My husband and I took a walking chocolate tasting tour in Seattle for our 21st anniversary. The office had given it to us as a Christmas present...so we saved it for July. There were a few memorable places that I would love to share with you.

KuKuRuZa gourmet popcorn at 215 Pike Street kukuruza.com

This was a gourmet popcorn place. The popcorn kernels are inexpensive, around $2 per pound. And quite good. We purchased some and these are not your ordinary kernels: they popped up fat and round. There were hardly any duds. The combinations they offer there are crazy! Of course, you have the "typical" s'mores, nut combo's, and rocky road etc. But what about cinnamon bun? Fruit flavored? Carnival colored? You could have a party and have blackberry popcorn. They change up their flavors and rotate them for the seasons. Wow!

Dahlia Bakery at 2001 4th Ave

This is where we had chocolate cookies and peanut butter cookies. In my opinion, they were ordinary, pedestrian cookies. But, if you are not getting homemade ones at home, of course, you will enjoy their simplicity. The main event was their cheesecake bites. My husband, Bob, loved their cheesecake bites. It was one of his two favorites on the tour. When the tour was over, we came here for lunch. We both had blueberry salads that came with a handmade roll. It was delicious and refreshing.

The Chocolate Box at 108 Pine Street

OH MY. That's all I have to say. It was my favorite, and also Bob's other favorite: the chocolate brownie dipped in chocolate. It was outrageous. The man who invented it wanted a brownie that did not dry out. So, he dipped them in chocolate to keep the moisture inside. Uh, this man must have used the very best of everything because I don't remember brownies like this! (Sorry Mom! Yours are fabulous though--my classmates always requested them for parties!)They were rich but not overly sweet. The brownie itself was so moist I wasn't sure that it was an actual brownie. You know how brownies come out of the oven, hot and gooey? That's how these were-but so, so better. Well, the kind folks at The Chocolate Box provided sweet, cold milk for us! Of course, after the tour, we came back and purchased some for us and the kids to enjoy together. BTW, the Chocolate Box has it's own tour. You get to tour their factory facilities and make your own chocolate creations with your own little hands. This would be a great family outing.

So....Imagine: you are lounging on a soft couch next to the fireplace, wearing a long, beautiful, lounging gown. The fire is crackling and warm. You glance up at the window...it's so very cold and now...it's snowing outside. With delight, you watch the large gorgeous snow flakes pouring out of the clouds and mounding up into soft hills. You are mounded up as well; wrapped up in your soft, down comforter. Surrounded by softness and a gentle reading light, you are deep into a large, amazing book. Next to the couch is a small table with a soft lamp, a large glass of cold, creamy milk, and a large platter of these brownies.

*Okay, I just described heaven.*

And heaven WILL have these brownies. Oh, Rose says it will also have D&M coffee! And Chik-fil-A! And Winegar's Ice cream....Emmaline just exclaimed...And we'll be FAT!! No, Rose says with a dreamy smile, in heaven there won't be calories.

My other favorite was Confectional Cheesecakes (I believe that's the name!) at Pike's St. Market. The flying fish guys are on the "corner"...and this place is across and down the street towards that park. Their spicy hot chocolate from Colombia is AMAZING...my other favorite. They sell it by the ounce because it is so hot and so rich that a person can't really drink much more than a few ounces. When our tour guide was in training, she, on a dare, drank 16 ounces of it...but really struggled! If you like cheesecake, this really sweet and funny lady makes personal sized cakes! Bob really liked these cheesecakes.

Fran's Chocolates, at 1325 1st Avenue at the Four Seasons Hotel.

What can I say about this beautifully appointed top end chocolate shop? The chocolates are displayed like pieces of jewelry on shelves around the store. You choose your chocolates from a glass case filled with arranged chocolates. The employees are dressed beautifully and carefully attend to your every question. We enjoyed Obama's favorite: a salted caramel. The caramel is made to be not so sweet and not sticky. Fran more than achieves this. The caramels absolutely melt in your mouth. They had us taste a lot of dark chocolates of which I am not a big fan. Our tour ended here at Fran's Chocolates.

I know I have forgotten a couple of places, but these were our highlights. Our tour was through "Savor Seattle" and we had a great time. Our guide was a sweet, personable young lady in her 20's. She took charge and once had to firmly, and very politely, wave off some people seeking signatures or donations for some charity. A few people commented that they were tiring out on the "vigorous" walk...but Bob and I were surprised at that comment. We had an enjoyable walk through downtown Seattle and really enjoyed our time on the tour.

I hope you get a chance to do this tour...or make up your own tour someday. I would do this again in a heartbeat! Our anniversary was very special!