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Funemployment - Seattle
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Funemployment - Seattle

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  • Trip start
    February 21, 2018
    SiewchFunemployment - SeattleTraveler

    Prologue

    February 21, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Jeff was invited to judge the PAC12 springboard and platform diving competition in Federal Way, located south of Seattle. I decided to join him for the weekend. I had been prewarned that Seattle was unseasonably cold and that there had been snow, so I was prepared accordingly.Read more

  • SiewchFunemployment - SeattleTraveler
    The snow covered Marriot Courtyard in Federal Way.
    The snow covered Marriot Courtyard in Federal Way.Snow around the Marriot Courtyard.Snow around the Marriot Courtyard.The rare snowy version of Castform only comes out when it snows.

    Federal Way

    February 22, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 1 °C

    I arrived in Seattle on Thursday, February 22. The scenery on approach to Seatac Airport was amazing, with the ground blanketed in white and spectacular snow capped peaks on both sides of the approach path. After arrival, I took a shuttle to the hotel, collected my key from reception (Jeff had already checked in a day earlier) and walked to the nearby strip mall to enjoy a bowl of hot pho. After that, I napped until Jeff got back from judging. That evening, we celebrated National Margarita Day with his judge friends at a Mexican restaurant.Read more

  • SiewchFunemployment - SeattleTraveler
    The ʻōhiʻa bonsai
    Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.Pacific Bonsai Museum.

    Pacific Bonsai Museum

    February 23, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    I decided it would be prudent to stay within the vicinity of Federal Way on Friday because snow was forecasted for that afternoon, and I didn't know how well Seattle handled snow.

    After Jeff left for the aquatic center, I set out to find the Pacific Bonsai Museum located about 1.7 miles away. The walk took me past strip malls and then a residential area before arriving at the Weyerhauser campus where the museum was located.

    The Weyerhauser campus, which is currently vacant, is a huge campus with lakes, forests, and a building with a green roof. It was a little eerie walking along the empty, snowy footpaths - it almost felt like the set of a monster/horror movie. I got to the bonsai museum soon after.

    The bonsai museum was amazing. Each of the exhibits was well labeled and I learned a lot. I always thought that specialized plants were used for bonsai; I was surprised to learn that bonsai were made from actual trees - I saw pines, firs, and beeches - which are trained to stay miniature. According to the literature, the health of the tree is paramount to the bonsai practitioner. While this may be true, I couldn't help but think of this as the topiary equivalent of foot binding. I was most surprised to find a ʻōhiʻa bonsai. ʻŌhiʻa is a culturally important tree in Hawaiʻi, and it typically forms the second canopy (beneath koa) in a healthy native forest. Part of the exhibit was indoors, but the majority of the bonsai were outdoors, with each bonsai held in a sheltered space and kept warm by a little heater.

    I had a very enjoyable time walking on the snow covered path that wound among the bonsai. Admission to the bonsai museum was by donation and I gladly made one as I exited.

    I authored an Atlas Obscura entry for the Pacific Bonsai Museum: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pacific-bon…

    https://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United…    Read more

  • SiewchFunemployment - SeattleTraveler
    Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.
    Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Fake flowers add a splash of color at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden. LOL.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.The abandoned Weyerhauser campus.The abandoned Weyerhauser campus.The creepy snow covered paths at the abandoned Weyerhauser campus.A house along the walk to the Weyerhauser campus.

    Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

    February 23, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    Next to the bonsai museum was a rhododendron garden. This garden had an $8 entrance fee. I debated about paying this fee but I finally gave in because I wasn't sure what else I could do in the short time I had before the forecasted snow was to fall. The garden itself was pretty but I normally wouldn't have paid $8 to see this. There weren't any other paying guests when I was there. But, I had some awesome photo opportunities in this garden as there were unmelted icicles on some of the plants.

    After the gardens, I booked an uber to take me the short distance back to my hotel because there weren't sidewalks for much of the walk over, and I didn't want to deal with walking on icy roads. Besides, it was almost 2pm.

    Back at the strip mall, I ate a soul warming soon dubu lunch at a Korean restaurant. Not long after, the snow started falling. Jeff texted me from the pool all excited about having a snowball fight and making snow angels. I had to burst his bubble by telling him that the snow wasn't going to stick.

    Late that afternoon, I braved the snow for about 45 minutes to catch some rare Pokemon that spawn in snowy weather, ate some chowder, and then stayed warm in the hotel room.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rhododendro…

    https://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United…    Read more

  • SiewchFunemployment - SeattleTraveler
    Pike Place Market.
    Pike Place Market.Pike Place Market.Pike Place Market.Pike Place Market.The first Starbucks at Pike Place Market.The original logo at the first Starbucks at Pike Place Market.Street light, Pike Place Market.The chewing gum wall.The chewing gum wall.The chewing gum wall.The chewing gum wall.The chewing gum wall.The chewing gum wall.The chewing gum wall.The chewing gum wall.Scenes from around Pike Place Market.Scenes from around Pike Place Market.

    Pike Place

    February 24, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 2 °C

    I had a full day planned for Saturday. Waking up, I peered out the window and saw that the snow had already melted. I set out for the nearby transit center to get to the first of my series of quests for the day - to geek out at a Pokemon Go Community Day event at Green Lake, north of downtown Seattle. The express bus to downtown took a little under half an hour. My initial plan was to transfer at downtown to a local bus to Green Lake, but since I was near Pike Place, I made a spur of the moment decision to visit the area and then uber it up north. I spent a fun 45 minutes exploring the market, watching the fish sellers tossing a salmon, visiting the world's first Starbucks, and the chewing gum wall.

    https://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United…    Read more

  • SiewchFunemployment - SeattleTraveler
    Wine tasting at Woodinville.

    Redmond & Woodinville

    February 24, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    After the Pokemon Go event, I waited at a nearby Starbucks for Paulette (my classmate from junior college) and her husband Larry. We drove to Redmond for Malaysian food (there aren't any Singaporean/Malaysian restaurants in Hawaiʻi), and then we drove to Woodinville for wine tasting. We attempted to go to the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery, but the grounds were closed for a private function.

    https://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United…    Read more

  • SiewchFunemployment - SeattleTraveler
    The Boeing 737 Max production facility at Renton.
    The Boeing 737 Max production facility at Renton.The split scimitar winglets on the Boeing 737 MAX.

    Renton

    February 24, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    After Woodinville, we drove towards Boeing's 737 factory in Renton and surveyed the airfield from a viewpoint above it. We then stopped by Paulette and Larry’s home to feed their cats before they drove me back to Federal Way. Later that evening, after completing his judging duties, Jeff and I drove to downtown Seattle to have dinner with his cousin.

    https://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United…    Read more

  • Trip end
    February 25, 2018
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