usa: washington: seattle

Getting from Charlotte to Seattle was supposed to be easy. I was supposed to have a flight around noon, a layover, then another flight, landing in Seattle in the evening. When I woke up in the morning I discovered my first flight had been cancelled, which totally changed the plan. I didn't receive any notification from the airline that my flight had been cancelled, I only found out because I checked online to see if it was still scheduled to be on time. I don't know what I would've done if I'd gotten to the airport and found out then. 

Since my first flight was cancelled, I called the airline to find out what they were planning to do to get me to Seattle. I was really glad I'd booked directly through the airline, it made figuring out the changes a lot easier. I was on hold for 30 minutes, then three minutes of talk time got everything sorted out.

My first flight ended up being around 1800, with a layover in Houston. When I landed in Houston I discovered the new second flight had been delayed, argh. It all meant I landed after midnight in Seattle, making for a very long day.

I'm grateful for my friends, (Lynnae was one of the very first people I met when I moved to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 2001,) as the one who was hosting me was still willing to pick me up at the airport at that crazy time of night. She drove us to her house, then we stayed up way too late talking before going to sleep.

The next morning I was woken up by her three sons coming to meet me. They'd all heard about me, and they'd read the postcards I'd sent, so they were curious. The last time I'd seen the sons, there had only been two, and the youngest had been just a month old. 

Now there were three, with the youngest at five years old.

Lynnae cooked breakfast, and we all hung out. The boys were out playing in the backyard for a bit, loving it. When weather is good, it's always a good idea for kids to be outside, amusing themselves.

When we were all organized, Lynnae was kind enough to load everyone into the van and drive us into the city center. Traffic in Seattle is a mess (like any big city,) so this was no small feat. I'd booked myself a hire car, and it was heaps cheaper to pick it up in the city center than it was to pick it up at the airport.  

I got the car, figured out where I wanted to go next, then drove out of the parking garage.

My destination was the Seattle campus of the University of Washington. It was somewhat painful to go there, as I grew up as a Wazzu (Washington State University) fan. Howeva I'd seen a photo online of a reading room in a library on that campus, I wanted to see it for myself. I'm a sucker for old school reading rooms in libraries.

The hardest part of visiting this campus was finding parking. Like many major university campuses, it was built long before the average student had a car. Like many major university campuses, the idea is still that students come to class on campus, still without a car. It makes sense when you are a student, and are able to use other forms of transport, but when you're a visitor, it's not very convenient.

After circling around at least twice, I finally found the entrance to a parking garage, and parked. I followed signs on the walls, hoping I was heading in the right direction. Suzallo Library is named for Henry Suzallo, who was the university president when construction on the library started. It was formally named for him after he died in 1933.

The entrance area wasn't anything special, but the stairs going upstairs were quite grand. Stained glass, stone stairs, etc.... The reading room was everything I hoped it would be.

Vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows, old school green lamps, bookshelves along the walls, etc... Beautiful.

I didn't want to fork out a fortune for parking, so I didn't spend much time on campus, though it was temping. It's a pretty campus, not that I want to admit something like that about a school that is a rival to one I support. I was lucky with the weather that day, it was clear, and I was able to see Mt Rainier from a fountain on campus. Gorgeous.

I drove from the UW campus to another iconic place in Seattle, the REI flagship store. It's not just an REI store, it's an experience. For anyone who doesn't know, REI is a store/company for outdoor gear and clothing. Chances are, if you need something for an outdoor adventure, they have it. They have their own brand, but also sell tons of others. There is a climbing wall in this flagship store, the whole thing is incredible. Every year they have at least one massive clearance sale, devotees get super excited when that rolls around. I spent money of course, more than I should have spent, but I loved everything I got.

Normally you can park at the REI store for two hours for free, howeva the day I visited they had free parking all day long. For me, this was practically an invitation to leave my car there, in a somewhat secure location, for free!!

I walked to my next sight, stopping on the way for a cool drink at a coffee shop. It didn't take me too long to get to Chihuly Gardens and Glass, a well known place in Seattle.

While it is classified as a museum, this is basically a giant art exhibit, showing the work of Dale Chihuly. He has a very distinctive style of glass sculpture, the whole thing was totally worth the $30 entry fee. 

I don't know if it was done intentionally, but each sculpture is set up in a social media friendly way, in that you can take photos without other people in the photos.

Half the museum is indoors, then you walk through an atrium with more sculptures hanging from the ceiling. Then you head outside to gardens with sculptures placed throughout grass and other landscaping. Though I loved the whole thing, the indoor section was my favourite.

When I left the museum I realized it would be good timing to walk back to the car, and drive to Lynnae's house. 

I didn't know what rush hour traffic is like in Seattle, and I didn't want to find out.

That night I got to hang out with the whole family: all three kids, Lynnae, and her husband Colin. I met Colin when he and Lynnae got married, but obviously I didn't get to know him well at the wedding.

The next morning another GaP friend picked me up, bright and early at 0600. It wasn't too hard for me to get up at that hour, since my body was still mostly on east coast time, which was three hours ahead. I'd only messaged Chelise the day before about getting together, I basically got really lucky that she wasn't working the whole time I was in the Seattle area.

We drove (well, Chelise drove, not me,) to Mt Rainier national park. Since we were on the road so early, we got to see beautiful rural areas without a lot of traffic. We also avoided the crazy number of people who visit this national park, thank goodness.

Chelise had picked out a hiking trail, and figured out the best park. We got to see some great views on the way to the parkplatz, which I loved. She'd chosen a trail called Emmons Moraine, which took us to viewpoints of this moraine, as well as a beautiful lake filled with glacial water. There were a couple points in the trail where we 'turned a corner' and were presented with stunning views, we were both in heaven.

Surprisingly, I managed to stay on my feet the whole time, I didn't fall off a mountain, or a hill. (I'm just coordinated enough to do such a thing.) We saw a small waterfall while on the trail, and could feel the cool air coming off the water. I wish I had a week or more to hike different trails around the national park.

After hiking we drove back to town, where Chelise dropped me off at Lynnae's house. I hung out there for a few more hours, watching the boys entertain themselves. In the evening Lynnae went to work, and I went with Colin as he took the boys to their lessons at a local YMCA.

On the way home from the lessons we picked up Mexican food for dinner, yum.

The next day was the end of my visit in Seattle. Lynnae lives in a suburb, so after breakfast we took the boys down a few streets to get to the shores of Lake Tapps. 

It's quiet, it's pretty, and if you're rich it's a nice place to own a house. (I'm never going to be rich enough for a house on this lake.)

Some people swim in this lake, but this summer there is an algea growing, and it hasn't been decided yet whether the water is safe for swimming. Wading around is okay, but full on swimming maybe not. I waded around, but didn't swim.

Not long after we got back from the house I had to say goodbye and get on the road. 

At the end of my two week trip to the pacific northwest I ended up driving back to Seattle in the morning and spending a few more hours in the city before turning in my car and heading to the airport. 

When I first arrived I decided to go to the Japanese garden, it was fairly easy to find after arriving from out of town.  This garden is in the southern end of the Washington Park Arboretum. Seattle is a big city, but in this garden it is quiet, and almost spiritual. 

No photo equipment is allowed, so I didn't use my tripod, but I was able to ask strangers to take my photo.  

This garden has been around for quite a while, plans were made for it starting back in the 1930s. Construction was finally completed in 1960. Each rock, tree, and flower has been put in a particular place. It is a really peaceful place to spend a couple hours. 

From there I drove to another neighborhood, to a cemetery. The grave of Bruce Lee is easy to find, and Brandon Lee is buried right next to Bruce. Bruce Lee was a well known Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, and more. His grave is decorated, of course, and people leave offerings. While I waited to take a single photo, one guy had his friend take at least 10 different photos of him standing next to the grave. 

I had two more things to see, both were statues of a sort. The first was the winner of an art contest in 1990, the Fremont Troll.

The Fremont Arts Council sponsored the contest as a way to help clean up the area under the bridge, which apparently was getting to be pretty bad. It's an iconic spot in Seattle, but there is no parking nearby, which I think is a good thing. People are all there to have their photos taken with the troll; for the most part they are polite and everyone waits their turn. 

A quick five minute walk from the Fremont Troll is a statue I never expected to see in the States: Lenin. 

Wikipedia tells me this particular statue was made and displayed in the Czech Republic in 1988, a year before the Velvet Revolution toppled the government and changed everything. In 1993 a rich American found the statue in a scrap yard, so he paid to have it shipped to the States. I'm not sure what his specific plans were, but he died before carrying them out. More Wikipedia reading tells me it has been on 'temporary' display since 1995. 

I walked all the way back to my car, (I'd parked more than a mile away,) then dropped the car at the garage near the hire car office. From there it was an easy and short walk to catch the train to the airort. 

I will definitely be back to Seattle.  

continuing around bits and pieces of the states...

after florida i flew to seattle, mostly for lynnae's wedding..i had invited scott to be my date in seattle...he's a friend from my time in germany, it had been a few years since we'd seen each other..he lives in reno, and was able to get the weekend off to fly up..he and i explored the town, the first time for either of us to be in seattle...we both loved it...it's got great public transport, is environmentally aware, and has plenty to see and do..the day we went up the space needle we could see mt rainier and whateva the further away mountain is..apparently it's only that clear about 30 days of the year..the wedding was fantastic...lynnae and colin had organized everything really well..they got married at some gardens just outside enumclaw, which is out from seattle..since it wouldn't have been easy for everyone to get there on their own, a bus had been set up to take us all from the hotel to the gardens..it was exactly what i want in my wedding, if i ever have one...it was all about their family and friends having a good time, and we did...i got to meet colin for the first time, who is just as good looking in person as he is in pictures..and he's really nice..previous to meeting me he had only known me as the girl who sent postcards to lynnae every now and again..at the reception scott met julia, a friend of lynnae's from when she and colin lived in north carolina..(though julia now lives in portland)...hee hee...after the reception was over, there was an after party at a nearby bar..the yella beak saloon..when all of us wedding goers walked in, it was clear we werent dressed to fit in..the next day, i realized i had left my mobile at the yella beak saloon, so scott and i hired a car and drove all the way back..he's a great driver, i was happy to let him drive..the day we left scott and i drove back to the airport, and he checked in for his flight..i had a while to wait, but oh well..
my next visit was to new york city to finally see kristin again, and meet katherine for the first time...she's doing great...and their loft is awesome!!! on broadway, in manhattan...it doesn't get much better than that..i loved it...i'd never been to new york before, and knowing people and being able to stay in downtown manhattan was incredible..i got to walk everywhere...the statue of liberty and ellis island i got to visit one afternoon..you have to buy tickets for the ferry, which first drops you off at the statue of liberty..(a gift from the french, a while ago)..before 11 september, tourists could climb all the way up the statue..that's no longer allowed, which is probably a good thing, seeing as how there were no emergency exits, and they had had a couple health related fatalities over the years..the statue is copper (which is why it's green on the outside) and therefore gets REALLY hot inside, particularly during the summer months..apparently a lot of people attempted the climb up who weren't in good enough shape..from there i took the ferry to ellis island, which is where immigrants to the US all had to process through, back when..that's where the initial health screening was done, as well as information given, etc..they still have most of the records, and it's pretty impressive..it's a place where plenty of names were americanized for easier pronunciation..i took a practice US citizenship test, and aced it..some of the questions seemed like they were designed to trick the testtaker..the sight of the new york city cityline from the water was beautiful..the UN (did you know that the UN is technically not part of the united states? i don't know what it's governance is)..i saw what is known as ground zero..as was the intention of the powers that be, there is no attention drawn to the area..there is construction stuff there, building up the new buildings...i can't remember if it's a memorial, or just another building..the people of new york city want to send a constant message to the terrorists, that life will continue with no differences, despite the attack...one night we went to listen to the new york philharmonic in central park with 60,000 of our closest friends...we brought sushi to eat while listening, and the dogs loved getting out of the loft..one night we went to a restaurant for ukrainian food..yum..i love the amazing variety of food in the city..there are so many immigrants, something that hasn't changed since the city was first founded..one night kristin and katherine hosted a party for a group of their friends..it was to celebrate kristin finishing work at the hospital..she had enjoyed the work, but wanted to depend entirely on her private practice..i want to go back!! it would be awesome to see a show on broadway, check out the other borroughs, etc..plus, kristin and katherine are great people:)
from new york, i flew to toronto to visit brooke...she's one of my friends from korea..it was great to catch up with her, she's been through a lot...she looks amazing, maybe even too skinny..she started weight watchers during the year i taught at psa, and ended up losing quite a bit of weight..she's really strong, and controlled herself really well once she started keeping track of her points..i was there the weekend of toronto pride, so we checked that out..great music, good food, lots of fun..one of my nights there brooke and i continued our tradition of date night, which involves ridiculously bad fast food and a movie..i met her roommate tasha, a british chick..tasha has a strong personality, to put it mildly..i didn't get to see much (or any) of the city, but that wasn't the point of me going to toronto..getting to and from the airport in toronto was easy, there is a train the whole way..there is also good public transport around the city..brooke usually walks to and from work, though she could take the tram if she wanted to..
my next visit was to chicago to see megan...awesome...i knew her when we were both in germany..i took the 'el' into the city from the airport, and met her at one of the stops..the first thing we did was go to breakfast at ihop, my first time ever eating at an ihop!! i know it's not the classiest place, but i really wanted breakfast food..she has a great apartment, and a great roommate...the flat is huge!! i slept in the living room, on an air mattress, falling asleep to movies on the projector each night..we went to the taste of chicago...lots of yummy food!!! i'd heard that it is an expensive thing to attend, but it wasn't all that bad..there are tons of stalls set up, each one manned by a different restaurant from the city..each stall has a menu, consisting of just a few options..usually three choices, and a "taste" option..each choice costs a certain number of tickets..we walked all around the area to get a feel for what was there, then went back to places that interested us..using both of our sets of tickets, we tried a lot of different types of food, and loved most of them..after stuffing ourselves, we went to a concert by joss stone...i had heard her name ahead of time, but didn't really know her music at all..fun times..and great weather...one day i got to see megan's workplace, she works at argo tea..it's kinda like the starbucks of tea..there aren't nearly as many branches, but they have a huge menu..who knew there were that many ways of serving tea!!...i shopped a bit, and wandered a bit...chicago is a great city for wandering..so many people to see, so much going on all the time..it's another city with great public transport..i wish more cities were the same..
after chicago i went back to indiana for one last week, to pack up and figure out what i'll need for the next year and a half of my life!!! i also spent the 4th of july in bloomington, something i hadn't done in years..hana, dad, ann and i went to the fireworks put on by the city, around the football stadium..we set up our chairs on the lawn of one of the churches across the bypass, we had by far the best views i've ever had of the fireworks...
during the weeks i spent in bloomington, i realized that bloomington doesn't feel like home at all anymore...i felt rather unwelcome most of the time, as if i was intruding...seeing people around town was nice, but what used to be my home most certainly isn't anymore..now i feel homeless, and have no real desire to go back to bloomington for a long time..