One Suitcase, Seven Shopping Bags: Seattle: Arrival

After the expected fiasco with the rental car dealership [Note to travellers: never, never rent a car from Budget Rent-a-Car. In particular, avoid the location on West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver.] our trip got off to an inauspicious start. Stuck in rush hour traffic, it took us over an hour to escape the city limits. Stuck behind a travelling pack of RVs at the border, it seemed like we couldn't catch a break... to make matters worse, our internet directions lead us astray; thank God 7-11 sells maps.

And then we arrived at the Gaslight Inn. Suddenly, all of our frustration disappeared. This immaculate bed and breakfast on Capitol Hill, half a block from Pike and Pine, is everything we hoped for an more. The owner is gregarious, friendly and welcoming. His establishment is impressive inside and out, with dark wood fixtures, a working fireplace on the main floor and plush carpeting. On the way to suite 108, we stopped to take a look at the breathtaking view of downtown from the second floor balconey (which has seating for at least eight.) Looking down, we could see the pool, which is already open for the summer, but too cold to really swim in... it still looked tempting.

After quickly dropping off our bags, we made our way downtown on an important mission. Having watched far too many episodes of The Big Bang Theory- to the point that I have to remind myself that I don't personally know Dr. Sheldon Cooper- we have had a long-standing desire to eat at The Cheesecake Factory.

I can officially say: mission accomplished. The Cheesecake Factory in downtown Seattle is impressively decorated in a misappropriated and thereby cheapened Italian style. That doesn't make the enormous columns any less impressive. The food that Dr. Sheldon Cooper eats every week on my favourite TV show is bland at best... there are precious few vegetarian choices that don't involve pasta. Portions are as huge as they are reputed to be. Forget looking at the nutritional information the staff is now obligated to hand out with menus- it will only sicken you. Just avoid finishing everything that is put in front of you. This wasn't much trouble for me- I ran out of vegetables long before I finished my pasta, and noodles on their own tend to lack flavour even at the most authentic gourmet establishments.

Authentic and gourmet are two words that can never be used to describe The Cheesecake Factory. But they are known for their cake, and the reputation, I can now attest, is well-deserved. We sampled the tiramisu cheesecake... it was beyond fabulous.