Monday
We arrived at Seattle's Sea-Tac (Seattle/Tacoma) airport in the morning, and took a taxi to the Bremerton Ferry. Not suprisingly, it was very overcast and a bit rainy. Upon boarding the ferry I immediately went upstairs and got hotdogs, and Katie got out her knitting. The ferry ride took about an hour, and when we reached Bremerton, Amy met us. We then drove to Julie's house and visited until it was time to pick Jasmine up from school. Needless to say, Jasmine was very excited to have her Aunt Kate greet her at school. Monday evening we relaxed and visited and had fun playing with Jasmine.Tuesday
Happily, Amy was off on Tuesday, so she acted as our tour-guide as we visited the quaint little town of Poulsbo. Katie had told me about Poulsbo the first time she flew out to the Seattle area by herself, and when she relayed the fact that the entire town is Viking-themed, I knew I had to see it. I was definitely not disappointed. We walked down the main street, popping into shops and braving the intermittent rain showers. As you can see, we dined at Ya Betcha Korner Kafe for lunch. Afterward we picked Jasmine up from school, and spent a relaxing evening at Julie's.Wednesday
Julie took us to Port Townsend, and Katie and I walked the downtown area while Julie looked in on her dad (we knew we would see Grandpa Chuck on Friday). In the above photo, Katie is enjoying a Carrot Cake Latte from "Grounds For Perfection", a small coffee stand on the main street. After a couple of hours Julie picked us up and treated us to lunch at a local pizzaria.
After getting Jasmine from school, Julie took us to a scenic beach (which happened to be called "Scenic Beach") at Seabec. The forrest surrounding the beach was very typical of what we saw throughout our visit -very dense, and choked with green undergrowth. There were lots of ferns, and many of the trees were covered in moss and algea. I was very surprised to see so many leafy, green plants in February.
We were the only ones on the beach, and with the clouds hanging low over the mountains on the opposite shore, the scene was beautifully eerie. Jasmine and Auntdae looked for shells along the rocky beach, and paused briefly while Uncle Aaron snapped a picture.
Thursday
As Amy was off again on Thursday, she played tour-guide for us once more as we visited Seattle. In the morning we caught the ferry, and upon arriving at Seattle we went straight to the Pike Place Market. Sadly, we did not actually witness any fish being flung, but the market was very interesting just the same. There were enormous salmon and piles of crabs, fresh produce and all manner of other products for sale. I had an excellent cup of clam chowder, and we leisurely strolled about the market for awhile.
As she had promised, Amy took us to the original (viz., the first) Starbucks, which is located at the market. It was pretty much just a Starbucks, though it featured the original logo and was perhaps a bit more rustic-looking on the outside. Of course, we all bought beverages.
We had lunch at Red Robin, which was located right along the Sound. On the way there we passed many quirky little restaurants that lined the water, such as this one, which featured a wooden boat and boatmen mounted to the roof.
After lunch we visited the famous Space Needle, which was necessary though exorbitantly expensive. The view from the top was spectacular, though sadly it was too cloudly to see Mount Rainier.
The Needle proved to be very photogenic. This picture has probably been taken a thousand times, but I thought it was cool nonetheless.
On the ferry back to Bremerton, the seagulls flew along the wake made by the boat. Occasionally they would fly up alongside the ferry, and appear as though they were suspended in midair. I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures.
The city was really beautiful in the afteroon sun as we pulled away.
Friday
After breakfast we went with Julie to see Grandpa Chuck (Julie's father), who lives in Port Townsend. I had never met Grandpa Chuck before, and he turned out to be very friendly and fun. We all went to Port Angelas, where we had lunch. At Grandpa Chuck's recommendation, I had a crab sandwhich which proved to be excellent. Afterward Grandpa went to a doctor's appointment, and Katie, Julie and I walked around Port Angelas briefly.
Port Angelas is located at the very top of the Olympic Peninsula, and is the point from which the ferry departs for Victoria, British Columbia. Had the weather been a bit clearer, we would have been able to see Canada on the opposite side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The day was blustery and a little rainy, but the weather helped add to the strange feeling I had of being at the edge of the world. Well, at the edge of America anyway.
We paused briefly outside a little shop, and I snapped this photo of Katie and her mom. Julie was so sweet and accomodating throughout our stay, and really made our time in Washington enjoyable and relaxing.
Saturday
Coincidentally, my friend Kyle was visiting his dad and grandfather -both of whom live in the Seattle/Tacoma area- while we were there. Fortunately we were able to see him for a little while on Saturday. In the morning he picked us up and took us to breakfast. He then drove us down into Tacoma and out to Point Defiance, giving us a small tour of the area in which he lived for several years as a child. Afterward, he dropped us off at Julie's.
Julie surprised us by taking us to a condomenium/resort at Discovery Bay for Saturday night. Her brother, Andy, works there and was able to find a great deal for the condo. Andy and his family were all very sweet, and they came over for dinner Saturday night. The bay was absolutely beautiful. The water was crystal clear, and though it remained overcast, the wind died down and it didn't rain during our stay there.
Though Amy had to work, we were glad we were able to take Jasmine along with us. She had a great time hanging out with her cousins and watching cartoons (as she is doing in the photo).
Sunday
Sunday morning we got up and Katie and I walked the rocky beach for awhile, turning over rocks and finding hundreds of crabs. We walked out onto a nearby dock and saw many large starfish on the bottom of the bay, as well as lots of sea enimenies and a couple of eels. After gather our things, we all headed back to Julie's house where we rested and visited for awhile before it was time to go to the airport. We had had a wonderful time, and it was very difficult to say good-bye. After a heart-rending farewell at the airport, Katie and I went through security and boarded our plane home. As we will be in Korea for the next 12 months, Jasmine aptly remarked, "I'll see you when I'm six and-a-half!"
No comments:
Post a Comment