Tom Bayley grew up spending his summers on Orcas Island with his mother, Frances Ann Stimson Bayley, and his brothers, Douglas Bayley and Frank Bayley III. His father, Frank S. Bayley Jr., was a prominent Seattle lawyer. He often made the long ferry trek to join them on the weekends. But in the ‘50s, Frank decided to significantly cut his commute time.

Purchasing a yellow and blue Seabee, he’d fly the small seaplane to join the family, often daily. “I remember being scared to death and how cool it was. It was really neat,” said Tom of flying with this father.

Unfortunately, three years after his father started taking to the sky, the Seabee went down in a small lake on Whidbey Island. While not all the details are clear, Frank never returned to the cockpit.

But Frank was an adventurist at heart. Sailing was his first love and one which he continued to enjoy late into life. It was a passion he passed onto all three of his boys, whether they wanted it or not.

Today, Tom remains an ardent sailor. Keeping a second home on Orcas near several of his family members, Tom enjoys exploring the San Juans by sailboat whenever possible. “It’s just so beautiful up there,” he said. (more…)

There’s nothing quite like giving a memory. Debbie McGinley knows this well. As a teenager, her aunt took her on a vacation. It was just the two of them. “It was a very special experience in my life,” said Debbie. And so, when her daughter Grace became a teen as well, she continued the tradition with a long weekend trip to Seattle.

Why did this Westport, Connecticut duo choose Seattle? They wanted a city with a sense of place. They didn’t want to just visit a generic city. They wanted somewhere with interesting things to do and see, somewhere they could share a unique experience together.

Initially, they were drawn to Seattle’s rich literary scene. Grace is an avid reader and Seattle’s collection of great bookstores were right up their alley. Of course, the cafes, chocolate and nice food didn’t hurt either. (more…)