suggestion of my pal, Carolyn over at The Kippers Family Blog and try out Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club. Shane had no idea what my plan was, only that we would be outside. I think he was a little impressed by what I had planned (thanks Carolyn!)
At Agua Verde you can rent a paddle board or kayak and check out either Lake Washington or Lake Union. Then, when you’re done (or before if you choose) you can eat at their cafe (more on that later). It’s $20 an hour to rent a double kayak – so we decided on Lake Union. When I called to see what kind of wait they had, they let me know that they had plenty of boats, but it’s first come first serve……I should have known that line. Upon arrival, we waited in line, in the hot sun for about 40 minutes (no fun). But once we got in the kayak – it was a blast. Neither one of us had been kayaking before, so I had no clue what to wear or what to pack. If you decide to do this, take my tips:
1. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet. I didn’t want to give it away and tell Shane to wear swim trunks – but I should have packed them for him. And me? Jean capri’s were a bad choice. I was trying to be mysterious by not wearing my swim bootie shorts – but again, I should have packed them. By the end of our trip, we were soaked. The good news is that we didn’t care because we had so much fun out on the water.
2. Don’t bother bringing a camera, and if you do bring your phone/keys/important electronics – BRING A ZIPLOC BAG or a wet bag. You have no where to put your “stuff” except in your lap. And if you go overboard, that stuff is a goner. Luckily, Agua Verde had ziploc bags – so I was able to bring my phone and snap a few pics.
3. Wear sunscreen. I am a white girl – so I know better, but I can only imagine how fried people get going out on the water, in the sun for a bit.
4. Stay away from the yachts. Yes, they are stunning to look at, and you get mesmerized by their beauty. But if you get too close – you’ll get a nice wave right in your lap. Yes, this happened to us.
5. Don’t work out the morning of. Shane worked out the morning of and I felt awful. When you are kayaking, you are working your arms, shoulders and back pretty good. We both woke up pretty sore on Sunday morning. Great workout!
We kayaked for about an hour and started to get hungry so we decided that the Cafe looked pretty good – the line was out the door (must be a good sign). We were told our wait would be 30 minutes – no problem. An hour later we were seated and our waiter was less than pleasant. He forgot our dinner (served people seated after us) and brought us chips, but no salsa (I guess it’s a serve yourself kind of deal – which is great, but let us know, buddy!). I think he felt a little bad for leaving us hanging, because my 2nd margarita almost put me on my lips.
You could not beat the scenery/view and the fact that I was with the most adoring man alive was nearly perfect. We kind of felt like the days when we went out for Seafair….except we weren’t on a boat with unlimited alcohol. But for us, 2 parents, with lots of cares in the world – this was just what we needed.
The food was pretty good. I ordered coconut battered cod fish tacos (they did not taste like coconut, which was fine) and Shane ordered a trio of different enchiladas. He got a 24oz beer and I got 2 house margaritas. It ended up being $65 with tip – which is a little spendy for me, but overall our entire date was under $100 which is what we budget for.
I asked Shane if I could plan our date for August…..and he can have September and October….can’t wait to post about next month!
