Seattle Mini-break-Part II

Sunday was one of those days in the Pacific Northwest that beats the odds. Not only was it clear, warm, and mild but it was also a weekend day. Usually those perfect days occur on a Tuesday, when you have a deadline, and all you can do is look out at the sun and whimper as you fall into a vitamin-d deficient coma.

Since we often move slowly in the morning, AJ ad I arrived at the ferry to Bainbridge Island with about 46 seconds to spare. The running and leaping were worth it for the view across the sound.



As we gazed at Seattle a nice bloke offered to take our picture with the Space Needle in the background. We were enthused and the picture below would have been one for the scrapbook... if he hadn't entirely missed the Space Needle (which is just out the view to Aurelia's right).

Aurelia looking nautical in the foc'sel.

The 27 square miles of Bainbridge Island is located 35 minutes by ferry from Seattle and until about 20 years ago consisted of berry farms and lumber mills. Toe Jam Hill is the tallest point on the island at 420 feet. We steered clear of there.

Instead we strolled down the touristy but quaint downtown, sampling the local cuisine and buying yarn. We stopped by the marina where I did my best to emulate a travel brochure with the image below.

With the "we were there" picture out the the way, Aurelia and I behaved like sensible tourists and followed the signs:




We caught the 3:40 ferry back the Seattle and were treated to a view of Mount Rainier. (There's something to be said about the naming of cities and places in the Northwest. The folks who names things tended to be literal, with towns named after the dominant activity or feature: Woodburn, Sellwood, Boring. This leads me to speculate that Seattle's mountain is victim to mass mispronunciation and should harken back to its more rainy roots. Which begs the question, more rainy than what?).

Mini-Break: Seattle - Part 1

Since we figured that getting away for an impromptu mini-break might be more difficult once the little chicken arrives, AJ and I zipped up to Seattle Friday evening for a getaway. Three and a half hours in the car saw us in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, which is full of big houses, their remarkable windows, and our B&B: the Salisbury House.

Not Salisbury house but typical of Capitol Hill.

Our room was cozy and thanks to AJ"s awareness of my sensitivity to doilies and tule, the frills were at a minimum. We ate at a great restaurant that specializes in coastal food, featuring a different region from time to time. When we arrived Peru was on the menu. Then we hit the sack to enjoy the best kind of rest: hotel sleep. I don't know if it's the high thread count in the sheets or the fluffy towels but I always sleep well at B&B's. So does AJ.


Saturday morning dawned grey but mild and after a vegetarian breakfast, no bacon...sigh, we meandered through the neighborhood, ogling windows and some nice public signage that I think I will try to emulate near our house.



Our general destination was Volunteer Park, designed by the Olmsted brothers who also worked on the Portland Park Blocks, Central Park in NYC and the Boston Fens. Smack in the middle of the park is an open reservoir and a large water storage tank. The tank is an imposing drum of clinker bricks and concrete bands that form the shell around a massive riveted steel container.

The door says it all.

The interior stairway leads to an overlook of the park and is rumored to be a great place to score some weed, smack or hunk o' burnin' love. None of those things were offered to our party, us being the only people there, and we were forced to be content with a view of the park below through the heavily barred windows. (no picture-imagination time).

Just up the meandering path from the tank is the local conservatory that boasts some fine orchids, cacti and, at least briefly, the hottest momma in the Northwest.




Later that evening we hung out with my UVA schoolmate Sam and her beau John, just back from trekking in Nepal. We were too busy talking about mountains and babies and eating gravy drenched french fries, pizza, and beer to take pictures.

Next time: "A Ferry across the Sound" or "The Sun Comes Out"