From Snow to Skylines

Sorry, I have been remiss in my posting. I was beat yesterday after the 1am flight. James booked us in the first class seats, right in the very front. If you have never flown first class, I highly recommend it. I had never flown first class before, we got anything we wanted to drink for free (in real glasses), hot nuts, snack bags and super comfy seats. After the flight, we were the first people at the baggage claim, grabbed our bags and picked up Chelsea. My baby girl was still very sleepy from the drugs we gave her. Then we got a rental car and headed to the hotel.

We experienced our first Seattle rush hour traffic which was actually very organized. They have light up screens at different points along the way, which show a different speed than normally posted so as not to totally congest the roadways and it seems to work.

Rush Hour - Seattle, Washington

Traffic Control - Seattle, Washington

I absolutely love the hotel room. We are staying at the La Quinta hotel. James booked us in a suite, so it has a large living room with a double sink near the bathroom. The bathroom is large with a double shower head. The bedroom is really nice with a king size bed and it's own tv set and a door to keep out any noise from the living room if James wants to stay up after me. The two best things about the hotel is the location, which is right near downtown and the views. The living room has a terrific view of the tall buildings of downtown and the bedroom window has a spectacular view of the Space Needle. It is very clean, offers a continental breakfast and free internet that is so much better than the internet in Alaska.

Just a small part of the view from the living room of our hotel - Seattle Washington

View from our hotel bedroom - Seattle, Washington

After a little nap, we took Chelsea to the nearby park to get some exercise. I had to take my coat off because it was so warm. There is something about the air in Seattle that is different than Anchorage too. It has a fresh scent to it and the humidity feels so good, almost like a warm blanket making you feel cozy. The trees here still have leaves on them and some haven't even started changing colors. There are different trees here than in Anchorage, they are taller, fuller and healthier looking. The Maple trees are my favorite because they are so pretty with the red and yellow colors of fall. I saw a squirrel in one of the trees, it was bigger than the ones in Alaska. He just sat there and posed for me, looking oh so cute.

Chelsea and I at the park - Seattle, Washington

Squirrel in Park - Seattle, Washington

Statue in the park - Seattle, Washington

Tree in park - Seattle, Washington

Leaves and pine cone in the park - Seattle, Washington

After the park, we drove to the Port of Tacoma to pick up the Tahoe, it was cloudy but not raining on the way. After dealing with a very annoying Garmin GPS, we finally made it back to SeaTac to return the rental car. However, on the way back, we had a happy mistake. We discovered the Bonsai and Rhododendron Gardens which were unfortunately closed, but will be a definite stop before heading out of Washington. I love how there is so much foliage, and moss on the trees. Ivy is everywhere and must be a pest to Washington gardeners much like Chickweed is to Alaskans.

Bonsai Gardens - Near SeaTac, Washington

After finally getting back into Seattle, we chilled out for a little bit and then went for a long walk around downtown from our hotel through all the skyscrapers, down to the waterfront, to the Space Needle and then back to the hotel. All in all, we were gone for several hours and saw some wonderful sights in the warmth of the evening.

Seattle Waterfront at night - Seattle, Washington

After we took Chelsea to the park, we went to the Space Needle on a lovely sunny day that was in the 60's.  It was so pretty up there and we could see everything for miles and miles.

The park in the sunshine - Seattle, Washington

Me at the Space Needle - Seattle, Washington 

View of Downtown Seattle from the Space Needle - Seattle, Washington

We then drove to just outside of Olympia to check out a camp trailer. It is high on the list but we are going to look at a couple more before we decide.

We went and got dinner at Whole Foods. It was an experience, fresh bread, fresh cheese, fresh fruit, lovely flowers sitting outside.....lovely. I bought some green grapes that are absolutely the sweetest and there aren't any rotten ones. There is a Whole Foods in Austin and I am sure that we will be visiting it often, if not daily.

Good night for now. Until next time....
Rebecca


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