I Left My Heart In Seattle

What a town. I had high expectations of Seattle and was certainly not let down. I have dreamed all my life of visiting this city, and my full day of exploration only made me love it more. Never mind that it was sunny, clear skies, and reached seventy degrees. I know I should come back when it is cold and rainy, just to get a better grasp on reality. Despite the balmy weather, I truly enjoyed my day in downtown Seattle.

After pacing around in my room for an hour, I finally felt like it was late enough to head outside. Perhaps it was because of the blocking buildings or maybe the high latitude, but it took forever for the sun to become a pertinent part of the day! When I woke up at 5:00 AM, I could have sworn it was midnight because it was still pitch-black outside.

I first headed towards Pikes Place Market shortly after 9:00 AM. People were still setting up their shops, so I decided to come see it again later in the day for a true experience. The flowers? A huge bouquet for $5.00? I would get fresh flowers every morning at that price! I didn't see any fish being thrown around prior to being filleted, but I did see endless displays of fish fresh from the water. If I liked fish even remotely, this probably would have been quite enjoyable. For this happy chicken-lover, however, I took a picture and scurried along my way.

I found the Gum Wall accidentally on my journey to find The Waterfront. It was fascinating to see so much gum strategically placed. And yes, the idea of how many germs were floundering in such a location crossed my mind. I found an entrance to the water and walked along the deck. I felt as if I was intruding on several homeless people's much-needed sleep. But I did get some nice pictures and enjoyed being on the water. This harbor is where the initial Alaskan gold first came into the United States back in the 1800's. Hence several shops are dedicated to miners and pirates alike.

Next, I wandered back up to Pikes Place to see the remainder of the booths. People make crafts, paintings, tiles, purses...you name it, you can buy it here. I didn't buy a thing and was quite proud of myself. I prefer to be someone who doesn't collect trinkets! It's a good thing, too, because my house would be full of them from all of my travels!

I then headed back south towards Pioneer Square and the Columbia Center, downtown's tallest building. I ate lunch here at a deli called Specialty's. Any sandwich with sprouts and avocado gets thumbs-up from me. My feet were already throbbing, but I continued my walk back towards the hotel, taking a different street so as to see even more of the city. It was quite a discovery for my shins to realize how vertical Seattle truly is. I climbed and descended many hills all through the day. Everything was so breathtaking. I think I walked about nine miles round trip.

When I got back to the hotel, I rested my feet for an hour before meeting Terry for an evening at the Boeing Museum of Flight. A separate post, all about airplanes, to come.

Conclusions: Seattle is a wonderful, friendly, magical, pedestrian-friendly location. I would move here in a heartbeat but think I should visit in the winter before I start looking for condos! It was such a great day and truly a dream come true to finally explore Seattle.