I arrived at SEA-TAC bright and early on Saturday morning. Since I'm a tightwad, I opted to utilize Seattle's mass transit system in lieu of a cab ride. It'll cost you $2 to go from the airport to downtown Seattle. Cab fare will run $30-40 bucks.
I got to the
Seattle Westin before 10:00am with the intention of stashing my bag with the bellhop until later in the afternoon when I could check in. Much to my delight, a room was available so I was able to unload my stuff and change shoes before venturing out.
My kids had plans with their Dad so I was flying solo. I walked down to
Pike's Market. During previous visits to Seattle I always seem to arrive at Pike's with a full belly which is a shame because there are many delectable treats to be had there. I hadn't eaten breakfast yet so I made a beeline to
Piroshky Piroshky. The line was out the door and halfway down the block but I was determined to get my hands a piroshky. They had sweet, savory, and vegetarian options but I selected a potato, cheese, and onion. It was a little bit different than what I typically think of as a piroshky (more bread-like & less doughy) but still quite delicious.
I took my piroshky and headed toward the flower stands in the Pike's Market. Apparently, I've never visited the market on a Saturday during the summer before because the place was packed. Given my issues with crowds, needless to say, I didn't stay inside for very long. Only long enough to snap a few photographs of the spectacular peonies.
Next, I cruised down to the waterfront to check out my options for getting out on the water. There are harbor cruises, sailboat rentals, ferries and a water taxi. After investigating the price, distance, and duration of each, I decided to go on the harbor cruise. I was meeting up with several family members later in the afternoon and they wanted to go on the boat ride too so we made a plan to meet for a late afternoon cruise on
Argosy Cruises.
At this point, I hoofed back up to the Westin to meet my Mom and Step-dad. My Mom hasn't been to Seattle since we moved away when I was four. We decided to walk over toward the
Space Needle to locate the Key Arena, where Lauren's graduation would be held in the morning. It was a glorious day and we enjoyed wandering through the
Seattle Center. Besides the Space Needle and Key Arena, the Seattle Center is home to the
Experience Music Project,
Seattle Pacific Center, one end of the monorail, carnival rides, stages for live music, and a terrific fountain.
On our way back from the Seattle Center, we came across the
Seattle Glassblowing Studio. A class was going on in back and we were allowed back there to observe the students trying their hand at glassblowing. The glass art was incredible and I'm annoyed with my self that I did not take more pictures while I was there.
The rendezvous point for the meeting up with the family was
Kell's Irish Pub. We had a few drinks while admiring the views of the harbor before the harbor cruise.
After the cruise, we went out for Lauren's graduation dinner. She selected a Thai restaurant on Broadway called
Jai Thai. They seem to have their domain name so I've linked to a map so you can see where the restaurant is located. I was surprised that Lauren selected Thai since she doesn't really care for Thai food but she claims this is the only place she'll eat Thai food. I had tofu pad thai which was pretty tasty.
Everyone was pretty well spent so we made an early night of it. I got back to my room and sunk into my '
Heavenly Bed' (part of Westin's marketing and believe me...dreamy!) and really the bed was unbelievably comfortable. Other nice touches were thick towels in the bathroom including a bath sheet plus a double-headed shower. I slept like a rock that night and I'm not sure that I moved a muscle during the night.
Lauren's graduation ceremony started bright and early on Sunday morning. We took the monorail which was right outside of our hotel and delivered directly to the Seattle Center. The ceremony lasted until noon. Lauren was celebrating her graduation on Sunday with her Dad and his family so my family wandered back from the Seattle Center on foot.
We found
Bambino's Pizzeria and stopped in for lunch. We ordered a delicious family-sized salad with greens, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, and pine nuts served with a balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was out of this world. The pizzas and calzones are made by hand and baked in a wood burning oven. They were quite tasty but took a very long time and we were famished by the time they arrived.
At this point, it was time to head to the airport for my flight home to Salt Lake. It was a bit of whirlwind trip but I had a good time visiting a great city. Now that Lauren isn't living here anymore I'm not sure when I'll get back that direction again. But if you haven't been to Seattle you should definitely plan a trip.
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