A day in Seattle

We got to the airport around 12:30 and our flight was the red eye at 9:30 so we had some time to kill.

We stored our bags and took the train into town - about 45 minutes. I read to the kids until the car started to fill up.

We walked down to Pike Place Market and looked around for a bit. Hungry, we ended up at a somewhat upscale Thai place a couple blocks away. They weren't very welcoming given our grunge clothes and black fingernails but the food was really good. Franklin even enjoyed some of the Tom Yum soup!

After lunch we went on the big Ferris wheel and played a few arcade games. OK, Franklin played a few arcade games.

It was hard to really enjoy Seattle much (that is, "Seattle" in the way that Faneuil Hall is "Boston"). It was partly because we were tired from getting up early. It was partly because we were looking past it at getting home. But also, and we talked about this and all agreed, it was because the smelly, greasy, crowded feel just didn't really feel as nice as the quiet forests and rugged coasts we'd gotten used to. So in a way it was a shock to be in such a place - but also a poignant reminder of what we'd found valuable on our trip.Read more