Sleepy in Seattle... (Part 1)

 ...for about 60 hours.

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by PAM

Yes, I am talking about Seattle - that famed city in Washington State, home of the 'sleepless' widower, Sam Baldwin, and his son, Jonah, with whom Annie Reed of Baltimore fell in love in that iconic 90s romcom, "Sleepless in Seattle", starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.  My sister and I decided to visit the said city because the first time she visited it three years ago with her husband they were unable to visit the Space Needle.  Since then, the Space Needle has been that one annoying 'could-have-been' of hers whenever she thinks of Seattle.  I haven't been to Seattle, so we  

   
Part of our drive from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to downtown Seattle.

both took advantage of the opportunity to visit the 'rainy city' during my winter break from Penn State.  Luckily, Alaska Airlines had an affordable deal for people like us who did not plan ahead.  And still very luckily, The Westin in downtown Seattle decided to join the roster of affordable hotels this season of generosity, and it's halfway between the Space Needle and the Pike Place where most of the iconic tourist spots are located.

As our flight from Boise, Idaho left at 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday, we had to get up at around 4:30 in the morning.  We reached the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at about 7:00 a.m., local time.  And,

Experiencing West Lake and the Public Market at
Pike Place on an early Sunday morning.

because we would be too freakishly lucky if Westin would allow a very early check-in, we just pre-checked-in and left our stuff in their baggage storage.  We then went to walk down about five blocks to the Pike Place at about 8:00 in the morning through the West Lake Center.  Unfortunately, the original Starbucks store opened at 10:00 a.m., and we were both starved and needing caffeine. So, we settled for breads at a local bakeshop and bottled water.  Apparently, all the coffee makers in the area were still 'sleeping'.  So, we went about the place sleepy and freezing but fascinated nevertheless.  By the time we made our way back to Starbucks, there was a looong queue, snaking around Pike Place.  We figured that by the time we reach the front of the queue, it would be lunch time; and without caffeine, we doubted that we can get through that without falling asleep in the street.  

So, we decided to return to the hotel to check-in and to take a nap.  By the time we awoke, it was

Experiencing the amazing sights, sounds and taste of Seattle.

 lunchtime.  We returned to the Pike Place but the queue at Starbucks was even longer than when we left, and the whole Pike Place was very crowded... notwithstanding covid omicron variant scare.  So, we decided to eat in the Farmer's Market.  We found a cozy restaurant overlooking Piers 57 to 59, in which the iconic Seattle Great Wheel stood prominently.

After lunch, we walked around Pike Place and downtown Seattle as we were gifted with a favorable weather... meaning, it was not raining.  We found specialty stores and a number of highly-recommended places for eating and sampling local brews.  After feasting our senses on the local Seattle stuff, we returned to our hotel to rest our legs a bit.  By about 3:30 pm, we were ready to venture to the harbor and see the 'rainy city' from the Great Wheel.  We were debating with ourselves whether to go there in the evening to experience the light show as well, but we decided to take advantage of daylight to see the city since it was our first time to ride the famed Wheel.  So, we took our time walking the 0.6 mile or so distance from our hotel, identifying spots that we wish to see from a better vantage point up the Wheel.  So, along the way, we feasted our eyes on the grandiose of Seattle's hi-tech architecture. It was quite terrific, and we were excited to see all from the Wheel!  

The entrance towards the Wheel was through the Miners Landing along Alaskan Way at Pier 57.

Experiencing the beauty of this 'rainy city' from the
Seattle Great Wheel.

 There was a variety of places to eat sea food delicacies and a fascinating exhibit on Alaskan Gold Rush.  It was a bit of history recreated into a fantasy land for kids and kids-at-heart to enjoy... but the main attraction is the Great Wheel, which did not disappoint!  The experience was quite unforgettable especially that the sun was starting to set by the time we commenced our three-round ride.  The dramatic colors of sunset took over the Seattle horizon, winning over the gray clouds that hung over the skies, masking the sun all day long.  It was quite beautiful.  As the warm colors of sunset hit the glass outer walls of the buildings in the city and the water at the harbor, the dramatic colors were reflected back to the ambient atmosphere.  The effect was surreal,  The city that was made serene by the thin gray clouds looked as if it was shrouded with the colors of sunset.  It was truly a sight to behold!  In the future, when I think of Seattle, I'd probably think of that moment as my defining experience of the city.

As we took videos and tons of photos, it felt like darkness overcame the city real quick, and by the time we were walking away from Pier 57, the temperature was dropping quickly as well.

A bit chilly but a lovely early evening walk at the
harbor along Alaskan Way.

 Nevertheless, we chose to walk along the harbor towards Pier 66 where the Bell Street Cruise Terminal is located, and the original Port of Seattle was.  We took the foot bridge to cross over the Alaskan Way, giving us a beautiful view of the harbor with the dimmed colors of sunset and the new rows of ultra-modern city residences across.  It was a long walk but it was worth it.  There was a mix of tourists and locals who were walking with us, and the mix of interest about the city and the pride for the city that our companions exude added to the charm of the first day of our visit.  Of course, there were instances when we had to deflect the curiosity of bewildered-appearing men who wandered the streets, but the city's security people who rounded the streets efficiently kept the experience towards more favorable for tourists like us than not. 

We returned to our hotel very satisfied of our first 12 hours of visit.  Dinner was leftover from lunch, which was a lot, plus fresh fruits from the Farmers Market with delicious locally made chocolates for dessert, and cookies for late snacks.  As we took about 20,000 steps all day, we were quite exhausted... and very sleepy, too!

To be continued....

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Photo credit:  All the photos and video used in this entry are mine.