Seattle's Space Needle
Sunday- We drove into Seattle, and of course went to check out the Space Needle. The parking lot required you to estimate how long you would be parked there, and purchase parking in advance. We (incorrectly) figured 2 hours would be enough. Dawn discovered an exhibit of Rock star's clothing, such as Kurt Cobain's sweater, and the outfits of the guys from KISS. We spent about a half hour there, then got in line to go up the Needle. It took over an hour, just waiting in line. Fantastic views once we got to the top! The Blue Angels were performing at an air show nearby, and we had a front row seat as they performed all kinds of stunts in the sky. They were flying really close together, four planes in a diamond formation, trailing smoke as they did loops.
Mount Ranier, as seen from Space Needle
They were coming pretty close to the ground, too...was nerve wracking, but exciting to watch! You could see the whole city of Seattle, plus Mount Rainier. We were engrossed in the show for awhile, then through the binoculars, I saw a guard giving me a ticket! We were 5 minutes past the deadline! It was too expensive, (and another wait) to eat in the restaurant there, so we went back down. Saw the ticket was for $30!! So, we left it on the windshield, and went back to get some lunch. Might as well, since I paid for it! At least we don't have to rush now!
We had lunch at a restaurant called Revolutions, and ate on a patio right on the street. Really good burgers! We were seated in the corner, right next to the instersection crosswalk.
Princess Hammer at the crosswalk!
Some kid walked up and must have pushed the street crossing button about a hundred times before it changed. I thought that was stupid, so I shouted, "Hey kid! Hit it with a hammer! it will change faster!" And you know, less than 2 MINUTES later, a man walked up to the crosswalk carrying an inflatable, pink "Princess" hammer, and HE HIT THE BUTTON WITH IT! Talk about your wierd coincidences! After lunch, we checked out a nearby skate park at Tyler's request. We walked around and did a little shopping, Tyler decided to spend half of his remaining trip money on a Wolf Mandela, kind of like a dream catcher with a painting of wolves on it. He paid another $10 to have it shipped home, so we wouldn't risk damaging it in the already overcrowded truck.
Blue Angels trail smoke
We headed out of Seattle, Dawn wished we could have spent another week there. We had originally planned to take a ferry from Seattle to the Olympic Penninsula, but we weren't sure if they would let us on the ferry with our propane cannisters for the cooking stove. (signs at the ferry clearly banned any potential explosive items) No matter, it was probably just as quick to drive around the horn through Tacoma. We stayed at a KOA in Port Angeles, just outside of Olympic National Park which we would explore for the next couple days. There was still plenty of daylight after we set up camp, so Tyler went in the pool, and I relaxed in the hot tub. We met a couple from Kentucky who were doing almost the same trip, but from the other direction.
The Space Needle is a must if you are visiting Seattle for the first time. Just make sure you buy enough time at the parking lot! They don't have "meters" you can add to if you are running behind...you have to guess how long you will be there and pay in advance...at least in the lot where we parked. We thought 2 hours would be plenty, but the line for the top was over an hour. No big deal, but we were 15 min. late and it cost me a $30 ticket! From the top, we had terrific views of Seattle, Mt Rainier, and Puget Sound. As a bonus, the Blue Angels were performing that day at an airshow nearby, and we had a front row seat at the top! The restaurant was too pricey for us, but the views were well worth the price and the wait. Should not be in town without checking it out!
