Seattle – Locks, food and…overcast

Yesterday was not much really but a well needed rest. The highlight was a big grocery run of fresh ingredients which culminated in some awesome enchiladas. Always a pleasure to be able to cook while still on the road and a small way of saying thanks to my host.

Today, sightseeing! Being a tourist, that kind of thing. Hopped on a bus and headed to Chittenden Locks. Always fascinating to see a gigantic boat “magically” raise and lower and interesting how the sound is elevation separated.

Also quite fascinating is taking an up close look at salmon heading to the ocean and fortunate for salmon nerds the Sound over, there is a “fish ladder” that lets you view them up close.

  

The locks are well worth a visit and you can’t beat the free pricetag. I heard there was a botanical garden there also but its really not much, oh well. I did find a thistle with a tiny white spider though

 

When I tour, my coffee habit definitely kicks in. Seattle….is definitely not helping that. But my god have I had some good coffee. There are coffee places everyyyyywhere.

 

Yesterday, based on rave reviews online, I booked a tour through Savor Seattle to take a walking tour of Pike Place Market and surrounds. Verdict: well worth it! The market is a fairly overwhelming place considering the size and number of pepople; it’s quite nice to have a guide lead you around and even nicer to get to taste a wide variety of fare from all the vendors and restaurants.

I saw perhaps a third of the market, barely scratched the surface, I may have to return.  One of the strange attractions to the market is the gum wall which is as advertised, a wall covered completely in gum. The aroma wafting off the wall is quite powerful haha

 

The rest of the day was spent wandering and taking pictures. I love the old brick buildings around Pioneer Square. The waterfront area is a bit like SFs Fishermans Wharf but with an annoyingly loud raised highway running next to it. The weather turned overcast by afternoon; textbook Seattle move. Drizzled a little too. Didn’t mind that much, was still around 70F, but it did wreak havoc with my pictures. Any shot with sky visible was impossible, washed out. Here a few anyway:

I’m trying to get a Monday ticket for the Bumbershoot music festival. It may get rained out though! It would still be awesome to see Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand though.

04.Sep.09 West Coast Tour