Tillicum Village, Blake Island Tour

This is a 4-hour adventure to Tillicum Village on Blake Island State Park from Seattle waterfront. Blake Island, is a Washington State Park accessible only by boat. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village, a showcase for Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food.

We booked the tickets over the phone with Argosy Cruise, $79.95 per person. We arrived at Pier 55 directly from the office. The adventure begins with an Argosy cruise on Puget Sound to Blake Island having relax and enjoy the magnificent scenery during the 50 minute cruise.

Upon arrival you will be welcomed by a path strewn with white clam shells bleached by the sun and greeted with an appetizer of steaming clams in nectar broth. The Visitor experience includes a greeting from Tillicum Village employees costumed in Northwest Coastal Native tribal costume.

Inside the longhouse, guests can watch the whole Chinook salmon are cooked over an alder-wood fire on cedar stakes in the traditional Northwest Coast Indian style. Your meal is served buffet-style and includes a menu of Traditional Indian-style Baked Salmon. Fresh fruit salad, Assorted Melons, Grapes, Strawberries and Pineapple, served with a Strawberry Honey Dipping Sauce is the option for vegetarian other than wonderful combination of wild and regular rice, cooked to perfection with onions, garlic and a fragrant vegetable stock. I liked it, Atul and Sumit didn't.

Tillicum Village Menu:

Steamed Clams in Nectar

Traditional Alder Baked Salmon

Signature Northwest Stew

Wild Grain Harvest Rice

Warm Whole Grain Tillicum Bread

Field Greens Salad

Tri-Colored Bean Salad

Fresh Fruit Salad

Northwest Dessert Treat

Coffee and Tea Service with the Meal at Tillicum Village.

As you finish your meal, the lights dim while the myth and magic come to life in the spellbinding performance featuring the Tillicum Village dancers. Tip: Try to grab the front seats, so that performance can be enjoyed and captured closely.

Prior to the return trip to downtown Seattle, time is provided following the performance where visitors may have the opportunity to visit a gallery featuring regional Northwest artwork, watch a totem pole carving demonstration by Native Americans, and walk along the beaches and trails of Blake Island. People used to come here in Summer season for camping and relaxing with nature as well. The beautiful Mount Rainier can be enjoyed at the evening.

The cost of $79.95 (non-refundable) includes a one-hour narated trip on Argosy cruise, clam appetizers upon arrival to the island, a Chinook salmon feed, and entertainment, Native American-inspired dance show, exploration time on the island and the return cruise to Seattle.

So if you are in Seattle, It can be a one time go trip to Blake Island to enjoy marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline.

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Every Girl wanna to be...

First of all, A very happy friendship day to all my loved ones and friends. It is right by said, that the expansion of FRIEND is true in itself, [F]ew [R]elations [I]n [E]arth [N]ever [D]ie. Even though it is intensionally expanded. But I like this. So this poem is for all my loved ones and friends:

Every girl wanna to be my life.

But don't know why!

don't know why!

Besides me, every girl wanna to be lie,

I am not telling a lie.

No lie.

Every girl wanna to be my side.

I wanna this to be avoid.

I don't hide.

Every girl wanna to meet me at night.

Its very tough and tight.

Give me some light.

I love light.

So every girl wanna to have some fight.

I don't have any right.

No right, No fight.

Every girl wanna someone my type.

I don't want any hype.

No hype.

Even someone shows me the knife,

I don't want to be wipe,

Save my life.

Even pretty lips calls me anytime,

Be it day or night.

be it nine or five.

Jesus! I am still alive.

Save me with all this talk & jive.

Even those lips wanted to kiss me.

The more they miss me,

more they wanted to kill(ss) me.

Every girl wanna to be with me at tea/Coffee-time.

But I don't feel fine.

Really not fine.

Every girl wanna to be my wife.

But don't know why!

don't know why!

Thanks God for my life.
Every girl wanna to be my bride.

So, I cried.

Still I am single,

ya still single.

So every girl wanna to be mingle.

These are the words from the poet inside me,

It's nothing about me.

Nothing about me.

- Sachin Kumar Gupta (Sach)

Other Poems: Blink of an eye Parameters Differ What is itch

Happy New Year Home Sweet Home Life is Beautiful About You

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Khandala - Meet Your Forefathers

The place named in famous Bollywood song, "Aati Kya Khandala". It is really the place to ask someone special :) "Wanna come Khandala with me (aati kya khandala)".

There are places in the world, you can't pen their beauty, this is one of those places. To really enjoy the place, you have to be here specially during monsoon. The proof are the images below.

It is the perfect holiday destination and famous for honeymoon and romantic vacations in India. The place can be easily accessed from Pune or Mumbai through Mumbai-Pune expressway. During the monsoon season, The place wears lusk green carget surrouded by clouds alongwith eye-loving views. This hill station fulfills the reqiurements of all kinds of tourists having good hotels.

It was our family trip from out of the hustle and bustle of Pune city. This area we covered after our Lonavala visit. Here is the best place to adore the natural glory, and can meet and feed your forefathers, the point named as Monkey point. The entry fee of this garden is just 5 INR.

It was the best time, and the nature was playing hide and seek game. So the other side of the hill was completely invisible sometime, hiding all its waterfall and lusk green beauty. Other than this there are many nearby treks for trekkers. You can also enjoy during sunrise and sunset times. You can see many people watching the glory of the nature, from this hill, over looking this Mumbai-Pune expressway.

What to bring from Khandala:

You can't carry nature with you. But you can capture those moment. So from Khandala, you can have a different varieties of coconut, peanut, til, chikki, tasty powder etc. Nearby place, Lonavala is famous for Chikki. Beware of any artificial colors and flavours while purchasing it. You can always taste it before purchasing.

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Saras Baug - A Stork Garden, Pune

As everyone knows, During monsoon season, every place nearby (or within) Pune is like a bed of roses. So my monsoon express have a local stop this time, named Sarasbaug. Saras Baug lies at a distance of approximately 1 KM from Swargate, Pune. We followed the roads from Magarpatta, Hadapsar to Swargate, then to Sarasbaug.
The lush green lawns of the Baug, along with its blooming flowerbeds, attract tourists and devotees of Lord Ganesh from all nearby places. Outside the park, the environment is like a small fun fair, which include small fun rides, jumping, magic shows, and many more for chidren. There are many other juice corners, icecreams stalls, and fast food restaurants nearby to serve visitors and devotee's hunger.

Pune Saras Baug is also quite famous for the Ganapati temple (Shree Sidhivinayak Temple) situated inside its premises. At the entrance (there are two entry/exit points) of the sarasbaug, you can get worship stuff (garland, coconut, peanut, fresh flower, grass, holy thread bla bla...), to present the Lord Ganesh. The temple is perched on top of a small hillock and provides an amazing view of the surrounding areas (specially during monsoon). Most of the time, there is quite long queue, to have a glimpse of lord Ganesh from front side. There is a small museum, where some of the idols of Lord Ganesha are available for display.
The place where the park now stands was once occupied by a small lake. However, the lake got dried up and was later developed into the Saras Baug. Inside the lake, Now a days many fish can be seen. You can enjoy feeding them from very near as they move in the groups. In the garden (baug), you wouldn't find many (or sometime any stork) saras. If you are coming here thinking of that only, you would be disappointed.

The park is frequently accessed by joggers and walkers, in early morning as well as evening. There is no entry fee for this Sarasbaug (Stork garden in Pune) Saras Baug is quite popular as a picnic spot among families and can be easily reached by bikes or auto rickshaws. There is nearby 2 wheeler and 4 wheeler parking area.

There is a bridge to cross the road connected to the premises of Sarasbaug. From the top of this bridge, another beautiful Parvati Temple can be seen, which is just 4-5 KM away. The place is more crowded during Ganesh chaturthi and holy festivals at time to time.

Another family visit to Katraj - Snake Park, Katraj, Pune
Coming soon... Monsoon Express to Lonavala with family ...

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