I was disappointed to learn, after boarding, that you have to get train 503 or 508 to get a new train, and I instead had an old train (500 there and 509 back), and thus, in some view, the trip was a failure. But Seattle is always excellent to visit, and the Pike Place Market never disappoints. It rained the whole day, the usual Pacific Northwest Misting. My hat and coat kept me comfortable, but I did get damp; I often left my coat open, didn’t wear gloves, and my wrist got wet. Still, it was a comfortable day, and Seattle (and Portland) always feel more real when they are damp and misty. I did about 10K steps on Friday.
I rose with my alarm at 4:15 and wondered after a while why not 4:30, as I was showered and dressed by 5-ish. Joan S was there at 5:30 for a short trip to Portland Amtrak Station. Thanks, Joan!. We passed through all the lights with care on TV Highway in the morning, knowing that, after I made my payment, they are booby-trapped with cameras for both missing the light and speeding through it. It is easy, in the early morning and on empty roads, to forget and just dash. No selfies were taken on this trip!
Joan S dropped me off and found her way back without incident, and I was there just before 6 for my 6:45 train, but they do not open until 6. I found the men’s room, sat, and wrote part of the blog using my iPhone for connection. I soon looked up, and there was a line. I joined the line. Minutes later, we boarded. It was train 500, and it was not a new train or cars. But it wasn’t dated (though some duct tape on the ceiling didn’t impress me), and the seats were comfortable and spacious. It would be good to bring your own water, but it was on about three hours, and I managed to skip the Cafe car.
Michael, yes, the same as my name, sat next to me; he puts together traffic plans for events like oversized loads for a living. He told me Washington State seems never to finish its road expansions. It is often difficult to move heavy items to neighborhoods there, even newer ones. After a few stops, the train paused a minute or two at each to pick up new passengers, and we both read or watched something on our devices. The train was completely full; nobody got an empty seat next to them.
The WiFi, while provided, was of no value to me. My iPhone, on the moving train, could not keep a clear connection. I put away my laptop. I also found the swinging and vibration made it difficult to read. I was getting a bit of motion sickness when I read. This had not happened before and might be a result of losing 1/2 my balance “hardware” to the brain tumor. Instead, I nodded off.
It was a nice, comfortable trip, even with the motion issue. I will see if I have that again on the trip back. The conductor reminded me that phone calls cannot be made in seats and must be made in the car’s vestibule. Oops.
I took a $32 taxi ride (with tip and tax) to the Pike Street Market (mistaking it for Portland’s name, Saturday Market, and corrected that). I walked through the market with my bag, which grew heavy as I went on (I will be switching to a backpack for the next trip). Now, fish are only thrown when someone buys a whole salmon, and the crowd mills around and often leaves disappointed. I walked the first two levels of Pike Street Market before deciding that bouncing around with my red bag was likely to cause an issue.
I stopped at the Crumpet place, finished the blog there, and enjoyed a London Fog and a crumpet buried in Lemon curd. It was nice to be back.
I walked up the hill to my hotel, The State Hotel, and learned that for $50 I could have my room now; the staff and I agreed the $50 would be better spent at a bar. I did leave my bag.
I returned to the market and walked all the levels, found a book, and enjoyed being there again. I decided that lunch was a good idea. The usual places were packed, and I had been there before. I tried a new place, Copa, which was on a second level, and it served South American food. It wasn’t high enough to see much beyond the roofs. There I had an average paella for too much money, which I will admit was the last item the server suggested. I would bet their stews and other items were better (and cheaper). Next time!
Stuffed, I needed to move. I took the stairs down to the piers and paid $50 to visit the Seattle Aquarium, which had recently grown to include a whole tropical building. I hadn’t been here in thirty years, but I remember liking it. The first two buildings (Pier 59 and 60) focus on local sea life (and some river life, including some very cute river otters).
The new building, not a pier, was magnificent, and the water was filled with colorful fish; the invertebrates were kept in small, separate tanks. As a former aquarium keeper, I know that mixing fish and invertebrates eliminates many treatments for the fish. Also, the invertebrates are often food for the fish. On the pier, the Pacific huge walk-in tank did have them, and that impressed me. Of course, it is easy to get more, since they are all local. Keeping the water cold, not warm as in tropical tanks, is the only challenge (only an issue for a few warm months, if any). For personal tanks, chiller systems are now available. If I lived on the coast, I would be tempted to collect a few locals for a tank and often return them.
I returned to the hotel, stopped at the bar, and got a Spanish Coffee to warm up. I went up to my room and took a few hours off. I let my coat dry. I switched soaks.
I chatted with Deborah. I will see her next weekend! I was feeling a bit off. Lonely. I walked, and that went away, and then I met some self-declared foodies at the bar when I went to the hotel restaurant, Ben Paris. We talked about travel and food. They are retired Americans who, of some means I could detect, now travel the world as foodies. Seattle is one of their favorite American cities. They now reside in Turkey (I assume they have a Golden Visa) and retain a small home in Colorado near family. The duck and dessert (I left them to try my Opera Cake before they ordered one) were declared near-perfect. We shared some experiences, and I advised them to visit the museums in Amsterdam and skip the Red Light District (except to peek at it; it’s impressive from a distance).
I went to bed early, skipping the local music shows, which was good as I was tired from the early start. I read. As often happens in new hotels, I had a few wake-ups, but I managed to sleep. I did not get up at 6 with my alarm but I did start at 7.
Thanks for reading!
