A New Baby

Well, almost new.

We are getting the paint and interior done on my baby over the next several weeks. With any luck (parts arriving from Belgium some time today), we will be heading towards the paint shop in New England early tomorrow morning. I just received this final rendering of what the new plane will look like on the outside. We are even switching the tail number to match the serial number of the airplane!

What do you think of my "new" baby?

Things With Wings

The FBO we utilize at Boeing Field provides us free passes to the Boeing Museum of Flight. However, it was going to be a rushed first experience since we only had Friday morning to do it. When Terry discovered that it was free to the public and open until 9:00 PM the first Thursday of every month, we jumped in the car and spent five hours looking at a lot of neat, original airplanes late into the night. We even sweet-talked a Docent, or museum tour guide, into walking us around and talking, though he kept insisting that tours are not offered on free nights. All you have to do is say you are a pilot and start asking questions and they take over from there. Finally, someone who likes airplanes as much as me! Our Docent was a retired Air Force Colonel and even flew several battle missions into Korea and Vietnam. I felt like I was in the presence of greatness, and he certainly knew a thing or two about the airplanes in the museum. He was only able to walk us through the World War I exhibit, but I learned so much in the hour we followed him around like lost puppies. We are so blessed to live in a free country made possible by great men like him.

This was my first visit to the Boeing Museum of Flight, though I have dreamed of going for years. The exhibits were so nice and informative. And lots of airplanes were present! An original airplane costs around $1.5 million, and upwards of $5 million if it's restored. The bigger airplanes cost way more than that. We saw hundreds of every kind and loved every second! The only downside: because it was free night, there were tons of screaming kids every where. I was screaming and running around inside my head but managed to keep a calm, excited look on the outside. I would time it differently next time to avoid the crowds. Despite the thirty-million visitors to the museum that evening, I still managed to see some incredible flying machines. I now plan to visit every time we go to Seattle! I am sure I will never get bored in a building full of airplanes.

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.