Seattle Day One: found us shuttling our way to the Tukwila Embsssy Suites at 10 AM. After rearranging and storing the numerous bags we brought, we shuttle back to a light rail station to make the ride into downtown Seattle. It's a sunny but cool (cold) afternoon. After splitting up for lunch - kids had pizza, grown ups had Italian - we set off to explore the underground world of old Seattle.
Original Seattle was built on some kind of tide flats surrounded by hills and would flood twice a day. A fire leveled the town, and while some was rebuilt where the previous structures stood, the rest of the town decided to gradually raise the streets (and sewer lines!) to prevent flood and leaking sewage. Phew! Our guide had a teenaged boy sense of humor, so needless to say, Brian and the rest of my kids thought all the crapper jokes were hysterical. What I got out of the tour was this: Seattle used to be populated by whores (who I like to refer to as the the original capitalists) and gold miners; Pioneer Square is now an historic site = buildings can't be worked on without serious paperwork/legalities and therefore leaving seeming prime real estate left to decay. Lucky for the tour, the decaying buildings actually give tourists something to shell 16 bucks out for. The best part of the tour was the gift shop, where I was able to purchase a heavy suede-like jacket for 29.95. A steal! And now I won't be cold on the trip. Of course, the second I purchased the jacket, the temperature turned warmer and I ended up carrying it for the rest of the afternoon.
One of the reasons that Seattle is such a great/green town is the public transportation. Never one to hesitate to get on a bus, we found the right bus to take us to the Pike's Place Market - a crowded touristy affair. We saw one fish tossed, used the bathrooms, bought some soda, and called it a day. We'll return on the 2nd part of the Seattle trip. I have my eye on a spectacular looking crab roll (not sushi, but the Pacific Northwest version of the popular New England treat.)
Back to the hotel for "Happy Time" as Ed has been known to call it. Free drinks and snacks for a 2 hour window. Colin and I walk to Taco Bell to get dinner and get hit by rain on the way back fairly soaking ourselves in the process. Taco Bell and some TV, and we were all ready to hit our pillows.
[Julia and Colin together with me and Brian in the room with Aidan and Ed on the sofa bed out in the living area. It's always best to separate the snorers...]
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