Greenlake Reflections

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-12-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

We want to say “thank you” to all of our guests who have made 2011 a wonderful year! They come from all over the country, as well as the world. Many are visiting friends and family in the neighborhood, and others are traveling for business or just want to visit Green Lake and Seattle.
We are now in our eighth year of business at the Greenlake Guest House, and we’re still loving it. Blayne is back to work full time, but is enjoying doing some of the guest check in’s and serving breakfast on the weekends. We have also hired 2 new assistant innkeepers; Kelsey during the week and Susanna on the weekend. They help us keep the place sparkling clean and help Julie bake all those delicious coffee cakes, muffins, and cookies.

This year, we added some new amenities for our guests: individual tables in the dining room, a new Keurig coffee maker for 24/7 availability of coffee and tea, chocolate truffles at the bedside, and a new wine and cheese hour Monday-Friday. We hope to continue improving our B&B and making our guests happy they chose to stay with us.
We are celebrating the new year with a house concert and reception on Monday January 2, from 3-5pm, with “Cricket and Snail.” Please join us if you can!

Greenlake Guest House “Top 10” Picks for the Holidays

2011-11-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

December is such a fun time to be in Seattle, despite the rain and the short days. It’s cozy and bright inside, and not terribly cold for being outside. We love the Christmas Lights and special holiday shows and traditions. Here’s our “Top 10” list of fun holiday events around here this month:

1. Of course, we love the annual Greenlake Pathway of Lights. This event is always held at Greenlake on the second Saturday in December. Volunteers line the entire 2.8 mile pathway with luminaires, and thousands of people come to walk the lake and enjoy live carolers and lights. Even the kayaks and canoes are decorated with lights.

2. See a Christmas play at Seattle Public Theater’s Bathhouse Theater at Green Lake. This year you can choose from “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” or the ever-popular “Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” The Theater is a 10 minute walk from Greenlake Guest House as well as several restaurants for dinner or dessert before or after the show.

3. Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “Nutcracker” at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall. This Nutcracker is a magical production of the popular ballet, with over the top sets and costumes designed my Maurice Sendak. Family packages available.

4. Downtown shopping: See the Christmas Star at Macy’s, take your photo with Santa, view the window displays, and ride the holiday carousel at Westlake Center.

5. Don’t’ forget to see the “snow” fall inside downtown’s Pacific Place Mall.

6. Visit the amazing Gingerbread Village inside the lobby at the Sheraton Hotel downtown. Admission is free. These houses are designed by architects, and donations benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

7. Ride the Argosy Christmas Ship and see the parade of decorated boats throughout the month of December. Join the parade, or listen to the live carols broadcast from the ship from a beach bonfire at one of 45 locations throughout the Seattle area.

8. Attend the 50th Anniversary of Langston Hughes’ joyful gospel play, “Black Nativity” here in Seattle at the Moore Theater.

9. See the sweet holiday lights at nearby Ravenna neighborhood’s “Candy Cane Lane,” a Seattle tradition since 1949.

10. For the largest area light display, we recommend driving to Bellevue’s Botanical Garden, for the annual Garden D’Lights.

Visit Seattle in October and Enjoy “Seattle Restaurant Week” October 16-27

2011-10-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Now is a great time to stay with us at Greenlake Guest House in Seattle and take advantage of some amazing dining deals at over 150 of Seattle’s top restaurants. Participating restaurants are offering 3 course dinners for $28, and some are also offering $15 lunches. This promotion runs from October 16-27, Sunday through Thursday nights. To see a listing of participating restaurants.

Monday night, we decided to try out celebrity chef Maria Hines’ new Mediterranean restaurant, Golden Beetle which is located in nearby the nearby Ballard neighborhood. It was delicious, and we will definitely be going back! We look forward to trying more new places before the end of Seattle Restaurant week.

Some of the other participating restaurants that are located right at Greenlake include Eva, Kisaku, and Nell’s. We have dined a number of times at all of these restaurants and can give a hearty recommendation to them all.
Other nearby recommendations include Carmelita, Stumbling Goat, and the Olive & Grape in the Greenwood-Phinney neighborhood. Ivar’s Salmon House and Tilth are good choices in the close by Wallingford neighborhood.
Not visiting us in October? Stay tuned for more special offers in November, with Dine Around Seattle.

Our new Keurig coffee maker

2011-08-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

On the recommendation of friends, we decided to purchase a Keurig coffee maker for the inn. This coffee maker brews a great tasting, single serving of coffee in less than a minute. We have been amazed at how much our guests have been enjoying it, even in the summer. It’s been fun to try out a variety of coffees, including flavored and decaf varieties. So far, the favorite seems to be Green Mountain Breakfast Blend, followed closely by Tully’s Kona Coffee. Now guests can enjoy fresh coffee and tea 24/7.

Summer Concerts at the Ballard Locks

2011-06-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite recommendations to guests is a trip to the Hiram Chittenden Locks, located in nearby Ballard. The Locks, built in the early 1900’s, are similar to a mini “Panama Canal” that separates the salty water of Puget Sound from the fresh water from Lake Union and the Ship Canal. It’s a lot of fun to pack a picnic and watch the tug boats and pleasure boats navigate the locks, as well as to see the salmon going through the fish ladder. The gardens are also gorgeous!

For the 22nd year, the locks will be hosting free concerts on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, usually starting at 2pm. Here is the complete concert schedule

Before or after your visit to the Locks, we recommend lunch or dinner at nearby Ray's Boathouse for some of the best seafood in town.

Spring Brunch Bake Success!

2011-04-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

This morning I made a recipe I hadn't done in at least a year, called "Spring Brunch Bake." It's a strata with sautéed asparagus, sweet red pepper, and sweet onion with cheddar & jack cheese. Delicious! I think it's time to add this entree back to the regular line up in honor of spring. It's also great with a little chopped ham added, although I usually serve the meat on the side because we host so many vegetarians.

Here is the recipe:
Spring Brunch Bake

1/2 cup butter
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into one inch pieces
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2/3 cup sweet onion, chopped
8 cups cubed French bread (I usually remove the bottom crust)
2 cups shredded cheese, divided (we use Costco's 4 cheese shredded blend)
1 cup cooked cubed ham (optional, usually I don’t use it)
8 eggs (or 1 carton egg beaters)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Melt butter over medium heat in medium sized skillet. Add vegetables and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 3-5 min. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, and seasoning. In a buttered 9x 13 baking dish layer bread cubes, ham, vegetables and 1 cup shredded cheese. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate 12-24 hours. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees 45-55 min. until golden and puffed. Sprinkle remaining one cup cheese evenly over top and bake until cheese melts. Serves 12. ( I often divide into 2 equal sized glass 8x8 pans and freeze half for another time).

Win a Seattle Bed and Breakfast Getaway!

2011-03-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day, we are participating in a Seattle B&B Getaway Contest sponsored by the Seattle Bed & Breakfast Association. The winner will win a getaway package good at any Seattle B&B Association member inn, including our Greenlake Guest House.

Here are the details: MOM ALERT! WIN A SEATTLE B&B GETAWAY!
We know you are overworked, send us a funny video about why you deserve a night away for two, with dinner and a spa treatment and a delicious breakfast the next morning. Winners will be announced May 6th, deadline to enter is April 22th. You can enter the contest from the Seattle Bed & Breakfast Association Facebook page or website at www.lodginginseattle.com. Will you help us spread the word? Or enter the contest-I'm sure you have some great stories about yourself or your mom!

I (Julie) remember those days of being so tired and overwhelmed as a new mother. One clear memory I have is driving with my baby in the backseat in his car seat. I drove around the corner and heard something slide…it was the car seat with my child in it! I was so tired that I had completely forgotten to strap in the seat. I quickly pulled over and strapped him in, feeling terribly guilty! I could have really used a good night’s sleep in those days.

We innkeepers love to pamper our guests with wonderful breakfasts and comfortable beds. Submit your story and you could win the package!

King's Speech is the Winner!

2011-02-27T21:52:00.001-08:00

Blayne and I enjoyed watching the Academy Awards tonight! We were thrilled that “King’s Speech” won the Best Picture award, since it is was our favorite movie this year. I wonder when it will come out on DVD?

As you may know, Greenlake Guest House has a collection of Academy Award “Best Picture” movies dating back to 1927, as well as many of the movies nominated for Best Picture. This year we have already collected “Toy Story 3” and “The Social Network.” Come visit us and check out the collection!

Our New Dining Room

2011-01-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

After over 6 years of hosting guests at our big oak dining table, Julie decided to mix things up a little and set up some smaller tables. Instead of one table that seats 8-10, we now have 3 tables that seat 2, 3, or 4 guests. We moved the dining room hutch to the sunroom to make a bit more space.

Now, the most popular seat in the house is the table right in front of the window with the best view of the lake and our hummingbirds.

One of our favorite parts of the morning is enjoying lively breakfast conversation with and among our guests. We are happy to report that having the smaller tables has not kept our guests from sharing stories with each other and with us. Our guests wanting a bit more privacy also seem to appreciate having their own table.

We still offer our “hearty gourmet” 2 course breakfasts with unlimited juice, coffee, and tea. We start with a fruit course, followed by either a sweet or savory entrée that change daily. Current guest favorites are the Chevre and Fresh Tomato Quiche and our Stuffed French Toast with Fresh Berries. Egg entrees come with a choice of a fresh baked pastry or multigrain toast. Bacon, ham, or sausage, or vegetarian sausage is always served on the side. We also offer an assortment of cereals and our homemade granola for those with lighter appetites.

Holiday Happenings near Green Lake

2010-12-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

We love this time of year, because Green Lake is especially festive! Julie’s been listening to Christmas carols on the radio this afternoon and baking sugar cookies. Tonight we are looking forward to the annual “Pathway of Lights” along Green Lake’s 2.8 mile walking trail, with thousands of luminaria lighting the way and Christmas carolers to entertain us from 4:30-8:30pm. We will try to get some photos tonight to share! If you miss the event this year, keep in mind that it is always held the second Saturday in December.

Another one of our favorite holiday traditions is seeing “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Seattle Public Theater, located at the historic Bathhouse at Green Lake. This hilarious and heart- warming story is based on the book by Barbara Robinson. We had the privilege of having Barbara as a guest a few years ago when she was visiting Seattle to see her play performed. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever “ is running December 10-24.

Other local theater productions include “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” playing now until December 24 at the Bathhouse and Taproot Theater’s “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol”, playing until December 30 at Taproot These productions are affordable and fun, and located only a mile or two from the Greenlake Guest House!

We also love driving through “Candy Cane Lane” in the nearby Ravenna neighborhood, to enjoy the holiday lights. Candy Cane Lane has been a Seattle tradition since the 1940’s. The light displays will be up now until New Year’s Day, 4pm-11pm, at Ravenna Boulevard and NE Park Rd.

We love breakfast!

2010-11-21T22:10:00.001-08:00

We think breakfast is a very important part of your stay at Greenlake Guest House Bed & Breakfast. After all, breakfast is half of our name!

One of our main goals this year was to get some better looking pictures of the food we serve. We spent one October morning prepping and cooking different items, and here are some of the photos.

Thank you to Jumping Rocks Photography for their excellent work!

Here is the recipe for one of our favorite breakfast entrees, our Feta, Spinach, and Tomato Rolled Omelet:
* 7 large eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
* 1/2 cup flour
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* About 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
* About 2 cups baby spinach leaves
* 2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1. Grease a 10x 15 inch jellyroll pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again.
2. Combine eggs, milk, red pepper, salt, flour, and butter with electric mixer.
3. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 400F about 18 minutes until eggs are puffy and slightly brown at the edges.
4. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with feta, then spinach leaves, then chopped tomatoes.
5. Roll omelet like a jelly roll, beginning from the short end. Omelet will be very hot so gloves will help!
6. Slice into 1 inch pieces and garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig or chopped fresh parsley.
7. Serves 5-6, 2 slices per person.
8. Vary the fillings as desired.

Visiting Seattle Without a Car

2010-09-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

We are noticing that more of our guests are choosing not to rent a car when they stay with us. It is a way of saving money and being more “green.” A car does offer convenience, and we do have plentiful free on street parking in front of our B&B. However, we are blessed with an excellent public transportation system here in Seattle with a combination of the Metro city bus and our new Light Rail. Having a car is a nice option, but certainly not a necessity.

We are located about 5 miles from downtown, and we are within walking distance to many restaurants as well as lovely Green Lake Park, which is a destination of its own! Our guests who want to go downtown can travel on either the #16 or the #358 bus without having to transfer. To get to the University of Washington, the #48 will take you almost door to door.

The main challenge for using public transportation is in taking day trips, but we have some ideas on that, too! Several of the local tour companies will pick you up right at our front door!
Here is a possible itinerary for visiting Seattle easily without a car at the Greenlake Guest House:

Arrival Day: Arrive from SeaTac Airport! Easiest option with luggage: follow signs to the taxi stand (cab is about $50-$60 to Greenlake Guest House). 2nd easiest option: Walk across the sky bridge to get into a commuter van with “Shuttle Express” with stop at Greenlake Guest House (cost is about $40-$45 for 2 people). If you don’t have a lot of luggage, consider taking the $2 light rail from SeaTac Airport to the Westlake Center downtown. From Westlake, transfer to the #16 bus. Get off the bus at 80th & Wallingford Ave, then walk 4 short blocks to Greenlake Guest House. After check in, relax with a cup of tea or a complimentary soda and our fresh baked cookies! Walk to dinner at one of our neighborhood restaurants like Duke’s Chowder House, Nell’s, Greenlake Bar & Grill, or Rosita’s. Finish off the day with a walk around Green Lake and a stop at Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Day 1: Overview of Seattle! Take a 4 hour tour of Seattle with “Let’s Tour Seattle”. This tour will pick you up at 9AM here at the Guest House, and hit the major highlights of Seattle, allowing you to quickly get the lay of the land with stops at Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, the Ballard Locks & Fish Ladder, Waterfront, Floating Bridges, and much more, including time for a lunch stop at Fisherman’s Terminal, home of the “Deadliest Catch” boats.
After the tour, ask the guides to drop you off at the downtown location of your choice for more shopping or browsing. Consider spending more time at Pike Place Market, historic Pioneer Square, the ultra modern Central Library, the Waterfront, or visiting the original Nordstrom & Starbucks. Walk on the Bainbridge Island Ferry or a Seattle Harbor Cruise for a view of the lovely Seattle skyline. Have an amazing dinner at one of our favorite downtown restaurants: Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s Seafood, Campagne, Purple Café, or Wild Ginger. At the end of your day, catch the #16 bus home ($2.25 per person) or a cab (about $20

Day 2: Seattle Center! Take the #16 bus to Seattle Center and ride up to the top of the Space Needle to check out the view from the observation deck. Note: The $16 ride is complimentary if you have lunch or dinner at the revolving restaurant. Explore some of the other attractions at Seattle Center, including the Pacific Science Center, Experience Music Project, and the Science Fiction Museum. Have lunch at the food court, or bring your lunch outside to eat by the International Fountain. You might also consider purchasing tickets to one of the many sports and theater groups based out of Seattle Center. Some of our favorites include the Seattle Storm (women’s professional basketball), Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, Seattle Repertory Theater, and Seattle Children’s Theater, to name just a few! Still want to explore? Take the 1 mile historic “monorail” from Seattle Center to Westlake Center for more downtown shopping, or walk to the brand new Olympic Sculpture Park.

Day 3: Take a local food tour or day trip! Did you know that Washington State produces more wine than any state but California? Consider a day trip to Woodinville wine country with “Bon Vivant Wine Tours.” They will pick you up and bring you back at our front door for an unforgettable full day of exploring the local wine country just 40 minutes away. . For even more adventures, consider a day trip with “Evergreen Escapes” which might involve kayaking, snow shoeing, Mt Rainier, or even a trip to Twilight Country on the Olympic Peninsula! Evergreen Escapes will also do a complimentary pick up and drop off at our B&B.
Or, take the #16 bus downtown for an in-depth look at the local coffee culture with the “Seattle Coffee Crawl,” which is a downtown walking tour put on by Seattle by Foot. Another popular option is the #1 rated “Savor Seattle Food Tour” of the Pike Place Market, which is a meal in itself with stops at over 20 local food vendors. Both of these tours meet at a local coffee shop located near the Pike Place Market.

Day 4: Spend the day around Green Lake! Walk or take a quick cab ride to the award winning Woodland Park Zoo near Green Lake. In the afternoon, consider renting a paddle boat or canoe at the park, or borrow one of our beach towels to relax with a good book or take a swim at the lake. Walk to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner.

Day 5: Take the #48 bus to the beautiful University of Washington. Explore the “quad”, Red Square, the Rose Garden (with views of Mt Rainier), and historic Suzzallo library.
Check out Pacific Northwest Indian history at the Burke Museum, and visit the Henry Art Gallery on campus. Rent a canoe or rowboat at the UW Waterfront Activities Center behind Husky stadium. Do some shopping on the funky “Ave” and check out the huge University Book Store. Enjoy a locally made beer and pub cuisine at the Big Time Brewery on the Ave.

Seattle SeaFair Fun!

2010-07-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

We want to share about a couple of fun, traditional summer events happening this weekend as part of our annual Seattle SeaFair! These free events are popular with us locals as well as those of you visiting Seattle for the first time!

The Greenlake Milk Carton Derby will be happening right across the street on Greenlake on Saturday July 10 from 10-4. Come watch almost 100 “boats” of all shapes and sizes (all built from milk cartons!) compete for prizes for both speed and design. Of course, there will also be entertainment and food, and fun for the whole family. One of these days, Julie hopes we will have an entry from the Greenlake Guest House built by Blayne and sons, but for this year we will be simply cheering from the shore.

You may also want to check out the Ballard SeafoodFest, happening on both Saturday July 10 & Sunday July 11 in the nearby neighborhood of Ballard, home of our Scandinavian and maritime community. Feed your inner Viking and enjoy a BBQ Salmon dinner, beer garden, entertainment, and even the annual Lutefisk eating contest. The Seafood Fest will be located in downtown Ballard around Market Street and 24^th Ave, and runs from 11am-9pm Saturday, and 11am-7pm Sunday. Ballard SeafoodFest is a short 10 minute drive from Greenlake Guest House.

For more information about the Greenlake Milk Carton Derby and Ballard Seafood Fest, see www.seafair.com

It’s Berry Time!

2010-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

We (at Greenlake Guest House) were so excited to see that our new blueberry bushes are full of ripe berries! Julie picked a few this afternoon. Hopefully we’ll have enough for breakfast in the morning!
June & July are prime berry season in Western Washington. We’ve enjoyed sweet local strawberries this month, and are looking forward to raspberries & blueberries in July! There are lots of U-pick farms just out of the city, and neighborhood farmers’ markets to buy them right in town. Some of our favorite farmers markets include the Saturday Univ e rsit y Farmers Mar ket, the Friday afternoon Phinney Ridge Farmers Market, and of course, the huge Pike Place Mar ket downtown.

Our Favorite Cookie Recipe

2010-03-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

I made another batch of our Cranberry Chocolate Chip cookies today. These cookies are the all-time guest favorite, and they are so easy to make!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs (or ½ cup egg beaters)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

11/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup dried cranberries

2 cups chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.

Stir in oats, craisins, and chocolate chips. I use a small muffin scoop to portion onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 14 minutes (about 10 minutes for smaller cookies. Makes 27 large cookies, or about 4 dozen smaller cookies.

Spend the Day at Seattle Center

2010-03-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

We are reminded today that we love Seattle Center ( www.seattlecenter.com)! Originally the site of the 1962 World’s Fair, Seattle Center is most famous for the iconic Space Needle, which was built for the fair. The views from the Space Needle observation deck and restaurant are amazing, and the restaurant revolves a full 360 degrees every hour.

We were in the Seattle Center neighborhood today to renew our Food Handler’s cards, so we stopped in for lunch at the Center House Food Court, and took it outside to eat in front of the beautiful International Fountain, looking up at Queen Anne neighborhood and the Space Needle. The sun was shining, and we had fun playing tourists.

Seattle Center is also home to many of Seattle’s theaters. In fact, a couple days ago we were at Seattle Center to attend Pacific Northwest Ballet’s lovely “Sleeping Beauty” at McCaw Hall. Julie is a former ballet dancer and still loves her season tickets! Here are a few of the other theater groups within this small part of town:

Bagley Wright Theatre
Book-It Repertory Theatre
Center House Theatre
Charlotte Martin Theatre
Eve Alvord Theatre
Intiman Theatre
Leo Kreielsheimer Theatre
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Poncho Theatre
Seattle Children's Theatre
Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)
Seattle Opera
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Seattle Shakespeare Company
Teatro ZinZanni
The Vera Project
Theatre Puget Sound
Theatre4

We will be glad to find out what’s playing when you will be visiting us in Seattle!

Other attractions at Seattle Center include the famous Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum, Pacific Science Center, Children’s Museum, and Key Arena and Memorial Stadium for sporting events. You could easily spend a whole day and evening at Seattle Center.

Seattle is located just a 10 minute drive away from the Greenlake Guest House, and is also easily accessed by bus. Some of our guests take advantage of the less expensive parking at Seattle Center, and then take the monorail into downtown.

Dinner at Volterra in Ballard

2010-01-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

We feel lucky to live in a city with such great restaurants! Last week we ate with friends at one of our favorites, Volterra, which is just a few minutes away in the Ballard neighborhood. Volterra offers "comtemporary Italian cuisine"...much more than your basic pasta! Blayne ordered the special, which was swordfish.......it was amazing! We were surprised to see Dale Chihuly dining just a few tables away. We are told that he designed the lovely glass windows in the restaurant. See their website at Volterra Restaurant.

Savor Seattle Gourmet Food Tour - "Field Trip"

2009-12-31T21:29:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, we took a “field trip” on the Savor Seattle Gourmet Food Tour. If you enjoy exploring lots of different restaurants and trying new kinds of foods, this tour is for you! We especially enjoyed homemade sangria at Andaluca, and the wild mushroom pizza at Serious Pie! Oh yes, and the seafood risotto at that little restaurant at Pike Place Market was also incredible! In addition, we also sampled wonderful “tastes” from 20 or so hidden gems on a walking tour of Pike Place Market and downtown Seattle. The group was a nice small size, and we were able to hear everything with the headsets they provided. Our tour guide and Savor Seattle owner, Angela Shen, puts together a great tour. She is a wealth of information when it comes to gourmet food in Seattle.

We have also done the Savor Seattle “Classics” tour of Pike Place Market, and highly recommend it! We can’t think of any better way to be able to sample so much variety and personally meet the vendors at the Market. You can learn more about their tours here: http://www.savorseattletours.com/pages /2 0-About_Our_Tours

Doing “Research” for our guests is one of the best parts of the innkeeper job! We love having the opportunity to be tourists in our own town.

Savor Seattle Gourmet Food Tour!

2009-12-31T17:52:00.000-08:00

Doing “Research” for our guests is one of the best parts of the innkeeper job! We love having the opportunity to be tourists in our own town.

Pathway of Light at Greenlake on Dec 12th from 5:30 to 8:30pm

2009-12-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

We are looking forward to Green Lake's annual "Pathway of Lights" next Saturday December 12 from 5:30-8:30 pm. Community volunteers and Seattle Parks Department staff line the entire 2.8 mile perimeter of the lake with thousands of luminaria as part of this fun (and free!) holiday tradition.

There are stops along the way with carolers and hot beverages. Participants are encouraged to carry a light or candle to add to the warm ambience, and to bring a can of non-perishable food to donate to Northwest Harvest. "Luminaria Night," as we call it, is one of our very favorite Seattle holiday events.

At time of this posting, there were still 2 rooms available at the Greenlake Guest House on Dec 12. Come and enjoy a spectacular walk and a stay with us!

Cozy Robes make for a more luxurious stay

2009-11-04T21:55:00.000-08:00

We are excited to be able to offer our guests luxuriously cozy robes to use during their stay with us. After trying out several different brands and styles, we finally decided on the terry lined microfiber robes from Cypress. Each robe is monogrammed with our logo on the pocket. With all of the new airline weight restrictions on weight and amount of luggage, we figured we could help our guests by letting them leave those bulky robes at home! So far, the feedback has been very positive!

Come and stay with us at the Greenlake Guest House!

New Landscaping at the Greenlake Guest House

2009-10-03T18:55:00.001-07:00

With the arrival of cooler fall weather, we have taken the opportunity to do some landscaping work at the Greenlake Guest House.

First was replacing the cracked, 80 year old concrete walkway above the front steps, and doing some repair work to those 80 year old stairs.

Next, we hired Jim and his crew at Landscape Professionals to help us give the front landscaping a bit more curb appeal. Jim designed a great plan for us using some of the shrubs we already have, and adding a sitting area for our guests in the front. He also suggested adding automatic sprinklers and trees to the parking strip to keep it pretty and green all year around. We removed a few shrubs and trees that were oversized for their space.

Last week the crew spent 3 days here and installed the new sprinklers, new grass and red maple trees on the parking strip, as well as a coral bark maple near our property line. The progress was so fast, we felt like we were watching an episode of a home improvement show like “Total House Makeover!” We are excited for next week, when they will add the new plantings around the foundation of the house, as well as some additional plantings and sprinklers for the back!

New Amenities for the Greenlake Guest House

2009-08-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

It’s always fun to go shopping for the B&B! When we opened our inn 5 years ago, we decided to put 20 inch TV/DVD’s in each of the guest rooms, and to invest in a great movie collection. We had wanted to upgrade our guest rooms with some larger, flat screen TV’s for awhile, but couldn’t decide which ones to choose. A few weeks ago, we finally purchased 4 new 32 inch Samsung flat screens, and 4 new DVD players. We are very pleased with the quality of the picture and like the more streamlined, less bulky appearance of the new TV’s.

On that same weekend, we also purchased several more portable air conditioning units, one for each of the guest rooms, and another for our common area. Although Seattle usually has a very moderate climate, we like knowing that our guests will have A/C available if they want it for those occasional hot days.

Greenlake Guest House recommended by Seattle Times

2009-07-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we think Green Lake is one of Seattle’s best neighborhoods. We love living here. What’s not to like about having a wonderful lake and park right out the front door, complete with boat rentals, jogging trails, swimming beach, playground, volleyball nets, barbeques, and people watching? It’s a fun neighborhood for walking, with pretty historic homes, lovely gardens, and many restaurants and coffee bars close by.

Carol Pucci at the Seattle Times agrees, writing that “Seattle's Green Lake area makes an ideal location for a weekend in-town vacation…. Go for a dip, or walk, run or bike on the paved path around Green Lake, Seattle's favorite lakefront park.” We were excited to be featured in this article! You can read the entire piece in today’s Seattle Times NW Weekend:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2009560155_nwwintown30.html

While it’s true that most of our guests come from out of state, we do host some guests that live just across town. Many of them are celebrating an anniversary or birthday, or just need to get away! We love being able to provide a respite in the middle of the city.

Mexican comfort food at Rosita's Restaurant on Greenlake

2009-07-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last night we were tired and too hot to cook, so we walked over to our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Rosita’s, http://www.rositasrestaurant.com around 9pm. We go there so often that they know us well, and I think we have memorized the menu!
It’s a cozy place with homemade, warm tortillas, friendly staff, and great margaritas! We often bump into our neighbors there. Blayne ordered his “usual”, a quesadilla with shredded beef, and I tried something new, an avocado tostada. The tostada was fine, but I think I’ll go back to my good ol’ vegetarian chimichanga next time! I’m also quite addicted to their special green salsa. It’s nice to know Rosita’s is there for us when we need a hit of some Mexican comfort food! They have great happy hour specials, too.