Northern Exposure

With Road Hazard still siting in the shop we decided that we should take a short trip up to Washington. The reason Road Hazard is still there is really a benefit to us. We put it in the shop to have a leaky jack fixed. We knew that it would take some time for them to locate the leak and that they would want the RV for several days. You might be asking why? Free Storage! It's in a safe place and looked after. It will get fixed and in the mean time we can stay at our friends house and visit other places.

The first place we stopped to explore was Olympia, the State Capital. Here we found a Capital building that looks like the one in DC. This one is sitting atop a big hill it overlooks the blue waters of Capital Lake unlike the one in DC that overlooks just buildings.

We were fortunate that the Farmers Market was going on when we arrived by the waterfront and we walked around smelling the different foods, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and flowers. It would be terrific to live near a place like this and be able to pick up all these fresh items.

We continued north on I5 and came to Seattle. Fortunately for us the sun has followed us for the past couple of days. We first went to visit another, more famous, Market. Pike Place Market. Sitting along Elliot Bay and nestled in the downtown district with only a short walk to both the Baseball and Football stadiums.

Your sense's are overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and smells you encounter as you zig zag through the crowds. You need something to eat? Most likely you'll find it here and it will be the freshest you've ever had. Need a good cup of coffee? You can go to the coffee shop that has started all the buzz around the country. That's right...Starbucks.

You'll notice that the original store had a slightly different logo. When they went national they had to "tame" the mermaid and hide the, how should we say, the puppies. The store is packed and it's standing room only. Not big enough to hold the comfortable seats and couch's you'll find at the one in your neighborhood.

On our trip around the city we found Pioneer Square. This square was the birthplace of Seattle. It all started right here. The first stores, the first fire that wiped out the city and the first rebuilt buildings to start up the city again. With the water being so close, this area was prone to flooding from the tides everyday. After many years they finally decided to build the city up to prevent water from washing out the streets. When they did this it also created an "underground". What was the first floor or main entrance to a business was now the basement or underground. With all these tunnels it became a breeding ground for the vices of booze, gambling and women. We took a tour that took us underground to see these tunnels and were told of the rough beginnings the city went through to become this emerald it is today.

With the sun starting to hide for the evening, behind the islands in the sound, we had dinner in Des Moines. It is about 1/2 hour south of downtown Seattle. Quiet and small it felt to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city, kick back and have a cold one. Good way to relax before the busy work weeks starts.