Capitol Hill- Elliot Bay Book Company and Molly Moon's Ice Cream
After checking into our hotel room early, and then wandering around downtown Seattle, I was ready for a different scene. We wandered up the hill away from the sky scrapers and up to Capitol Hill, where I was looking for Elliot Bay Book Company. I walked inside to the comfort of the ink-and-paper smell and found the poetry section. I had been wanting to buy Mary Oliver's newest book of poetry, and so I saved the purchase for this trip, for a souvenir. The cashier who checked me out was also a Mary Oliver fan. I set the book down to check out, cover-side down, and before seeing the title he said, "Is this Mary?" He had already read the book through at least twice and he'd seen her read live.
After my purchase of A Thousand Mornings, by Mary Oliver, and Jason's purchase of a Tim O'Brian book, we had ice cream at Molly Moon's, recommended to me by a cousin. I had a double-scoop waffle cone, which was too much ice cream, but I really wanted to try two different flavors: salted caramel and earl grey tea. Jason and Sarah both had the Balsamic Strawberry, which was also delicious. The earl grey was my favorite.
Pike Place Market- Savor Seattle Food Tour
On the morning of May 4rth, we met near the gum wall in Lower Post Alley for a Pike Place Market food tour. Of all the tourist traps we could have gotten ourselves into, this is one of the best, because you get to have samples of food and samples of Pike Place Market History.
We got to try donuts, special-blend tea, smoked salmon and salmon jerky, local apples, clam chowder, seafood bisque, chocolate cherry treats, cheese, the best macaroni and cheese in the world, savory and sweet piroshky, and crab cakes. Needless to say, we went back around the market afterwards and purchased product from several of the vendors we had already tested.
Kayak Point Beach- Sea Shells and Whales
The morning of the wedding, Jason, Sarah, and I met up with my family and we all drove to the beach. We walked along the water, picking up broken shells, pretty rocks, and barnacles. Many locals had also ventured out to enjoy a rain-less day, and we all strained our skins toward the welcoming sun.
Later, we walked down the long dock, jutting ourselves further into the salty air. Standing next to my mother, I heard a fresh sound of bursting air, and turned to the left side of the dock. A spray of water and a large back of a whale, shiny and spotted, was swelling in a crescent above the water line. It is the largest creature I have ever seen, and I will never forget it.
One of the men fishing from the dock was thrown into a furry of excitement, and he really wanted his wife, who was somewhere on shore, to also be a part of the experience. While the people around him were quietly and intently focusing on the water, hoping to see another sighting, in a deep, projecting voice, the fisherman yelled "Laura!" "Laura!" "Whale!" "Laura!"
No one responded, I wondered if someone would answer, and then Laura yelled back, "Yeah I saw it...EVERYONE saw it."
My mother and I giggled.
The whale appeared twice more, moving further out from our vision of the bay each time, closer and closer to open ocean.
Other Highlights of the Trip:
- Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice at Dragonfish Asian Cafe
- Alternative Seattle 107.7 FM "The End"
- My cousin's Cinco de Mayo themed Wedding and Reception
- Breakfast in bed for my birthday
- The decor at Tulalip Resort
- Spending more than 3 hours at a shady Walmart to replace my car tires
- Buying Boise-State-Blue shoes at the Vince Camuto outlet store
- Visiting the EMP Museum
- Buying Nirvana souvenir T-shirts
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| Driving home, bugs on my windshield and sun shining behind us. |
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