Trip Map

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Welcome to Seattle!!!!

We landed last night around 9pm (West Coast time) and picked up our beautiful red hybrid Toyota Camry from the airport. After the co-pilots impeccable navigational skills lead us astray, we checked-in to the Larkspur Landing Hotel in Renton, WA to settle in for the night. Unfortunately, the teenage basketball team is in the room next door and was a little rowdy. Dorm rooms again?

This morning, we woke up and drove into Seattle (handling a detour like CHAMPS!) finding parking for only $10 for the whole day! We picked up our Seattle Go Passes and ate at Alaskan Sourdough Bakery on the waterfront. The bread was awesome!

After lunch, we boarded the Spirit of Seattle to cruise the harbor and hear about the history and sites of Seattle. We also saw a few seals soaking up the few rays of sun Seattle had to offer. Following the harbor tour, we walked up the hill (who knew Seattle was so hilly?!?!) to the Pike Place Market. We saw the famous fish throwers, beautiful bunches of flowers and bought a few peaches for a snack. The market was bustling with so many nooks and crannies that you could walk into; it was almost like a huge maze! The crowds were New York in style and we felt right at home :)   It was a very eclectic place and a must see when visiting Seattle.


Next we went to SAM, or the Seattle Art Museum, where we saw some very... um... interesting art. Really there is just no words to describe it... you can just look at this link and judge for yourself: Center of the Earth Exhibit. Our favorite part of the museum was the 'Crashing Car' exhibit below:
Right below this exhibit, we also saw a couple taking their wedding photos. it was really pretty even though the location was a tad strange.

Following SAM, we then marched further up the hill to the Seattle Public Library. This building was designed by the famous architect Rem Koolhaus. The building was really inventive with many different colors and spaces created but did not give off the warm feeling you would think a library would. It had a cold and industrial feel to it. Not somewhere we would want to read or study. You can see for yourself below:

Back down the hill we picked up Starbucks and the car and headed off to go-karting. We had a blast there and Michael came in third in our race and Jacqueline beat someone! How do we say he was a dorky Indian without actually saying it? Even his friends were laughing at him! After our exhausting day, we decided to grab Chipotle and head back to the hotel.

Our first impression of Seattle is that it is a 'grubby' city but that may just be the lack of sun it receives. The people of the city also seem to be lacking a little sunshine and gave off a distant feel. It was surprising the large Asian influence however we were expecting that on the west coast.

We still had a great day and are looking forward to getting to know Seattle a little more tomorrow.

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