Hello Pacific Northwest!
Today began early! We had an early flight out of Nashville so our day started at 3:30 a.m., and since Seattle is 2 hours behind our usual time, we were ready for bed at 5:00 p.m. local time after such a long day! Our goal is to at least stay awake until 8:00 p.m.
It was a beautiful day for flying. Very few clouds and a great view most of the way. I was really surprised at how dry and brown large sections of the country are as a result of the drought. Seeing it with my own eyes really made me realize the scope of this very dry season and the effect it will have on the farmers.
An unexpected treat was that we flew right over Yellowstone National Park, and since it was so clear today, we had a great “bird’s eye” view. Just beyond Yellowstone, we could see the Grand Tetons and then Mt. St. Helen’s as we made our approach to Seattle
We landed at Sea-Tac International Airport around noon local time. The outside temperature was 68 degrees, with a brilliant blue sky and not a cloud to be seen anywhere. What a change from the 104 degrees we came from!
We had no problem at all maneuvering through the airport, grabbing our luggage and hopping aboard the Link Light Rail for the train ride into Seattle. It was a bargain at only $2.75 per ticket. We exited the train at the Pioneer Square station and walked 1/2 block to our hotel.
As soon as we checked in, we went right back out to find seafood! We had eaten breakfast on the plane, but hadn’t had lunch and it was about 2:00 p.m. local time by then (which was 4:00 p.m. according to our stomachs) We walked down to the waterfront (an easy walk from our hotel) and settled on Elliot’s Oyster House (even though neither one of us eats oysters). But Elliot’s isn’t just about oysters, they had other fresh seafood on their menu and proudly let us know that it was all wild-caught not farm raised. The restaurant sits on a pier and we were able to eat at an outdoor table overlooking the waterfront of Elliot Bay.
We tried the crabcakes and the house salads, which were both very good. Jimmy had the salmon for his meal and I had an heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella and shrimp salad. (I know that’s a little weird; a side salad followed by an entree salad, ok very weird, but it was really good!)
After we finished our meal, we walked on down the waterfront and then climbed a long flight of stairs up to Pike Place Market. We needed the exercise after our meal, and those stairs did the trick. I didn’t realize Seattle was so hilly. 
We spent some time looking at all of the food stalls, and even though we’d just eaten, it all looked wonderful. Fresh produce, artisan cheeses, handmade pastas, freshly caught seafood, fresh flowers and every imaginable fresh fruit and vegetables, all laid out tantalizingly waiting to be eaten! We bought a pound of Mt. Rainier cherries and a box of fresh raspberries and decided that would be our dinner.
Pike Place Market has been a Seattle landmark since 1907. It looks like a step back in time. The market was started as a way to cut out the middle man between farmer or fisherman, and the consumer. Our plan is to go back first thing in the morning (6 a.m. or so) and browse through the stalls to find our breakfast. I’d also love to get more pictures in less crowded conditions.
Wow, it’s already 8:15 p.m. here, past my bedtime! Better turn in!