Seattle Trip - Day 6 - Monday, 29 May - Seattle to Chicago to Pittsburgh to Mars

Yes, a very early morning. Up at 3 a.m. and down in the lobby to wait for the shuttle to the airport. It was a quick ride and we found the airport, at least at the American counter, quite deserted. TSA checkpoint was also void of many people. Alas, there is no Admiral's Club at SeaTac, so we sat with the hoi polloi. Got some much needed coffee and waited for our flight to board. 

I had upgraded our seats from row 22 to row 9, thanks to Earle's gold status. Once on board I was fortunate to have an empty seat next to me. Unfortunately,  the pilot announce that we were going to be delayed because of some maintenance issues - a navigational problem. First it was 10 minute, then 20, and then finally at 6:48 we were in the air. We had had a fairly comfortable connection time in Chicago, but that was eaten into quickly. We did land ORD at 12:32, but then toured the tarmac for 25 minutes. Luckily, they had changed the arrival gate so we were only 4 gates from our departure gate. We hustled and saw they were boarding. Hit the priority line and got on without a problem, except being out of breath from running. Bless the airline deities that we had been granted a complimentary upgrade to business class for this flight. 

First order of business was a glass of chardonnay, as Amy describes it, my toddler drink After takeoff it was a very nice bloody Mary. A smooth flight where I could relax, sip and read. 

We were quite surprised our luggage made it to PIT. Collected it and took the shuttle back to the Double Tree and home by 5:30. It was a very short trip, but ballpark #29 is now collected. Only Denver to go. 

Seattle Trip - Day 5 - Sunday, 28 May - Seattle

 It was a leisurely morning again because of the early afternoon game. Ran down to the little snack shop in the hotel and picked up some juice and granola bars for breakfast. Then on to packing the suitcases so that we could check out and head to the game. 

Another packed house in T-Mobile Park. Saw a number of Pirates fans, but nowhere near the number that travel to games on the east coast. It was little league day and the kids were allowed to walk around the field with their teams. 

We grabbed some lunch. Earle had a Seattle Dog - hot dog with jalapeños, cheese, and bacon. I had pretty tame chicken tenders with garlic fries. The fries were good (not as good as Oracle Park in SF) but tasty. There were too many to eat, for sure. 

This was what I couldn't eat.

After I finished lunch, I went back and visited the Mariner's Hall of Fame. It was a nice display, but well hidden behind one of the concession stands. 

The game didn't end like it should have. The Pirates came back tied it up and then had the bases loaded in the 10th inning and couldn't score. Mariner's walked it off with a 3 run home run. 

Went back to the hotel to mass confusion in trying to pick up our luggage. The hotel managerial staff needs a lesson on efficiency! After about 25 minutes finally had the bags in hand - and we were only the 3rd party in queue. 

Took a Lyft to the Double Tree Hotel at the Airport where we reorganized the luggage for the trip home. We had packed everything into our checked luggage in the morning so we could lock it for storage. 

Then time for an early dinner in the hotel restaurant. Earle had a Rachel sandwich was quite substantial. I opted for a margarita and wings!

Early bed since we had a 3:00 wake up call. Another very short night ahead. 

Seattle Trip - Day 4 - Saturday, 27 May - Seattle

Woke up a bit before Earle, made some coffee and wrote yesterday’s blog. Today was baseball and so there was no reason to rush around to get ready. Had the little donuts we bought at the market for breakfast, knowing that we would have lunch at the ballpark. 

Showered, dressed, and off across the street about 11:45. It was very crowded street and sidewalk. That was more than likely because it was J.P. Crawford Bobble Head Day. We found where are seats were and then went on a quest for lunch. It is a strange park that only has tables and eating areas on the top concourse. So we headed up where we ate last night and scored a table as a family was leading. We then realized that all the escalators go UP before the game starts. Earle got nachos and I did a Mariner dog, that was quite tasty. 

So we headed back down the ramp (1.23 miles) for our seats in a new area for us. We wanted to avoid the sun so we sat in first level underneath the overhang. Seats were good, but the Mariner fans were quite annoying. I don’t think anyone saw more than 2 innings. Up and down during the whole game. I am glad we were sitting in the middle of the row so we weren’t up and down. 

Hydro Challenge is the Mariner’s equivalent to the pierogie race

It was a tough outing for Vince Velasquez as he just came off the IL. Lots of Pirate strikeouts led to a 5-0 loss. 

Back to the hotel where we listened to the Pirate postgame show. Seems that Velasquez was pulled due to elbow discomfort again. Then some time to do a bit of writing and reading my book before dinner.

Headed out to Alki Beach for dinner at Duke’s, They are famous for their clam chowder. Started out with a tall margarita to drown my sorrow, then a bowl of the famous chowder and a crab deviled egg. We followed that with crab cakes for Earle and Hannah’s French salmon for me. it was salmon filet with an herb mustard sauce and delicious

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We had hoped for a stunning sunset, but the clouds had a mind of their own. 

Back to the hotel and time to semi-organize suitcases and  for our cheesecake dessert. Some blog writing and tv before bed.

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Seattle Trip - Day 3 -Friday, 26 May - Seattle

 Time zone changes reck havoc with sleep patterns so awoke at 4 a.m. but managed to doze in and out of sleep until regular arise time of 7:30. A beautiful day in the neighborhood today. Headed down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Wow - $66 for We will plan for different options tomorrow! Earle did love his grilled banana bread with nutella, tho. 

Our plan for the day was a city tour, which we were to meet at the public library, which is one of the most stunning architectural gems. Got there a bit early to take photos, but the tour bus was already there, so we hopped on. It was a nice group of 12 people, all except us either going on or coming from an Alaskan cruise. 

We had done a city tour the last time we were here, but decided that it would be a good idea to see what was new and changed. I am glad that we did. Seattle has suffered from the ills of the pandemic much as many cities have, with empty storefronts, homeless, and drug addiction. We got to see many of the neighborhoods and historical areas of the city. Most of the photos were taken from the van so angle and obstacles proved difficult. 

Drove past Pike Place Market and then into the Pioneer Square area where we found a lovely park that commemorated the founding of UPS. Waterfalls Park was a beautiful and quiet spot in the midst of a busy city, 

Just around the corner from the Waterfalls Park was an historical national park that commemorates the Gold Rush in the Seattle area. We didn’t have much time to really enjoy the site, but it was well done.

Pioneer Square Park was another green area in the city that is used for gatherings. 

The train stations in the city are unique and charming.

We passed the international area of the city that was marked by the Chinatown Gate,

Our tour guide, Amalia, was a great driver and we saw many areas of the city as well as crossing Lake Washington to Mercer Island past Lumen Stadium, home of the Seahawks. Let me say there is still blatant anger against the Steelers for beating the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL!

Back to Seattle proper and the area of  Fremont to see the Fremont Troll or Troll under the Bridge. It is a public sculpture that was commissioned to try to deter people from littering and throwing away large pieces of bedding. However, it was met with some opposition from the homeless, who often camped out there. 

An imaginative dinosaur topiary

It was then on to the Fisherman’s Terminal. We picked up some drinks and a snack since it was getting close to 1:00

The salmon looked unbelievable good and of course, fresh! And I thought our fish prices were high.

We drove along an area that was home to communities of floating home, very small and very expensive. One of them was the site of the home in Sleepless in Seattle. Need to watch that movie again. 

It was then on to Commodore Park, scenic area that is also home to a set of locks that bridges the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of Lake Washington. There is a salmon ladder there, but they were not spawning at this time of the year. 

Salmon Waves Sculpture in the park

We also watched a ship go through the locks. Always fascinating to see

The final area that the tour covered was the Queen Ann neighborhood that provided wonderful vistas of the harbor and the city. 

From Kerry Park in the Queen Ann area.

Our tour ended when Amalia graciously dropped us off at the market. We watched the fish throwing for a bit and then wandered the market and picked up some donuts for breakfast and some little cheesecakes for dessert after the ball game. 

Lobster prices were astonishing

Back to the room to regroup before walking across the street to T-Mobile Park #29 of the 30 stadiums. Got my passport book stamped and then headed up to the 3rd level where we found Ivars Fish for dinner of clams and fries. They were really good ballpark fare.

The views from the top deck stadium were amazing. It is a shame that you can’t see them once you are inside. 

The obligatory restroom photo. Clean and well maintained.

Retired Mariner's numbers: only Griffey and Martinez in addition to Jackie Robinson’s ..

The Pirates during the National Anthem

It was a fireworks night at the park and unlike PNC Park, most of the fans left. Season ticket holders had the option of going on the field - with blankets no less. 

The fireworks weren’t spectacular, but had a couple of twists - actual fireworks on the field and they were done to karaoke - all different genre of music including Dancing Queen and Country Roads.

Fantastic game with the Pirates hitting 7 home runs and beating the Mariners 11-6.

Back to the hotel and bed after the news. Would you believe that they never even mentioned the baseball game in the sports section.