Day 1- Saturday, May 11

Paul and I boarded a plane to Seattle at 8:15am on Saturday, May 11th.  We were so excited.  Well, I was cautious.  I don't really enjoy flying, but sometimes it really is worth the nervousness, and this was one of those times. It was almost a 5 hour flight and I must say it was very smooth.  It was also a clear day, and we were able to see some amazing landscapes.  As we were approaching the Seattle airport, we noticed what looked like a white pile of ice and snow.  Turns out it was massive Mt. Ranier.

After we landed, we rode the Light rail, Seattle's public transit, into downtown.  It was a very clear day for Seattle and we were able to see Mt. Ranier in the distance.  We got off downtown and as we emerged from the tunnel, we realized we were in a very different city.  For some reason, I expeced a rural, quiet city.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It was full of throngs of people, all kinds of people.  It put me in mind immediatly of NYC.

 

The hotel shuttle picked us up downtown and drove us a short distance to the waterfront.  We were staying at the Edgewater Hotel, which was built for the world's fair in 1962 and was very popular with celebrities.  It was a beautiful hotel and the rooms were very comfortable, complete with a fireplace in each one.  We had no car, so we decided to walk along the waterfront that evening.

 We stopped and ate at this restaurant, The Fisherman.  We ordered halibut, and it was just ok.  In hindsight, it was the worst meal we would have all week.  We walked back to the hotel, picking up a few last minute items.  Paul wasn't feeling well, so we decided to take it easy and relax for a while before going to bed.