Pike Place Market in Seattle

Our first destination after wrapping our camp-hosting job in the Olympic Peninsula was Seattle.  While we thought we might get there while camp-hosting, what we found was that while as the crow flies the two locations were decently close, the trip was made more complex by all the water in the area.  The drive could be short but expensive using the local ferries, or cheaper but longer by driving around.  In the end we just waited until we were outbound from the OP. 

MsBoyink lined us up with Dash Point State Park located in between Tacoma and Seattle.  The park was just a few miles from a main public transit hub so we could park the truck there and take a bus downtown Seattle.

The first night we were visited by ex-West Michigander Ben Carlson and his wife.  Ben brought out his collection of skimboards for the kids and I to try.  I managed a couple of short runs, with one stumble that resulted in a black & blue knee and toes the next day.  Storybird tried but just couldn’t find the rhythm for throwing the board and jumping on.  Data, well, held the board from floating away when not in use.  We ended the night with a meal of hot dogs cooked over a campfire.

The next day was our big Seattle trip.  We made it downtown about 10:30 and explored a bit before our scheduled ExpressionEngine meetup by Rachel the Pig. After some socializing with local EE users and employees that included a Mexican lunch the work-a-day folks abandoned us for activities that create income while we continued the activities that create expenses.  We explored the waterfront area a bit, then back into the market for some more shops.  We found some tea like a friend had bought us long ago, found our requisite fridge magnet, and heard some live music.

Storybird had read about a large troll sculpture under a bridge before leaving on this trip so that was a must-do.  We figured out the public transit again as it was about 3 miles away from the Pike Market.  A bus ride later and a short walk up a hill and the Troll and Storybird finally met. 

From there it was a short break in the nearby library to get out of the heat, get some water, bathroom breaks, and figure out the bus schedule back.  By this point in the day the busses were getting busier with people headed home from work.  Rather than head straight back though MsBoyink had been convinced by the fruit vendors at the Market that our day wasn’t complete without some tasty fresh fruit.  We bought mangoes, plums, and nectarines.  We also added some chocolate linguini and I succumbed to a fresh Shrimp cocktail.

It was late in the day so we caught the next bus we could figure out to head back to our truck.  With a short stop at a Safeway for some beverages I think it was about 1.75 hours between getting on the bus and getting back to the trailer - a commute I could certainly not endure these days.

The next morning I got up early and drove out to a local Panera bread to catch a few hours work. We would have like to have stayed another day to get caught up on a few things but the spot was reserved for the weekend.  So, while we prefer an early start and being off the road by noon in this case we caught lunch and then hit the road heading in an easterly fashion - bound for the state line.  It’s been almost 9 weeks in Washington and we’re ready for a new state!