Day 3: Seattle

Paul and I had a lovely weekend in Seattle, enjoying each other's company along with mostly nice weather. We didn't have many plans aside from watching the Tech game on Saturday evening. Because I'm more than a little nerdy, I always bring along all the clippings and print-outs of things to do in the city we're visiting, just to give us ideas of things to do and places to visit. This go-around, I brought with me an article about Seattle on the cheap with an assortment of ideas of things to do that didn't cost much money which was right up our alley.

Flying into Seattle, I was on the wrong side of the plane to see Mt. Rainier. The plane was pretty empty--50 passengers or so--and for some reason, a gentleman sat down in the row with me in Albuquerque and didn't change seats. I should have during the layover in Salt Lake City but didn't think to do so until too late.
Friday evening was pretty low-key. Dinner and a trip to a game store Paul had found earlier in the week. He bought two more card games although we didn't have chance to play either over the weekend.

Saturday, we played tourist, heading out to Pike Place Market to wander a bit and see the sights there and then down to the waterfront for a bite to eat.
The iconic sign at Pike Place Market.
We did stop at the original Starbucks. Neither of us drink coffee but I could subsist on chai tea lattes when it is cold. We also ran into a Texas fan and engaged in some good-natured ribbing on our part; he was a bit aggressive about how bad Tech was going to lose. Ha!
The sign was very excited to announce the availability of pluots.
With the waterfront behind us. It was overcast almost the entire time so we never did see Mt. Rainier aside from one little glimpse on Saturday afternoon.
The back of the market as seen from the waterfront street.
Lots of stairs going from the waterfront back up to Pike Place.

After leaving Pike Place, we headed to Ballard to see the locks between Lake Washington and Puget Sound. There is botanical gardens and a visitor center on the grounds as well. Because it was raining and we only had one umbrella (mine was nice and dry back in my car in ABQ), we didn't spend too much time wandering around the gardens.

Some of the many lovely hydrangeas on the grounds.
Information about the locks and the fish ladder.
I have no idea what direction I'm looking or what that drawbridge down the way is but I thought it made for a nice picture.

Looking over the small lock to the spillway and the fish ladder.

Sailboats waiting in the small lock.

Going down from one body of water to the other.
Paul on the walkway between the small lock and the spillway. We walked over to the fish ladder but it is the wrong season to see any salmon.

After leaving the locks, we stopped in at Archie McPhee because who doesn't need a yodeling pickle in their Christmas stocking? (Don't worry, family. No one is getting one.) There was also a lovely quilt shop that we stopped in to pick up a few things for my mother-in-law's stocking. By this time, it was getting close to time to head back to the hotel so we could watch the football game. And what a game indeed. I'm guessing there isn't a Texas Tech fan around who isn't still smiling.

Sunday morning, we lazed around the room after breakfast, enjoying a brief break in the clouds to enjoy a walk along a river trail next to the hotel. I think this was the only 30 minutes of sun all day. Paul was so excited for me to see the leaves changing when I arrived on Friday (it was after dark but he kept pointing out trees and telling me the color it would be in daylight).




After the walk, we had too much time before we needed to leave for the airport but not enough time to really do anything. So, using the Garmin, we headed to points of interest. Little did we know that Jimi Hendrix's burial site was a mere 5.6 miles or so from the hotel.

But there it is. The rest of the cemetery is very low-key and it was definitely easy to spot this monument.

It started pouring rain shortly after we left this spot but we drove to two more places including the National Hydroplane and Raceboat Muesum. Never knew there was such a thing (it was closed so we didn't actually stop). After this little tour, it was off to the airport and back to the not-even-close-to-green green grass of home.