June 27 2023 Day Twenty Five

 June 27 – Seattle WA – Day 25

 

Day 25 and I’m still in Seattle. I had planned a quick trip thru, but after talking with Steve and Catherine, they easily convinced me another day to relax and enjoy the Seattle experience is a better idea than hitting the road that how could I refuse. Not only did that help that I could sleep in, but I was able to get a blog written, relaxed enjoyed the other half of sandwich from the night before for lunch and got to explore Seattle. 

 

Ok this is how the day went; up a little later, wrote a couple of stories and posted them, got cleaned up headed downtown for the Seattle experience, met Steve and Catherine downtown, had a few drinks and went to a great seafood restaurant for a great meal. How’s that sound, yeah, I agree, not enough detail. 

 

I was able to relax a bit for the morning and it must’ve been the ride the day before because I really zonked out for the night and had a great night sleep that after getting a phone call from a company back home in the cities, yeah, they don’t realize I’m on Pacific time I kept relaxed a bit longer. I did mention to Steve and Catherine that their pillows are the best pillows I’ve had on my trip, and I think I need a set for myself at home. It was a comfortable sleep and I think I needed it after yesterday’s ride. Steve offered me his train pass so I figured the afternoon downtown Seattle would be the thing to do since both were going to meet me later for dinner, that I had my other half of sandwich which was just as good as the night before and got cleaned up for my trip. 

 

Steve gave me directions to the train which seemed easy enough and where I should get off, but I don’t think I listened very well since I think I asked him repeatedly which exit from the train I should take. Yeah, probably had something else on my mind that I wasn’t paying attention to listening. No problem walking to the train station since it was downhill and I did ask someone how I use the card where they pointed me to the ticketing machine and mentioned something about a yellow scanner, where I scanned the pass and the machine kept asking me to deposit 8$ for my days ride. I did ask another guy because like I told him as far as I knew the pass Steve gave me was for unlimited rides that I shouldn’t have to pay. After a bit of confusion, the guy pointed me to another yellow post to scan the pass and sure enough that worked. Why yellow on the ticket machine and a separate yellow post, I guess I’ll never know.

 

Once on the train and after looking at the stops along the way I finally remembered what exit he told me, but first I also had to remember where I came from incase, I have to get back home by myself. No problem, I think I can remember that. It was a normal ride downtown and after coming upstairs out of the tunnel I was a bit confused on where I was and should’ve remember just head toward the water and I will find the bars and such that I need to visit from the last time I was here a couple of years ago when the football crew got together in Seattle for a Seahawks’ football game. A group of guys that we pick a different stadium each year to go to and watch a professional football game, just to say we did, in case you were wondering. 

 

I did think that maybe visiting the Seattle space needle was the thing to do before I started drinking for the day that I asked one of the many Seattle downtown ambassadors how to get to the needle. Easy enough if I go up a few more flights of stairs to catch the tram to the needle and back that it should be easy enough, but you feel like you’re doing nothing but climbing hills or stairs in this city that I hope to make it to the top. I did make it and once again, Steve’s pass came in handy that this time I figured out how to scan and how to get in, no problem.

 

To the space needle and the last time and only time I’ve been up in the thing was 17 years ago on my big bike trip that I might as well do the same thing today. Not a problem getting a ticket, but it was over $40 up and down that I guess I’ll take my time once up. Pretty cool up on the observatory and sometimes you feel a little daring leaning against the glass which leans out instead of in. Yes, if it ever broke, you’d fall, but not too far since they have fins to catch you, not that I think even possible since the glass is 3 layers thick and I’m sure not glass, but Plexiglass of some type. Well, I did find out that is nothing because once you go down a level to the spinning level (use to be a rotating restaurant) the glass is in the floor that you’re now standing above your death. If this glass bottom broke, I didn’t see anything that would stop you other than the ground below. Now that was pretty cool and I tried to get a selfie video of me laying on the floor, but a little hard to do when you can’t see the background around me. Oh well, at least I did it. A fun experience and I’m glad I did it.

 

I did take my time since I didn’t want to get to happy hour too early, but once on the shuttle back it was time to find the Market Place to see the Market and find the Old Stove Brewery I know to visit. I only figured that out looking at the football trip photos, but at least I now know how to get to the water, just walk downhill. I did enjoy walking around the fish market and got to sample some great smoked salmon that if I had the room, I’d probably order a bunch to take with me. Oh well, maybe next time, but I’m sure it might be in the same situation, me on bike with little extra room to pack. 

 

Made it to Old Stove brewery and started my drinking and pictures of the sites around and guess what, today I can clearly see Mount Rainer from downtown Seattle. Why couldn’t it have been this clear to see yesterday when I rode to it, cuz I bet that site is unbelievable when in Paradise. I guess that’s the way the dice roll, but I won’t be riding there today to see it, remember it’s a 2-hour trip and I already have a beer in me. I was able to catch up on things with Shelley back home and I still had some more drinking to do before Steve and Catherine made it downtown, where of course that means another cocktail before dinner. It turned out to be a beautiful day even if it did start out a little gloomy and cold. 

 

We made it to Anthony’s Pier 66 a higher end seafood restaurant near the water where we had a very entertaining waiter taking care of us. He was full of stories and inquisitive about where we were all from and how we ended up in Seattle. We had a great meal, starting out with 2 different type of oysters and we all agreed which were the better of the 2. For me I also had to have the Anthony’s trio to get a taste of a number of things, Mahi mahi, a prawn and their crab cakes which are to die for. All very good and I thank Steve for picking up the tab. A great meal and a great visit. 

 

Now it was time to head home, and we took the route along the water because apparently if you walk that way there will be less uphill than where we came from, but it was still uphill to the train station, just not as far a climb even though you do get to go down to the subway. Back to our stop for home and once again, mostly a walk-up hill to the house that I’ll be tired from all the up and down today that a good night’s sleep will be well deserved. Tomorrow I head to Kalispell and am still debating which way to take, the interstate most of the way or part of a scenic trip, more on that later.