Seattle, Washington | March 20th to 23rd
After my second day at Crystal Mountain, I drove northwest to Seattle. Completely unfamiliar with the city, I'd booked an Airbnb relatively far from downtown. It felt like I was in the suburbs, which turned out to be great, I was walking distance from the beach, and the weather was gorgeous. I had a lovely room, and a nice place to stay for a few days. I figured that while I was resetting and reconsidering what to do next I should spend the time somewhere comfortable. I settled in to a place with a view of the water, Mount Rainier, and the morning sound of seagulls, yet 20 minutes from downtown. Perfect.
Seattle was a city that was on my short list of places to consider moving when I left New York. Like Denver, I'd never visited there, but I had the sense that this place was a fun city. Finally getting to visit there, although unplanned, was a wonderful stop. Again, I was fortunate that one of my former colleagues, Paolo, from New York lived here, and we met for dinner and a beer. He was also nice enough to offer some great suggestions for places to visit for the rest of my time here. While I was a complete tourist, I really enjoyed the places I stopped while I was there.
My purpose for stopping here was to reconsider my goals with this road trip, get some more writing done, and decide where to go next. I still had no shortage of options, the snow in Colorado and California has been great, I could go back to "My Comfort Zone" and spend the remainder of the season skiing there. I could think about where else in the world I'd like to visit (the list is endless) or I could continue on and follow the dream I've been pursuing for years. Hint, its north.
After dinner, I went back to my Airbnb and slept in, something that hasn't been easy sleeping in the truck. I woke up around 11, and took the long drive around Alki Beach. The views of downtown were beautiful.
I drove over the bridge into downtown and walked over to the famous Pike Place Market. It would be easy to spend hours here. Great little shops, awesome food, and incredible views of Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound.
I then stopped at a cafe, Mr. West, for a coffee, lunch, and to write. I considered the events from the past few days, and thought about where to go next. That evening, I took the ferry from downtown to Bainbridge and had dinner at the Harbour Public House. Nothing beats a good Fish and Chips, plus the beautiful evening ferry ride to and from the city. Thank you Paolo for both of these suggestions.
I was still not done with my visit, as I was still thinking through where I'd like to go next, so I stayed another day. I had a coffee at the La Marzocco Cafe at KEXP. Many years ago, I was a barista, and my favorite machine to make coffee on was a La Marzocco. Not only was this cool to check out the showroom, the coffee was delicious. Plus, I was right in the KEXP studio as they were broadcasting. I also got to enjoy some writing. I considered getting back on the road that afternoon, and looked at some maps. I needed just one more day to relax and consider where to go next.
That evening I went out to dinner at "Tsukushinbo" for sushi. While I'd read that it was nearly impossible to eat there without a reservation, I figured I'd give it a shot and go somewhere else if I couldn't get a seat. I got there as the doors opened and was able to sit at the Sushi bar. The place is so small, there might be 20-30 seats total. Well worth it. The reviews also recommended any fish they just got in, so I order a roll and a few pieces "omakase." Delicious, I truly enjoyed every piece.
After dinner, I walked back over towards Pike Place Market for an evening cocktail at Radiator Whiskey. Delicious, and a perfect way to cap off my time in this city. A rainy night, delicious dinner, and a couple of great drinks.
While I had that minor setback a few days prior, I still knew I wanted to head up to British Columbia. Not only is the skiing up there incredible, the surrounding national parks and the drives are stunning. I headed east towards northern Idaho, where I would then drive north towards Fernie, BC.
Seattle was a city that was on my short list of places to consider moving when I left New York. Like Denver, I'd never visited there, but I had the sense that this place was a fun city. Finally getting to visit there, although unplanned, was a wonderful stop. Again, I was fortunate that one of my former colleagues, Paolo, from New York lived here, and we met for dinner and a beer. He was also nice enough to offer some great suggestions for places to visit for the rest of my time here. While I was a complete tourist, I really enjoyed the places I stopped while I was there.
My purpose for stopping here was to reconsider my goals with this road trip, get some more writing done, and decide where to go next. I still had no shortage of options, the snow in Colorado and California has been great, I could go back to "My Comfort Zone" and spend the remainder of the season skiing there. I could think about where else in the world I'd like to visit (the list is endless) or I could continue on and follow the dream I've been pursuing for years. Hint, its north.
After dinner, I went back to my Airbnb and slept in, something that hasn't been easy sleeping in the truck. I woke up around 11, and took the long drive around Alki Beach. The views of downtown were beautiful.
I drove over the bridge into downtown and walked over to the famous Pike Place Market. It would be easy to spend hours here. Great little shops, awesome food, and incredible views of Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound.
I then stopped at a cafe, Mr. West, for a coffee, lunch, and to write. I considered the events from the past few days, and thought about where to go next. That evening, I took the ferry from downtown to Bainbridge and had dinner at the Harbour Public House. Nothing beats a good Fish and Chips, plus the beautiful evening ferry ride to and from the city. Thank you Paolo for both of these suggestions.
I was still not done with my visit, as I was still thinking through where I'd like to go next, so I stayed another day. I had a coffee at the La Marzocco Cafe at KEXP. Many years ago, I was a barista, and my favorite machine to make coffee on was a La Marzocco. Not only was this cool to check out the showroom, the coffee was delicious. Plus, I was right in the KEXP studio as they were broadcasting. I also got to enjoy some writing. I considered getting back on the road that afternoon, and looked at some maps. I needed just one more day to relax and consider where to go next.
After dinner, I walked back over towards Pike Place Market for an evening cocktail at Radiator Whiskey. Delicious, and a perfect way to cap off my time in this city. A rainy night, delicious dinner, and a couple of great drinks.
While I had that minor setback a few days prior, I still knew I wanted to head up to British Columbia. Not only is the skiing up there incredible, the surrounding national parks and the drives are stunning. I headed east towards northern Idaho, where I would then drive north towards Fernie, BC.
Comments
Post a Comment