Renton - The City You Never Knew You Wanted To Go To

Let's talk about Renton for a moment. Haven't heard of it? You should at least know where it's at. After all, it's the only city in Washington state with an Ikea. Why wouldn't you want to go to Ikea, eat Swedish meatballs, buy things you never knew you needed prior to seeing them, and fight with you partner in public (we didn't, but I've heard it's common)? I haven't been to Ikea in a while, but my In-laws are coming to town, so we needed to get some additional support legs for our guest bed because it's old and sad. Have any of you noticed that the toilets now flush so violently it's almost like using a bedit? By the way, I didn't know how to spell bidet until this very moment. I had to look it up.

Since we were already in the deep south, we decided to go out to eat. We found a German pub, Berliner Pub. I was so excited, until our bartender told us that something exploded in the kitchen, and they weren't serving food. How did I respond to this tragic news, you ask?

---

I got a liter of German beer! In hindsight, it seems like a poor choice, but honestly, why would they put it on the menu if I wasn't meant to order it? Then, because my husband was dying for sustenance, we went to a wonderful place called Cedar River Smokehouse. We deliberately ordered different BBQ meats so we could try it all. So, I went with the hot link, smoked chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and hot BBQ sauce. It was bomber!

I know it doesn't look like much, but let's be really open with one another, meat and carbs don't usually make for pretty pictures. They just make your heart happy, and I don't mean literally. We ate so much food it was time to walk. Thankfully this area of Renton has a ton of cool shops.

My hubby bought Red Alarm for his Virtual Boy. I didn't even know we had a Virtual Boy by the way, and the sales guy said he'd throw in the Berenstain Bears game for Sega Genesis (My younger brother is going to be so excited to visit and play Berenstain Bears with me). Be still my heart! I also didn't know we had a Sega in the garage. This all further confirmed for me that my husband is the One. He never ceases to amaze me. If you think this is romantic, we can be friends.

After these amazing finds, we decided to go to 8 Bit Arcade Bar. See the first picture friends. Winter is coming...tomorrow. I feel prepared for season 7 of Game Of Thrones. I ate a ton of meat, and drank copious amount of ale. I think I could sit on the Iron Throne. Also, our bartender from the pub, walked over to his second job and got to watch me play pinball and Tetris.

All in all it was a wonderful night. I even played outdoor, extra large Connect Four, with a stranger named Roz. Apart from Frasier, I didn't know anyone named Roz really existed. She does, and we're now friends. My take away question, please comment below if you know the answer, how do I get my own stein?