Seattle area

Sorry, I've been lax in posting due to traveling and spotty WiFi service. But I'm back!!!!! We just left the Seattle area and all I can say is "wow". Not all good though. The traffic is horrible. But the reason is because lots of people live in Seattle. Why? Because it's a very charming city. A big city, but full of little enclaves which were a delight to the senses.

I'll start with Ballard, a town founded by Scandinavian settlers. It's the University of Washington area--U Dub, and is literally filled to brimming with quaint little shops and among them a million coffee shops. After all, this is the land of Starbucks. I often wondered if Seattleites are aggressive drivers because the blood in the veins has been replaced by coffee. There is just about a coffee shop on every block. No kidding! The Museum of Nordic Heritage is in Ballard and worth a visit. It tells Seattle's history and is a very well-done museum. It has, among other goodies, a room for each of the countries; Denmark, Norway, Sweden, etc. Very interesting.

Puget Sound. Water, water water--everywhere and Puget sound is only one body of water in this area. The downtown area of Seattle borders on it. Now that is a place to people-watch and enjoy. Pike Place Market is there, with the flying fish. No, not fish with wings. Just fish (big fish) being thrown across the room by the guys working there. Quite a show. And the whole complex there is just full of cute shops, and good places to eat. We ate at the Athena Grill. Good food, and a great view of the water and all it's marine traffic.

Another museum of note was the Museum of Flight, near the airport. It is one big place. We had only blocked out a couple of hours and realized when we got there it would not be enough. It is a HUGE place, just chock-full of planes, and stories of pilots, and stories about the use of aircraft in war and peacetime. I'd say don't go unless you had about four hours. And that would be tight. If you're an airplane nut you would be in heaven.

And the ferries. I adore a boat ride. Seattle area is a large expanse of water surrounding and dividing a large mass of land. The Washington Ferry system is very efficient at moving people and cars. While I'm thinking of water, I want to mention Whidbey Island. It was one of the most beautiful places we saw. Rolling hills, pretty ocean views, lovely little towns--it was a package of delight. I saw it as a place to pass through on the way to... Not so, it was delightful in its own right, and one of my favorite places to remember. We ate at a wonderful little restaurant in Coupeville called Captain Jack's Hideaway. Wonderful seafood, a great view of the bay, and very good service. It was a sublime experience.

Seattle is a city just brimming with things to do, places to go and great food to eat. This post won't be the only one for Seattle. Because after all, how can you fit such greatness into a few paragraphs? Go and see and taste. You'll love it.