Our Adventure---Day 4

Today is Thursday. We are in Seattle. Going to spend the day seeing the sights. I got up early, again. Why does my body not understand that I am on vacation? What happened to me sleeping in? No matter. I let Drew sleep, so we got a little later start than we thought we would. We didn't figure the things we were doing today would take a long time, and definitely not all day. So we booked a room last night for tonight in Pendleton, OR. Guess we were wrong!!!

We figured out that if we left the car at the hotel, which they changed our parking pass to last all night tonight!, and took the hotel shuttle to the Light Rail, and then catch the monorail to the Space Needle, we could get on and off all along the way and see everything we wanted to see.

First we caught the shuttle, asked him to drop us off at the Light Rail. Bought round trip tickets and got on the train. We used the map to make sure what stops we needed.......first stop---Pioneer Square and the Underground Tour.

We walked from the train to the Underground Tour and they have amazing old buildings in this section of the city from 1889 (after the big fire). On this tour they tell us all about the history and starting of the city. If you go on this tour, if there are children on the tour, they calm it down a bit. There were children here, their parents letting them climb all over everything. It was disgraceful. There were 3 girls from Arizona that when the kids said, "Look mom this is really old!" told them, "That's exactly why you should get off." The parents just sat there and let them climb. When they split the group in 2, we chose to go without the uncontrolled children! Therefore, we got the real tour with nothing left out about the beginning of this city. All about the sewer system, the fire, how they built the new city on top of the old city (hence the underground tour), and the irreputable things and goings on that happen in the late 1800's in downtown Seattle. So if you are a little not wanting to hear the unedited version of madams, Opium, Sin, Sex and Debauchery, go with group with children!

Then we walked to the EBC (Elliot Bay Cafe) made famous by the show Frasier. Not as cool as I would have thought. It is attached to the EBC Bookstore however. Could have spent ALL DAY in there! But alas, we had booked the hotel in Pendleton and had to keep moving.

We walked back down to the King Street Station to get back on the Light Rail and head on to the stores Tawnya had told us about, didn't buy anything, but did walk around for a while and look at everything. J ohn Fluevlog has the most amazing shoes. As Tawnya said, works of art. Can't afford a shoelace in there, but so worth seeing! Anthropologie had wonderful things as well, but nothing yelled at us that we needed it today. I really think I love this city as well. Big cities just have something about them that speak to my very core!

Then on to Pikes Market Place and the Sound. Got cool pictures. Amazing how many stores and boothes they have there. Amazing place. Then back to the monorail and up to the Space Needle. As we were crossing the street from Pikes Place to go to the Monorail, there was a man coming toward us eating his McDonalds. He dropped his fries on the street in the middle of the crosswalk. He bent down and picked them up, we assumed to throw in the garbage.......we thought. HE PUT THEM IN HIS MOUTH AND ATE THEM!!!! Right off the street, middle of the crosswalk!!! Can you say EEEEEWWWWW! We did. Drew made a sound and I said I was hoping I didn't just see what I thought I saw. She said oh, you did. So you saw it too? Yup. And our gag reflex kicked in. Now we have french fry guy for our memory of today!

We chose to not pay the exorbatant fee to go up. Maybe next time. Got cool pictures of the Space Needle and sculptures in City Center. It was cold today though. They said it was supposed to be about 60*, but the wind had a bite to it straight off an Alaskan iceburg! My hands were freezing and the wind went straight up the sleeves of my jacket!!!

Back to the Monorail, to the Light Rail and back to the hotel. Only thing is, we had to walk back to the hotel as they don't have a return trip from there. It wasn't too far, but what is it with our hiking on this trip....every day? We got to the car, were quite cold, and headed out. Got Drew some Jack-in-the-Box, and me my food from the cooler.

We were now wishing we had stayed one more night at the Double Tree in Seattle and headed out tomorrow morning, but we had reservations. Headed to take pictures of the Temple in Bellevue. So I missed seeing the bridge to get there. Supposedly it floats on the water. Yeah. I was OK not seeing it. The Temple was pretty though. Drew got out and took pictures. It was so pretty all lit up.

Then on the road. It was late, and dark and cold. We only stopped at the rest areas if we absolutely had to. Missed seeing the pass and the view along the way. Finally got to Pendleton, OR and the Red Lion Hotel. For what we paid it should have been nice, but I would have expected what we got if I had paid $30 for a Motel 6. Can you say YUCK! Very disappointed and so wish we had stayed in Seattle one more night.

We'll be heading to the Underground Tour here in the morning and Pendleton Woolen mills and whatever else catches our eye. But we don't want to stay too late as we do need to get home at a decent time tonight.

Why can't vacations last forever? Tune in for the last day of our adventure!