I had also looked up yarn stores in Tacoma, and there was one about 7 blocks or so from where we had lunch, so we set off to find the yarn. I didn't really need anything, so I was mostly just browsing. I was trying to keep my eye out for interesting yarn in a certain range of reds, but I had my youngest in tow. The oldest and DH had not wanted to wander around the tiny, tiny yarn shop and went for coffee and juice instead. I was a bit, um, happy from the brew pub (I forgot that I hadn't eaten breakfast until I was well into my second pint) and so I really wasn't sure how shopping was going to go for me. Ha! My youngest found a pattern for Fiber Trends slippers and insisted that these would be most excellent princess slippers. Then she picked out a bunch of Cascade yarn in pink, lavender and baby blue for the slippers. I decided I'd probably spent too much on stuff I really didn't need (and more projects that I could have done without, really) so I headed over to pay.
Turns out, all the stuff I bought was 40% off. I spent about $20, incl. tax. I was so flummoxed. I wanted to go buy more yarn & get stuff for me. But I really didn't need to go there. I've got some things in my head that I want to order, and I just didn't want to spend the money on "random purchases". Well, I also didn't want to spend more time shopping with the little princess. She loves yarn stores. She loves to pet yarn. She loves PINK yarn. And SPARKELY yarn. In fact, there is no yarn too PINK or too SPARKELY for her. I was afraid to spend more time there because I might not make it out without some of the PINK SPARKLEY stuff. I really don't want any. Besides, it was getting close to Dino Time.
The yarn store does not have a website, so I didn't link to the directory. It was very small and very, very crowded with yarn. Piles and piles of lovely yarn, lots of luxury, higher end stuff. Very nice, and the woman working there was very friendly. If I were claustrophobic, I would not have survived that store. Lots of dead ends, but they were full of yarn, so not too bad as dead ends go. I had trouble finding an order to the madness, but that might have been due to my youngest's inexorable pull towards PINK SPARKLEY yarn, where ever it was stashed.
Anyway, off to the show!
Okay, the Walking With Dinosaurs Live show was the most awesome thing I've been to in I don't know how long! I had all of the excitement and fun of being a kid with all of the joy of a mom watching her own kids' wonder and joy. I don't know how you beat that, if you can. During the show, the youngest, who sat in my lap for a better view, kept telling me she wanted to see it every day forever and ever. After the show, I asked my oldest if she liked it and she said, "Liked it? That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen!"
People, if you or your children, grandchildren, whoever like dinosaurs, this is an amazing show. It is a bit pricey, or maybe that is related more to each venue, but it is totally worth every penny. The show is about 2 hours and has an intermission. Merchandise is a bit spendy, but is always optional. These dinos are LIFE-SIZED, not scale & that is pretty amazing to see. There is a narrator on the floor with them, so you get a very real sense of how immense these things were. If you have access to a museum with real bones, maybe not such a big deal, but I've only ever seen dinos at 1/3 scale. I did not hear/see any small children freaking out (or grown-ups either), it is loud. If you've seen the TV series (BBC), you have an idea of what might go on. It is a quick journey through several periods with LIFE-SIZED dinos from the various periods. The narrator tells you what is going on with the planet and how the animals are evolving, etc. There is video and humor and it is just incredibly well done.
The dinos look amazingly real, the flesh jiggles a bit as them move, just like you'd expect it to on a massive creature in motion. While you know they are robots, and for a couple of smaller ones you can see the people moving them, it is well done and while you could focus on that and really hate the show, I think you'd have to work at it. They've done a great job blending the people and mechanics into the dino and the set/stage really helps create the illusion they are not people powered.
I believe Seattle was the first spot on the North American tour, so check the listings and see if it is coming to a place near you. The next spot is Spokane, WA. I really can't express how fun and awesome this event was. I'd see it again in a heartbeat, and so would my kids.
My DH took the pictures. Some of them turned out, most didn't. I think this was his first experience with low-light photography. Many of them are blurred. Too bad. But that's why I bought a program full of pictures at the show. I'm pretty bummed that so many good shots were not so good. Oh well, more incentive for you to go see the show.
Did I mention that I liked this show? :)
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