This is what the inside of an Amtrak train car looks like. Fortunately I was able to secure a window seat, which looks out on the Sound for a good chunk of the trip. At one point, I walked to the very front of the train for a cup of coffee. On the way back to my seat, the train took a turn and I fell into a bathroom stall and spilled some coffee on myself. The people sitting the front seats of the next car had a laugh at my expense, but I wasn't embarrassed because I figured it'd make a good story for later. Oh, and later I spilled again, only this time in my lap.
This is a photo from New Hong Kong Restaurant, where Jessica and I went with her friend to try Dim Sum. For those of you who have never tried it nor heard of it, Dim Sum is a collection of little plates of different foods that fill the belly very quickly. In the photo above, two of the dishes are some kind of pork-dumplings, one is rice, and the orange dish that appears to be carrots is actually chicken feet. Jessica and I did not eat those.
This is the arboretum located in Volunteer Park. Well, I think it was Volunteer Park, anyway. In the arboretum are collections of orchids, desert plants, and a number of unusual plants I've never seen before. Jessica and I took so many photos that the arboretum deserves a blog posting of its own.
Red Square at the University of Washington. You can't see it in the photo very well, but in the center there's a statue of George Washington and on a clear day, an observer can see the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Likewise, behind me is another walkway in which you'd be able to see Mt. Rainier in its full splendor to the South. The undergrads at UW don't have it too bad.
Pike Place Brewery. I really wanted to try one of these samplers. We walked around downtown after a late night out. We took a handful of photos from the night out, but most of them are either indistinguishable, irrelevant, or taken of people most readers of this blog probably don't know. So, I'll spare you. We did however go to a couple of interesting places. We were supposed to go to a drag show, but the establishment sold our reserved tickets, so improvising , we went to place called Charlie's, in which Brad and I and a few of their friends played a game of billiards. After Charlie's we went to a legitimate club called "Havana." Let's just say I was one of two men who had a beard (the other was in our group), and definitely the only person with a raincoat on. But I had a great time. I learned two things about clubs: Putting your hands as high in the air as you possibly can will help you get around a lot easier. Also, wearing the hood up on your raincoat makes you baller. (translation for moms and dads: wearing your hood up makes you cool.) Also, Brad deserves a mention here. He took it upon himself to drive us around all night, and then get up early to drive a co-worker home. Thanks for being that guy, Brad.
Photo taken at the market. We didn't really spend a whole lot of time at the Pike Place Market.
We did spend a good chunk of time at the farmer's market in Ballard, however. It was a pretty incredible market considering that this is what Seattle looks like in the middle of the winter. According to Brad and Jessica, this is about half the size of the summer farmers market. I was impressed with the number of musicians lining the streets, playing for change from passersby. I was also taken with the number of bicycles chained up to telephone poles and bike racks. It was really nice to see just how prevalent alternative transportation has become not only in Seattle, but on the coast in general. Had I wanted to, all of these events could've been accomplished without getting into a car. The Bellingham amtrak is on the busline, and the Seattle amtrak stops right next to a bus station, which sends busses out all over the city. Anyway, I had a wonderful time. Thanks again Brad and Jessica for hosting me and showing me all the cool things a person can do in 24 hours in Seattle.
This is what the inside of an Amtrak train car looks like. Fortunately I was able to secure a window seat, which looks out on the Sound for a good chunk of the trip. At one point, I walked to the very front of the train for a cup of coffee. On the way back to my seat, the train took a turn and I fell into a bathroom stall and spilled some coffee on myself. The people sitting the front seats of the next car had a laugh at my expense, but I wasn't embarrassed because I figured it'd make a good story for later. Oh, and later I spilled again, only this time in my lap.
This is a photo from New Hong Kong Restaurant, where Jessica and I went with her friend to try Dim Sum. For those of you who have never tried it nor heard of it, Dim Sum is a collection of little plates of different foods that fill the belly very quickly. In the photo above, two of the dishes are some kind of pork-dumplings, one is rice, and the orange dish that appears to be carrots is actually chicken feet. Jessica and I did not eat those.
This is the arboretum located in Volunteer Park. Well, I think it was Volunteer Park, anyway. In the arboretum are collections of orchids, desert plants, and a number of unusual plants I've never seen before. Jessica and I took so many photos that the arboretum deserves a blog posting of its own. 
Red Square at the University of Washington. You can't see it in the photo very well, but in the center there's a statue of George Washington and on a clear day, an observer can see the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Likewise, behind me is another walkway in which you'd be able to see Mt. Rainier in its full splendor to the South. The undergrads at UW don't have it too bad.
Pike Place Brewery. I really wanted to try one of these samplers. We walked around downtown after a late night out. We took a handful of photos from the night out, but most of them are either indistinguishable, irrelevant, or taken of people most readers of this blog probably don't know. So, I'll spare you. We did however go to a couple of interesting places. We were supposed to go to a drag show, but the establishment sold our reserved tickets, so improvising , we went to place called Charlie's, in which Brad and I and a few of their friends played a game of billiards. After Charlie's we went to a legitimate club called "Havana." Let's just say I was one of two men who had a beard (the other was in our group), and definitely the only person with a raincoat on. But I had a great time. I learned two things about clubs: Putting your hands as high in the air as you possibly can will help you get around a lot easier. Also, wearing the hood up on your raincoat makes you baller. (translation for moms and dads: wearing your hood up makes you cool.) Also, Brad deserves a mention here. He took it upon himself to drive us around all night, and then get up early to drive a co-worker home. Thanks for being that guy, Brad.
Photo taken at the market. We didn't really spend a whole lot of time at the Pike Place Market.
We did spend a good chunk of time at the farmer's market in Ballard, however. It was a pretty incredible market considering that this is what Seattle looks like in the middle of the winter. According to Brad and Jessica, this is about half the size of the summer farmers market. I was impressed with the number of musicians lining the streets, playing for change from passersby. I was also taken with the number of bicycles chained up to telephone poles and bike racks. It was really nice to see just how prevalent alternative transportation has become not only in Seattle, but on the coast in general. Had I wanted to, all of these events could've been accomplished without getting into a car. The Bellingham amtrak is on the busline, and the Seattle amtrak stops right next to a bus station, which sends busses out all over the city. Anyway, I had a wonderful time. Thanks again Brad and Jessica for hosting me and showing me all the cool things a person can do in 24 hours in Seattle.
You never know what they are putting in the train coffee. Or did you add a little extra?
ReplyDeleteFunny how trains make sudden movements. JR.