It all started when Terry said she would like to go to Seattle to visit her friend Deb Cook. I balked at that, because she had been on three trips without me in the past year; I said let's make this one our vacation and go together. It's been too long since the trip for me to remember enough detail to give a day by day breakdown, so I'll just go through the pictures. They form a pretty complete trip log.
The upstairs room in Deb's house where Terry and I slept.
The living room of the house. Deb is on the right; her roommate Ann McKay is just behind her.
Deb and Ann's house.
Deb and Ann had just moved in the day we arrived! For most of the week, Deb's parents were there helping unpack boxes, and getting the house in order. Like the good friends we are, we graciously declined to help! We were on vacation, after all...
The living room again, showing the state of general disarray that prevailed while we were there.
We went to the site of the 1939? World's Fair, now known as Seattle Center. Here are Terry, Deb and Ann in front a conveniently labelled landmark. Actually, if you look through the archway, you can see a line of similar arches. Each has a few words written above it, which taken together form a short poem.
I went up to the top of the Space Needle, while everyone else remained on terra firma:
This a view from the bottom, looking up...
...and these are views from the top, looking down!
This is the restaurant where we had dinner that night. Excellent salmon and...
...a nice view of the Salmon Bay Waterway.
We went to visit our friend Charlene Hunt, who lives in Tacoma, not far from Seattle. This is her apartment building...
...and this is Charlene (behind Terry)!
We took a train ride on one of those touristy old-time steam trains. This is a lovely view of a field that we passed. Actually, if you look closely, you can see that it's actually a picture of Mt. Rainier, in the distance.
This is the train (behind Terry).
A closer view of the train.
The train again. Notice the open air passenger cars.
Terry and Charlene on the train.
There was a folk singer on the train who strolled up and down the aisles, serenading the passengers. When the train stopped, he gave a performance at the snack bar. He also sold cassettes of himself and his wife, who perform folk music under the name Waltzing in the Trees. We bought a copy and have listened to it often. They are quite good.
We went to dinner at an excellent Creole restaurant in downtown Seattle with some friends of Deb's: Randy Bice on the left, and Larry (don't remember his last name) next to Deb.
I spent a day on my own, driving around the Olympic peninsula on Highway 101. Yes, it's the same 101 that begins (or ends, depending on which direction you're going) in downtown L.A. It goes north along the coast through California, Oregon and Washington. As it approaches the northwest corner of Washington, it makes a clockwise loop around the peninsula, and finishes up in Olympia. Along the way, I passed through the picturesque town of Humptulips, where I visited a salmon hatchery.
Along the road:
The aftermath of logging:
I followed a small side road until I came literally to the end of the road. That's the Queet River that I almost fell into. Getting out of there was a challenge.
More along the road. The mighty Pacific, except it was stormy and windy, and the water wasn't so pacific that day.
I hiked into Olympic National Park for a short ways. It was raining, lightly enough so that I could walk in it, heavily enough so that I didn't walk too far. I was intrigued by this moss-laden tree.
More of the aftermath of logging; this hillside has been reforested.
Lake Crescent, on the northern side of the peninsula.
I wish I could remember where I took these next seven pictures. Possibly in Olympic National Park?
Another day. Terry, Deb, Ann and I drove up the west side of Puget Sound, to the little town of Port Townsend, which is nice but very tourist oriented.
Port Townsend city hall, which I thought was a most impressive building.
On the road back, I was amused to see this sign at what appeared to be a small local airport. I looked it up later, and by golly, it may be small, but it really is an international airport.
Waiting for the ferry back across the Sound.
Another day. We all went to Victoria, British Columbia for the day. A VERY long day. This is the border crossing.
An automated money changer where I exchanged American dollars for Canadian dollars. I was most impressed at this display of high tech.
On the ferry.
In Beacon Hill Park, the world's tallest totem pole.
I don't remember where it was, but this was a beautiful stained glass window.
Ann, Deb, Terry and friend.
The Parliament building.
The Empress Hotel, where we had high tea.
Another day. Relaxing at home.
I was intrigued by the way this bus went underground. Sort of like a bus/subway hybrid.
A tile wall in memoriam of the AIDS quilt.
Views of downtown Seattle. I was trying to draw attention to that middle group of lanes on the freeway. It isn't clear in the pictures, but the lanes go in different directions at different times of day, depending on the traffic flow. An interesting idea.
Our last day in Seattle. We said our goodbyes to Deb and Ann in the morning, and spent the day on our own before catching the plane to L.A. in the evening. We spent a large part of the day at Pike's Peak Market, a Farmer's Market sort of place down by the waterfront. Except for the guy who tried to kick Jazz, it was very enjoyable.
We were entertained by this street musician...
..and saw this nice garden area.
Terry and friend.
A memorial to an Indian chief from the area; I regret that I can't remember his name. Chief Seattle? Would it be that easy?
Seattle has built up over the years. Literally. What is now the ground floor used to be the second floor; what was once the ground floor is now - underground. So we took the underground tour. Sort of a journey into a forgotten world...
You usually see these glass things in the street from above; here they are from below.
All that remains of a former establishment.
More scenes from the underground.
Farewell to Seattle: Mt. Rainier from the air.
