Letters to Pop: 30 April 2014 - Seattle, What's Not to Like?

Extra time in Seattle, what's a girl to do? First stop: Discovery Park. What an amazing place! Everything from deep dark forests to meadows to wetlands to beaches. I walked as many trails as I could in the three free hours I had.

The best part of this? Pileated Woodpeckers. I sat on a rotting log and watched a pair work over a stump. That was quite a thrill. They were pecking so hard that wood chips were flying as far as two feet away. I love these moments.

In addition to the woodpeckers there were literally hundreds of Yellow-rumped Warblers.

With the amazing assortment of birds and the incredible vistas, it was a wonderful way to spend a morning.

Later on, I met up with Shirlee and Susan and we did a quick run through the Pike Street Market.

David was conspicuously absent. And terribly missed.

The flower market was 90% tulips. Nothing says Spring quite like hundreds of buckets of tulips.

Yet, another of the great things about Seattle is the signage, especially the neon.

I have been a fan of neon for as long as I can remember. Seattle is a hot bed of neon. Not only do I love neon, but figural neon is a favorite, and Seattle has a lot. Here are too many pictures.

This is such great stuff. I could bore you with hundreds of examples. It is fabulous that the State Hotel has kept its original sign up that advertises 75 cents a room. Makes my heart swell.

The big event was dinner. Matt's at the Market was fabulous again.

David had plans for us to drink absinthe. Due to knee surgery, he was unable to come. I had a Miglio as a toast in his absinthe.

Do these dinners make your mouth water? They should!

Shirlee and Susan had a meeting the next morning, so I went exploring. Had a great walk in Freeway Park. I enjoy the dichotomy of parks against skyscrapers. It really softens the angles of a city.

Had a great conversation with the gardener responsible for all the plantings in this five acre park.

She was opinionated and knowledgeable. And I learned a lot about what grows in Seattle and why.

After that I headed for the docks. Things to see included both the giant squid:

as well as the Giant Pacific Octopus.

According to a docent at the Aquarium, this is the biggest one they have ever had. She graciously posed with the octopus for a size comparison.

Octopi are seriously cute. Look at this head. Doesn't it make you want to give him a hug?
(Yes, him. I learned how to tell male from female. Ask and I'll tell you about tentacles.)

The aquarium was small but presented the fish and exhibits beautifully. I loved the star fish.

The striped and polka-dotted angel was breathtaking. This picture shows the actual size. They had a small tank with some babies. The entire fish including fins and tail was smaller than a dime.

And finally, I got Susan to walk to the Seattle Waterfront Arcade and ride the carousel with me. The horses were magnificent! After returning home I did a little research and discovered this is one of the oldest continuously working carousels and was made in the early 1900s. Another source said it was a replica of the classic Illions carousels. Hmm.

Either way, the horses were fabulous! Susan and I were the only people riding, so I chose the lead horse. Susan made me laugh when she said that this was the first time she had ridden in a while. Her new role involves standing beside the horse making sure Ella doesn't fall off.