Seattle (Part 2)

We dropped our luggage off at the Amtrak King Street station and then had some time to kill. Breakfast was a delicious doughnut and cappuccino. And then we got onto the Lock (not loch) tourist boat. This is a two hour trip along the Seattle isthmus: the city is built on the land which is surrounded by Puget Sound on the one side and the fresh water Lake Washington on the the other.

Puget Sound is encompassed by the Salish Sea (which we'd never heard of).

On such a clear day the view of the massive Mt Rainier were breathtaking.

The trip takes you along the Puget Sound and then through a lock into Lake Washington. It’s pretty fascinating how one goes from salt water into fresh. Lake Washington itself is busy with businesses servicing the Alaskan fishing fleets (crab and pollock). Two big tug boat operations and house boats and floating homes (the guide was very clear that there is a big difference between a house boat and a floating home: a house boat can move).

The most famous house boat was the one that was used in Sleepless in Seattle where a mournful Tom Hanks lived with his young son. And then he met Meg Ryan and they lived happily ever after.

Our last lunch was at Home Team. Home Team is a retail outlet selling collectable Nike sneakers, an entertainment space, and a restaurant. A lot of these restaurants have a “happy hour” which is usually between 2–5pm. We were there about 3pm. We were a bit rushed for time and couldn’t take advantage of the offer (but anyway, Happy Hour on the ZAR is just Less Sad than normal).

Home Team is just off Pioneer Square and sits on a wide avenue of plane trees. It’s quiet and, given that it was a beautiful sunny day, was also shady and cool.

The Amtrak train to Minneapolis is called “The Empire Builder” and goes all the way to Chicago. It starts off at Seattle’s King Street Station. For us it will be a two night, one full day trip. Something we’re really looking forward to.