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