Receta An Afternoon in Seattle... including Pike Place Market, Macarons at Le Panier, Amy's Limo Service, and a Review of the Westin

As the wife of an airline pilot I'm not often the one on the road without my family. I am, though, the frequent recipient of envy-creating text featuring travel photos from around the world... for example, shots of fresh sushi from Japan, pictures of brews served seasonally only at the Kona Brewing Company in Kona, or views of downtown New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

However, last weekend the tables turned as I jetted off to participate in the Girard's Culinary Collective and attend the annual International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle, Washington. Greeted at the airport with a limo sent to whisk only me to my hotel I immediately felt like a Food TV star, and so began my own stream of envy-creating text messages back…