Rockin' Seattle 09 June 14
It's been one full week since I arrived in 'ol Sea-town, and trust me, a lot has happened. I've spent a lot of times hanging with my close friend Laurel at some great Seattle-area landmarks and even went on a few hikes. Not only that, but it felt really really good to finally get some things off my chest and at least attempt at some sort of conclusion instead of an impasse.
So what did I do this week? Let's run down what I've done so far.
Monday: Arrived in SeaTac shortly after 11:30am when Laurel picked me up. We then trekked to Alki Beach, which is on the other side of Seattle across Puget Sound. I got a very nice Florida boardwalk vibe from it all so it was enjoyable. After strolling the beach a bit, I headed back to my hotel room.
Tuesday: Laurel was pretty much busy all day, so I took the effort to explore downtown Seattle by myself. There was a lot of cool things to check out. First, was Pike Place Market, which is pretty much this big market with fish and food and cool little shops. It wasn't too busy and it was lot of fun to just walk around and see what was up. Then there was the waterfront, which was so gorgeous, it puts Burlington's to shame. I was surprised at how far I wandered because next thing I knew I was at Safeco Field where the Mariners play. Click here to see how far I walked
Wednesday: My 24th birthday! Which was pretty amazing I must add. Spent the entire day downtown in the sun and fun with Laurel, walking around Pike Place again and the waterfront. The weather has been nice since I got here, but the first few days were well into the 80's. Lunch was the Pike Place Brewery where Laurel got a little tipsy after only two drinks. (Lightweight!) In all fairness she did have one drink that was a bit high in alcohol content. Then Wednesday night, Laurel and I met up with her friends Maureen and Jeany for a birthday Mexican dinner. Needless to say, it was delicious. Later, Laurel, Jeany and I headed back to Laurel's place for a game of Killer Bunnies. Of course, this was preparation for a bigger Bunnies game with more people on Friday.
Thursday: More sightseeing with Laurel. There's the Fremont Troll, famous for appearing in the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You", then we explored Fremont a little bit, with a tasty detour to the Theo Chocolates factory. After exploring, we headed to another friends house for some chilling and some Rock Band where I got to show off my wonderful singing. Later, Laurel and I stopped to get some Pho which was really really tasty. That night I spent on the couch at her place due to the fact we'd be heading early the next morning to go hiking.
Friday: How do I define Friday? Well, it started out innocent enough. The hike (Lake 22) was pretty good, there were some gorgeous views that were classic Pacific Northwest. Sadly, we weren't able to take the trail all the way as the snow got pretty heavy which made some steep walking much more difficult. All in all, it was pretty nice and I took some great photos. We headed back to her place where I decided to shave off my beard and mustache which was interesting. That night, we headed to her friend Cheryl's where a BBQ and Bunnies would await. A fun night marred by some uneven sleep.
Saturday: Saturday got off to a slow start as I patiently waited for Laurel to arrive. She also did not get much sleep. But things went from gloomy to cheerful and we hung out. First, we hit up the Ballard Locks to look at the boats pass by and see if there was any fish swimming in the water. (No fish, but we did see a seal!) After we ventured to Gas Works Park which was swarming with people, including a wedding complete with a rockin' band. The best part I like about Gas Works is how it's kinda "central" in Seattle, so can get a good overview of where things are. The night was topped off by a quick stroll through Greenlake then to Beth's Cafe, where I attempted a 12-egg omelette. I felt pretty hungry at the time, but was only able to pull a bit over half. But at least I tried it.
Sunday: Twins against the Mariners! A good game, a Mariners win, and good seats and garlic fries. I took a lot of snapshots and was pumped to see one of my favorite players as a kid, Ken Griffey Jr, back in a Seattle uniform in person. Plus, Ichiro. After the game, Laurel and I trekked to the Pyramic Alehouse where food was kinda consumed and two pitchers of beer were entirely consumed. Good game and good times.
Monday: Met up with Laurel and we jaunted downtown for souvenir shopping. I was planning on getting something for my family and this was the perfect time to do it. Plus, we made it over to Old Navy and got me some nice duds which Laurel was kind enough to see how they'd fit on me. Afterwards, we stopped by my hotel room to drop things off and I started to pack a bit while Laurel napped in my bed. We bounced a few ideas around, such as the Space Needle, or going actual bowling, before deciding to have a movie night at her place. Wii Bowling is close enough. I was also impressed with the fact I hit all 10 home runs on Wii Baseball.
Tuesday: Another hike day! This time, we went to Rattlesnake Lake, which was pretty rad, but looked much better when we approached the ledge. I forgot how much I missed hiking. We made it all the way out to East Peak, which was roughly 4.4 miles. (Go us!) It was just a nice way to spend the day. Before the hike, we checked myself out of my old hotel. After, we checked myself into the new hotel that work booked, which was really swanky. (Despite no free Wi-Fi, WTF.) After dropping my stuff off we went out for tasty Indian. The past week had been so much fun that I don't really want it to end.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday contained work-related things that I won't spill here. Let's just say I had a good time in Seattle.
