Seattle - March 2005
3/5/2005
I am finally in Seattle again… it must be at least 12 years since I was last here. I certainly had a fun time getting out here: I had to wake up at 5amm to catch my flight. For some reason, the TSA decided I was special and I received the extra thorough security screening. They went through every time of my carry-on luggage…. They even flipped through my journal and frisked me. Yes, the depressed semi-anti-corporate wannabe photographer / database administrator sure is suspicious!
The flight wasn’t bad… just about an hour and a half in transit time. It was delayed by a few minutes by someone who realized he was on the wrong plane. Yeah, since it was a Delta Connection, there was no ticket agent at the external door.
After I arrived, I picked up my bags and went to get my rental car. The rate should have been around $53 for my trip, but the agent tried to tack on some very unnecessary insurance which would have boosted my rate to $150. A quick call to the insurance company reassured me that my full coverage would transfer over to a rental. I declined the Hertz insurance.
| Next, I drove around Seattle for the next two hours, totally in awe of the city. It’s so beautiful here and the temperature and humidity are perfect for me. |
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I’m now at a pub in Pike’s Place Market… time for lunch, then more exploring and pictures.
Later that evening...
It has been a most uneventful evening thus far.
Well, I paid Pike’s market a visit. It’s a neat place, a little
to touristy for me, but I dig it. If I lived here, I’d
definitely be hitting up those fish markets all the time. |
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After Pike’s, I sat down at a coffee shop and played around on the internet for an hour. I know, I’m such a geek, but recovering from this cold has sapped away a lot of my energy. What a shame, I would have loved to catch a sunset at some nice vantage point.
| Next, I drove by the Space Needle but decided not to venture in. I’m not really one for the whole tourist trap experience anymore. I ended up just checking into my hotel and resting for a while. Now, here I am, at some Italian restaurant in Pioneer Square. Well, restaurant might be a bit generous, it’s a small café. The food is okay though. This area is an interesting one… a guitar player just asked me if I wanted any music played. |
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I find Seattle to be great; I’m in love with the city already and I only wish I had someone to explore it with.
3/6/2005
This past weekend was definitely one of the best in recent memory. Erik and Dasha met up with me at the hotel and we ventured out to get some breakfast at some pancake house in Bellevue. It was pretty good, but after a couple of biscuits and gravy experiences in the pacific northwest, I’m getting the impression that no place around here is going to get it right. That’s too bad, but I suppose I can live with that.
After breakfast, we went into downtown Seattle so Erik and Dasha could check out a punk music store. It was alright, definitely not something you’d find in Salt Lake City, but not really my style of music. They did make some great finds though.
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Next, we went exploring in the city. On the way to trying to reach West Point, we drove through Queen Anne Hill, one of the most beautiful urban areas I have ever seen. It was like a mix between Sugarhouse and the Foothills areas of SLC. As an added bonus, mall ethnic cafes were everywhere. The area also has some pretty amazing views over the best parts of Seattle.
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Then, we traveled through Ballard and tried to reach West Point. We never did make it. Apparently, there’s a still an active military fort out there. Oh well, on the way down from the area, we discovered a picturesque channel complete with a mechanical draw bridge for trains. We hung out for a little while and I snapped a bunch of photos.
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| We headed back to downtown and walked along the pier during sunset. I captured quite a few more photos that turned out well. I even snapped some shots of a ferry going into the sunset. Thank goodness the sun still isn’t burned into my eyes. The crazy things I’ll do for photography. |
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Later, we met up with Erik’s friends Travis and Bonnie. They both work for Ritz camera; Travis fixes d-printers. There was a lot of photogeekery that night. The couple just relocated to Seattle a handful of months ago. It was awesome hearing that they were so happy about the move.
| The evening’s activities included: skee ball, having fresh fish by the pier, candied apples of doom, and stomping around downtown. |
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After Travis and Bonnie left, Erik, Dasha, and I paid Erik’s friend, Chris, a visit. (whew, that’s a lot of commas) He has an apartment right next to the space needle. Definitely a nice guy / interesting character. Later, I dropped Erik and Dasha at their car and we parted ways.
Over this weekend, I realized something. The last place where I really felt at home was France. I never thought I’d feel that anywhere in the US, but Seattle fits perfectly. Right now, I want to be back there more than anything in the world, but I’m afraid that I’m stuck on a plane heading back to Salt Lake City. I felt incredibly sad when I arrived at my departure terminal.
And dammit, I got the extra-special security screening… again.
Other random photos:
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 Erik and the piggie! |
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