Travel Diary

Nearly all my Memorial Day weekends have been spent in Seattle since 2012. And why not? The weather is often great that time of year and there’s a lot to see and do. While the year prior had us heading to Victoria, Canada, this year, we’d be close to home--and visiting the Folk Fair once again.

Normally, I get a ride from the airport in Seattle, but for this trip, I chose to take a very early flight for about $5 (miles, people, miles) and arrived around 8am. I used the new light rail to head from the airport to the middle of the city. The price for that is very affordable, and while it’s a lengthy trip, it’s not terribly long overall. Just a lot of stops. It’s like BART, but cleaner.

After meeting Terry to drop off my bags in the parking garage, I walked around for a few hours. Of course, I headed to Pike Place and then down to the waterline. Lots of tourists walking around. And it was turning into a warm day. Being incredibly tired, I even lied down on a bench for a spell and tried to nap. Then since it was closer to noon, I tried out a few beer samples at a cozy pub.

In the evening, we all enjoyed an outdoor BBQ.

Saturday morning, we headed over to a local farmer’s market where there were seemingly endless items for sale, mostly food. I only bought a fruit popsicle. Got to have limits.

We then went to the Folk festival. Like before, it was crowded, though not overbearing. Many people performed and many more sold food. The weather was warm, making it perfect for such an event. Music was a big theme so there were performers everywhere playing a vast and diverse array of instruments.

After that, it was a trip to West Seattle for Marination Hawaiian BBQ. I had a pork slider and a few pints of IPA. Good stuff as always. And the place offers a great view of Seattle skyline.

Sunday was the trip to Poo Poo Point. It’s a terrific hike that heads high up a mountain to a place where paragliders jump off the mountain and into the blue sky yonder. Quite fun to see how it all works. Looks a little scary as well. But no one was dropping out of the sky.

The hike being completed, we journeyed to a root beer float establishment that resembled something out of the 1950s. I tried a small float, yet even that was far too many calories for someone to consume in one sitting. On occasion, stuff like that is fun. Make it a daily habit? And voila, your body type will change fast.

Dinner was at a small Thai place in West Seattle. The food was nice and I enjoyed a colorful minty mojito. There’s no shortage of tasty food in the PNW.

Monday was a run along the wonderful running paths in Bellevue. The cottonwood trees were shedding so it appeared as if there was snow on the ground in the late Spring. Cool effect. And the paths become surrounded by nature so one feels like he’s completely removed from modern living.

Then we headed out for some wine tasting. It’s actually become quite popular up there. Both wine and beer. And I guess scotch too. So much booze. So little time.

Tuesday, I jogged down to the waterline to do some kayaking. It was only a few miles to get out there, but alas, it was closed that day. No kayaking for me. With nothing else to do down at the water, I simply jogged back home, though I did get to see a lot more “snow” from the cottonwood trees.

Wednesday was a quiet day and then it was a flight home. Goes by too fast.