Cheapness In Seattle (A 2019 PNW Trip Report - 2020 update added on 6/25

[Captain_Oblivious]

That is seriously cool and so lucky that you got to see this. Too bad about not having enough time at the museum though. I have been to the similar museum in DC and really loved it, found it way more interesting than most traditional museums. Looks like everyone had fun despite the rush. Concorde would have been really cool to see the inside of...next time!

We were pretty thrilled that we lucked into the Blue Angels! That doesn't happen everyday.

We really enjoy visiting the Air & Space museum in DC. It's a great one. I need to get back to the other part of it near Dulles Airport. Haven't been there in years.

I was thinking the same thing, although that is a pretty cool idea that you get to cook the food on a hot rock. A bit dangerous maybe with the kiddos there but really neat idea!

It was different! So that made it enjoyable, at least to do it once.

And yeah, I don't know what Drew would have done with it!

I had an experience at Acadia that matched yours at Mt. Rainer. Hiked up Beehive to see fog. Same thing at Cadillac mountain. It was clear on the way out, so I did get to go to the top.

We had that happen to us years ago in Acadia, too! We ended up doing a quick tour the next morning just to say we actually could see the views.

Air museum looks amazing and I’m jealous of seeing the blue angels.

Very cool museum! Definitely worth visiting.

I am currently doing trip research for my family’s spring break trip and your post was the second time I’ve seen bacon peanut butter cheeseburgers mentioned in two days. Very strange...

So at first peanut butter and cheeseburgers sounds weird. But I gotta say--it totally works!

Thanks for the update. Now I’m off to read the accidental launch viewing story.

Hope it wasn't too boring!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I recognized that right away. I thought it might be Nietzsche, but it's an old Yiddish saying, apparently.

I didn't know the exact origins, but it's been around long enough to be a cliche. That doesn't mean it's wrong, though.

Except I've forgotten some of this. Got up too early and was too groggy for the brain to remember stuff.

Well, that is the downside.

Be the tourist. Don't just live like one... Be the tourist.

Whoops. Missed that typo.

It's kind of like Caddyshack. Be the ball.

Yep! Never fails!

Never, ever!

Okay... I know you were disappointed... and I am for you, but... I love that photo.
I'd crop it in a bit, like this:

Hmmm... maybe not...
Either way... I find it... haunting. I like it.

Well, thanks. I think I see what you're going for. Would probably be better if the land stopped and the right side of the photo was all lake at the bottom. Then it would be like dropping off the edge into the unknown.

Anyway, there was supposed to be a mountain there.

Sign don't lie.

It is what it is.

Sorry about that. Guess you'll have to try again.

Well, stay tuned on that front.

Yuss!!!

<sigh>
I greatly regret not stopping there. That and Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon to see the Spruce Goose.

I would have liked to have seen the Spruce Goose, for sure. But I knew I was already coming to this one, and the family didn't want two aviation museums on the same trip. Not sure why, to be honest.

Oh? Odd... There are so many lying around...

Yeah, you'd think it would be easy to get a hold of one right now.

Nice! Worth it just for that alone.

Did you happen to see Apollo 11, the new documentary showing only NASA footage of the mission? It's utterly fascinating.

What?!?!? No way! Lucky!!!

I think that should be in everyone's Travel Handbook.

If it's not, they're doing it wrong.

Nice shot.

Thanks! Gotta give Julie credit for that one. I was taking video.

Love that plane. Wish they were still flying.

That has to be the coolest plane ever, right? They have the SR-71 Blackbird at the Dulles wing of the Air & Space Museum. I need to get back there, it's been a while.

"And that, kids. Is how WWIII was started..."

By Drew pushing buttons? I believe it.

That would've been cool. The scale of the shuttle always gets me.

Another reason I need to get to Dulles. They have a real space shuttle there now. The kids have a spring break coming up in April...

That was an easy one.

hat's cool too... Um... I'm using "cool" a lot. I don't care. It all is.

Totally fine. I used it quite a bit in the chapter.

What? No!

But there it is!

I'd like to see inside one. I was in Northern Manitoba when one flew overhead, breaking the sound barrier. Was pretty neat.

I have never been inside a Concorde, so I really wanted to see it. It was so hard with so little time there before the place closed. That plane was the epitome of luxury when I was growing up.

I bet it was!

It's NASA stuff! It's always interesting.

OMG! You didn't leave him up there?!?!?

Eh, we left a couple of sandwiches. He's fine.

Interesting concept. I like it.

It was fun to do something a little different.

 

[pkondz]

I didn't know the exact origins, but it's been around long enough to be a cliche. That doesn't mean it's wrong, though.

It's kind of like Caddyshack. Be the ball.

That's exactly what I was going for.

Well, thanks. I think I see what you're going for. Would probably be better if the land stopped and the right side of the photo was all lake at the bottom. Then it would be like dropping off the edge into the unknown.

No, I like the trees on the other side. I'm not happy with my cropping either, but was going for the same ratio. A pano would've been better. (I think)

Well, stay tuned on that front.

I would have liked to have seen the Spruce Goose, for sure. But I knew I was already coming to this one, and the family didn't want two aviation museums on the same trip. Not sure why, to be honest.

You need to swap out your family with a more aviation enthusiastic one.

Did you happen to see Apollo 11, the new documentary showing only NASA footage of the mission? It's utterly fascinating.

I'm going to say... maybe. I saw a few docs recently.

That has to be the coolest plane ever, right? They have the SR-71 Blackbird at the Dulles wing of the Air & Space Museum. I need to get back there, it's been a while.

I know! I saw that one!

Another reason I need to get to Dulles. They have a real space shuttle there now. The kids have a spring break coming up in April...

But I preferred the one at Kennedy Space Center.

I have never been inside a Concorde, so I really wanted to see it. It was so hard with so little time there before the place closed. That plane was the epitome of luxury when I was growing up.

Absolutely. I remember how shocked I was when that one went down.

Eh, we left a couple of sandwiches. He's fine.

Oh, that's okay, then.

 

[Steppesister]

We get up early, we do rope drop, we drive crazy long distances so we can have shared experiences that we remember forever. When we travel to national parks, we’re looking for those awe-inspiring views that make our jaws drop in wonder. There are certain sights we’ve experienced over the years that are etched permanently in my brain, that make me feel that full grandeur and majesty of God’s creation, with gratitude for having the chance to have witnessed it. For example, I’ll never forget driving through the tunnel that led to Yosemite Valley. The way that view opened up before my eyes was a magical experience. The thrill of that kind of discovery makes me want to continue seeking it more and more.

Well said!!

visitor center at Mount Rainier National Park.

Of all my years of living in the PNW, that's a park I've never been to.

Gets you right in the feels, doesn’t it?

My daily existence for 9 months of the year.

Granted it is pretty.


To visit.

We headed for the southern part of the city, where the Museum of Flight is located. Seattle is home to the Boeing Corporation, and the museum I’m sure was at least partly funded by Boeing as it sits next to Boeing Field.

Another place I've only driven by and seen some cool stuff take out of. I should make a trek up there.

But I was as shocked as anybody when we got to the ticket counter and paid for our admission, and the gate agent recommended we head straight to the airfield out back as the Blue Angels were about to take off on their practice run.

Say whaaaaaaa....??!

I have a special penchant for flight, but formation flight even moreso.

I had no idea the Blue Angels were even in Seattle. But, Paragraph (c) of Section 58 of Chapter 6 of the Oblivious Family Travel Handbook states that if you have an opportunity to see the Blue Angels fly, you must drop everything and go watch the Blue Angels fly.

Plagarizer!

You blantantly stole this from the SteppeSister Handbook.

The main building holds a number of famous aircraft from all sorts of eras. There are side exhibits featuring WWI and WWII fighters from all nations (including a P-51 Mustang), but the centerpiece in the main room is a Lockheed M-21 Blackbird, one of the world’s fastest aircraft (the Blackbirds) and also one of the coolest-looking planes of all time.

Okay, yeah, needs to take a little field trip. Pun intended.

At the end, they had the Apollo capsule from the moon landing mission set up in the middle of the room. No matter how many times I hear the story, it blows me away when I consider what the NASA engineers and astronauts were able to accomplish, especially given the technology of the time. Seeing those burnt-up heat shields reminds me that space travel is no joke.

It was the quintessential epitomy of technologic achievements. Hands down.

I decided to try their version of a Philly cheesesteak, figuring if I put it together myself then these westerners would have no chance to screw it up

I like a Philly, but being "a Westerner", perhaps I don't even know what a good one is?

as he braved the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger,

I'd try it. THere's a West African dish called Mafe (mah-fay) made with beef and peanut butter. I love it!

 

[franandaj]

Behold…the glorious, spellbinding majesty of Mount Rainier.

Ooooh, Aaaaah,

Wait?

I'm not sure I see it.....

It’s very similar to the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. in that they have an incredible number of vintage historic aircraft on display in various hangars on the property. The 737 Max aircraft, however, is not on display.

I can't imagine why not!

Sometimes, despite our cluelessness, we manage to stumble into good fortune that can only be described as a blind squirrel finding a nut.

🐿

But the Apollo exhibit was a timed entry and we only had so many minutes before we had to go see that one. And that exhibit was worth the time to walk through as well.

That sounds like a very cool exhibit!

Although now I’m wondering if this was a scam. I mean, why am I paying the chef if I have to do all the work of cooking the food? It’s the same feeling I get when Julie makes me take her to the Melting Pot.

I love the Melting Pot! In fact many of my favorite restaurants you have to cook your own food!

Hotel prices in the city were insane, but I ended up finding a decent deal at an Embassy Suites north of Seattle in Lynnwood. We’d be there for the next two nights, so the prospect of good breakfasts and not sleeping on the floor lifted everyone’s spirits.

Well that's good! We stayed in Tacoma when we were there to escape the high prices.

But I preferred the one at Kennedy Space Center.

There's one at the California Science Center in Los Angeles too!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well said!!

Hey, thanks!

Of all my years of living in the PNW, that's a park I've never been to.

I figured we couldn't visit and skip that one. The mountain is pretty iconic. When you can see it, anyway.

My daily existence for 9 months of the year.

But it's not supposed to be like this in summer!

Granted it is pretty.


To visit.

In summer. When the sun is out.

Another place I've only driven by and seen some cool stuff take out of. I should make a trek up there.

That museum was great. Two hours wasn't nearly enough time.

Say whaaaaaaa....??!

I have a special penchant for flight, but formation flight even moreso.

Totally lucked into that one!

Plagarizer!

You blantantly stole this from the SteppeSister Handbook.

And @pkondz said it was in his handbook. Maybe they came from the same publisher.

Okay, yeah, needs to take a little field trip. Pun intended.

I see what you did there.

It was the quintessential epitomy of technologic achievements. Hands down.

It's hard to argue otherwise.

I like a Philly, but being "a Westerner", perhaps I don't even know what a good one is?

I would never go so far as to say a good one doesn't exist outside of the Philly area. But I can say I've seen a lot of bad ones to make me nervous about ordering it away from here.

I'd try it. THere's a West African dish called Mafe (mah-fay) made with beef and peanut butter. I love it!

It sounds weird, but peanut butter totally works on a burger!

Ooooh, Aaaaah,

Wait?

I'm not sure I see it.....

See what?

I can't imagine why not!

Yeah, why would they keep that under wraps?

🐿

Hey, look! A nut!

That sounds like a very cool exhibit!

Way cool. Definitely worth seeing.

I love the Melting Pot! In fact many of my favorite restaurants you have to cook your own food!

I love the chocolate and the cheese. Boiled meat comes in way behind them.

But it's still a scam!

Well that's good! We stayed in Tacoma when we were there to escape the high prices.

I can see why. That's an expensive city.

There's one at the California Science Center in Los Angeles too!

Cool! Maybe I need to check it out!

 

[Steppesister]

I figured we couldn't visit and skip that one. The mountain is pretty iconic. When you can see it, anyway.

Such a bummer! Maybe someday you can have a re-do.

But it's not supposed to be like this in summer!

Surprise!! I looked for a source, but suspect our region has the highest Vit D deficiency levels.

In summer. When the sun is out.

Sorry, this the PNW. Sunshine is a rare commodity here.

That museum was great. Two hours wasn't nearly enough time.

Maybe this summer... If it's open. And assuming we can leave our houses.

Totally lucked into that one!

Kinda like when they flew over EPCOT. So cool!

And @pkondz said it was in his handbook. Maybe they came from the same publisher.

Why aren't we all getting royalties?

I would never go so far as to say a good one doesn't exist outside of the Philly area. But I can say I've seen a lot of bad ones to make me nervous about ordering it away from here.

Next time I'm in your area I should try one.

It sounds weird, but peanut butter totally works on a burger!

I have no doubt. I wonder if anywhere around her serves it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Such a bummer! Maybe someday you can have a re-do.

Well, stay tuned. The trip isn't over yet.

Surprise!! I looked for a source, but suspect our region has the highest Vit D deficiency levels.

I remember looking up the statistics in an earlier chapter.

Sorry, this the PNW. Sunshine is a rare commodity here.

We actually had amazing weather for almost the whole trip. This day was the only washout.

Maybe this summer... If it's open. And assuming we can leave our houses.

I suspect that second sentence is the bigger factor right now.

Kinda like when they flew over EPCOT. So cool!

That was awesome!

Why aren't we all getting royalties?

Because we're all plagiarizing each other.

Next time I'm in your area I should try one.

I have no doubt. I wonder if anywhere around her serves it.

I can't remember if Bo & Vine had one or not. There has to be someplace!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well, things are weird now with the whole virus outbreak going on. You might ask if it's a waste of time to keep writing up trip reports on vacations in the past when all of our current plans are on hold and we don't know what's going to happen next.

On the other hand, there are no sports and no movies. So I needed something to do. And if you're stuck indoors and quarantined, you probably need something to do, too. So I'll just keep on updating if that's ok with you.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Chapter 10: A Slew of Seattle Attractions

I spent much of the night rearranging our vacation plans. The original plan called for us to spend our last full day of the trip across the border in Vancouver, Canada. But we had already booked an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver in July 2020, so we knew we would be there again in a year. And since we hadn’t actually seen Mount Rainier yet, we decided to call off the plans for Vancouver and instead make a second attempt to see the mountain on that last day. Thankfully, I had no issues moving our hotel reservations around.

We thought our logic was sound. I mean, the only thing that would stop us from seeing Vancouver and Alaska in 2020 would be something like a world-wide outbreak of a deadly virus, and what are the odds of that?

The next morning, we enjoyed our omelets and potatoes at the Embassy Suites and then drove into downtown Seattle. Dave and I ditched the rest of the family and headed to the baseball stadium.

Or maybe they ditched us and went to the football stadium.

Longtime readers know that we enjoy taking tours of baseball stadiums around the country. Or at least, the boys and I do, and the women tolerate them. It’s usually cheaper than buying tickets to a game, and it seems like the team is always out of town when we’re visiting anyway.

In this case, the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks play in stadiums that are literally across the street from each other. The women much prefer football to baseball, so they decided to take a tour of CenturyLink Field, where the Seahawks play. I also prefer football, but still enjoy baseball, so I went with Dave to do the T-Mobile Park tour.

I also think baseball stadiums tend to have more unique features than football stadiums.

Anyway, we had two tours going on at the exact same time and I only know what happened on one of them, so this should be a riveting update. Let’s check out the football stadium first.



They appear to have found it ok.

All four of them got to go out to the edge of the field at ground level. I was especially proud of Scotty and Drew for wearing their Philadelphia Eagles propaganda.



Scotty gave an impromptu press conference as well. “We believe there is absolutely no basis for concern over any deadly pandemics for at least the next 25 years…”



They also got to go up in the famous “12th Man” tower. Before every Seahawks game, a lucky fan or a celebrity raises the “12th Man” flag signifying the crowd’s role in a home field advantage (a football team has 11 players on the field at any one time). This usually helps whip the crowd into a frenzy.



For extra bonus points, can anyone tell me what is on Scotty’s t-shirt?



Meanwhile, across the street, Dave and I were enjoying the baseball stadium.



This was one of the better tourist photo ops I’ve ever seen. But if you look closely, there’s both a ball in the glove and one in the background flying into the crowd. So it’s an out and a home run at the same time. Or maybe the outfielder is cheating.



We also had the opportunity to give a press conference of our own. “We are fully confident in the stock market, and have zero concerns about Sarah’s college account being wiped out just 6 months before we have to start making payments for her…”



Here we are at field level and in the Mariners dugout.






Continued two posts down because @pkondz messed up the order.

 

[pkondz]

You might ask if it's a waste of time to keep writing up trip reports on vacations in the past when all of our current plans are on hold and we don't know what's going to happen next.

On the other hand, there are no sports and no movies. So I needed something to do. And if you're stuck indoors and quarantined, you probably need something to do, too. So I'll just keep on updating if that's ok with you.

I've actually mentioned this on a couple reports...

I wish I was still writing my TR. I think people need both some grounding and a little bit of happiness right now. I appreciate those of you who are still writing and I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Chapter 10 continued...

We also got to see the Mariners clubhouse, including the candy stash in the stadium manager’s office. Apparently pro ball players have incredible sweet tooths.





This was the press box, where occasionally foul balls do some damage. Instead of being repaired, they are left like badges of honor.



Another cool spot was the roof, where we could see the mechanism for the retractable roof that can be moved over the field. In a rainy area like Seattle, this is a necessity, or you’d never play out the full season.



Once the tours were over (we all seemed to enjoy them equally), we walked a couple of blocks to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Site museum. This historic site has one visitor center in Seattle and another in Skagway, Alaska. It commemorates the gold rush explorers who traveled from Seattle through Alaska and the Yukon Territories on the famous Klondike trail, hoping to make their fortune in gold. Most of their efforts didn’t pan out. Pun fully intended.



We spent a good 5-10 minutes there, taking a hasty look at the museum displays and getting a quick stamp in our National Park passport.





In all honesty, the museum looked very well done, and we wished we’d had the time to give its proper due.

But we had to leave, because we needed to chow down on our PB&J sandwiches we’d packed and get on the light rail. The stadium parking lot was cheaper than any downtown lot, so we left the van there and took the light rail to Westlake Center. Then we walked up a few flights of stairs and got on the monorail.

Seattle is one of only 3 cities to have a monorail in use as a daily transit system. The others are Jacksonville, Florida and Las Vegas, NV (although Las Vegas connects casinos that are not on the main drag, the monorail doesn’t actually enter the city). All of the others in the country are either at airports or amusement parks. Still, our vacation Handbook states “If there is a monorail, you must ride the monorail.” So, we did. (Sorry, I didn’t get a good picture of the train.)



There are only two stops: downtown and Seattle Center, where most of the tourist attractions are. It’s only about a mile long and has been operating since 1962, when it opened for the World’s Fair. It was $3 for adults and $1.50 for the kids (one way). Between that and the light rail, it probably broke even between that and parking our van downtown. But I bet our way was more fun.

The reason we had to leave the Klondike museum so quickly was because we had bought tickets with a timed entry for the Space Needle. They offered a small discount if you bought them as a package with the Chihuly Glass Museum next door (highly recommended by pkondz), so we went ahead and got the package deal.

The Space Needle was up first. Many of you probably think this is an overpriced tourist trap that is overly crowded and not worth the time, crowds and money for what ultimately ends up being 10-15 minutes of a nice view.

And you are correct. However, we are tourists, and have been in surprisingly few tall towers in the course of our journeys. The Space Needle is a world-famous tower and a cool-looking building, too. So we felt like we’d pay the money to do it once, just to say we did it. It’s probably not something we would do every time we visited Seattle. Unless it’s like 30 years before we come back.

The Space Needle also opened for the World’s Fair in 1962 after a year of construction in which not a soul was lost despite the dangerous nature of the job. It’s 605 ft (184m) high, but the observation deck is at 520 ft (160 m). The elevators travel along the outside of the tower and have windows, so you can get a view of the city as you ascend or descend.



How come they don’t have World’s Fairs anymore? I feel like I’m missing out by never having seen one. They sound like they would appeal to my nerdy side.

Whenever you buy a ticket with a “timed entry” you know the crowds are being controlled so that everyone proceeds in an orderly fashion and the attraction never gets overwhelm—HAHAHAHAHAHA

Sorry, I couldn’t finish that with a straight face. The timed entry means that you have to wait until a certain time before you can enter the actual line, which is longer than the average DMV.
It took about 45 minutes to get inside the tower, go through an airport-style security checkpoint, and then reach the obligatory cheesy green-screen photo area where you all smile and on the count of three say, “We’re not buying theeeeeese!”

We finally got into the elevator and rode to the top. I will say this: it’s a great view from up there. You can go outside on the observation deck, where nothing is separating you from a 520-foot fall except a sheet of plexiglass leaning away from you at an angle.

Of course, you can lean against it. Not everyone was willing to do that.



Continued next post

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

We went back into the tower and went down one floor, where they have a rotating glass floor. Again, some of us were game to stand on that glass floor and check out the view below. But my one son, Horace, wanted no part of it (name changed to protect his identity).



Still, we were having a fun time, goofing around and taking photos, and getting ready to pack up and—

FFFFFFFFFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

What the—?

Was that—?

Holy crap, it was!!

The Blue Angels had just buzzed the tower. I was late on the draw getting a photo, but…



…that has to be in the Top 5 coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life. They seemed so close to us!

Totally made our day.

Back safely on the ground, we bought some overpriced souvenirs (sorry, that’s redundant) in the gift shop and then walked over to the Chihuly Garden and Glass.

Dale Chihuly is an artist known for incredibly colorful and unique glass sculptures. The Garden and Glass building houses many of his biggest and most intricate works, and then there is an outdoor portion that features gardens with some of Chihuly’s glass sculptures mixed in with the plants. It’s a unique place, full of pieces of art you wouldn’t find anywhere else.

As a reminder, the Captain Oblivious Law of Art states: if it looks like something I could do, it’s not art. Does this pass the test?

Unequivocally, yes. No way in h-e-double hockey sticks I could ever do this stuff.









The colors and shapes are eye-popping and amazing. I have no idea how he accomplishes this.

The garden was perhaps less impressive than the works inside, but still beautiful.







It was yet another activity that we probably wouldn’t have normally tried, but ended up being glad we did. The only disappointment was the gift shop. We’d thought maybe they would have some unique glass ornaments for our Christmas tree, but…nada. Oh well.

That concluded the day tour of Seattle. We rode the monorail back downtown, and then the light rail back to the stadiums, and then retrieved our van. Then we drove back north of the city to our hotel, stopping at a nearby Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner since we felt like having some Italian. And dinner here was…fine. Nothing to write home about. But adequate. I guess they can’t all be peanut butter burgers.

Coming Up Next: one more national park to cross off the list.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I've actually mentioned this on a couple reports...

I wish I was still writing my TR. I think people need both some grounding and a little bit of happiness right now. I appreciate those of you who are still writing and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Thanks for sticking around! I know I could use some grounding. And I really did need something to do. I can only watch so much TV.

This, too, shall pass. We're taking it seriously here at home and I think more and more of the country is as well.

 

[luv2sewtjr]

Hooray for the update! I’m happy to read it after having my family’s April mini trip canceled.

I suck at quoting but those stadiums really look cool! And I love that there’s a monorail. Have you ever bought a green screen photo? One time, when we went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, we had an absolutely great one of the kids. Bought it and framed it. Have yet to get another good one.

Did you make any “buzzing the tower” jokes?

Glass museum looks amazing. I love when I find places like that. Bicycle heaven in Pittsburgh was one of those for us.

My summer trip seems a little more questionable, too. As does college for my senior. A potential gap year is on the table (she also will turn 18 September after graduation so we are trying to figure these things out). My senior is very sad and we’ve got the stages of grief going on. Nothing I can say can really make it better.

Kinda wish she would rage clean her room, though.

 

[scrappydew]

Thanks for sticking around! I know I could use some grounding. And I really did need something to do. I can only watch so much TV.

This, too, shall pass. We're taking it seriously here at home and I think more and more of the country is as well.

Yes, thank you so much. Your reports bring much happiness and peace, and remind us what is truly important - family. Thanks for giving us something else to listen to. Don't underestimate your superpower, Captain_Oblivious!

 

[pkondz]

But we had already booked an Alaskan cruise out of Vancouver in July 2020

Sure hope yours works out better than mine.

Funny thing is... if you do wind up going (and I sure hope you do), then the roles will be reversed. Instead of you asking me questions, it'll be me asking you.

We thought our logic was sound. I mean, the only thing that would stop us from seeing Vancouver and Alaska in 2020 would be something like a world-wide outbreak of a deadly virus, and what are the odds of that?

Ha Ha Ha! What a vivid imagination you have!

Longtime readers know that we enjoy taking tours of baseball stadiums around the country.

In this case, the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks play in stadiums that are literally across the street from each other.

Parking must be an absolute nightmare when they both play the same day... do they?

I also think baseball stadiums tend to have more unique features than football stadiums.

How so?

I was especially proud of Scotty and Drew for wearing their Philadelphia Eagles propaganda.

Scotty gave an impromptu press conference as well. “We believe there is absolutely no basis for concern over any deadly pandemics for at least the next 25 years…”

Wait... are you telling me... all of this... is because... Scotty happened?????

For extra bonus points, can anyone tell me what is on Scotty’s t-shirt?

Looks like a hand-off to the wide receiver who then passes it to the running back.

But if you look closely, there’s both a ball in the glove and one in the background flying into the crowd. So it’s an out and a home run at the same time.

Nah. That other spot is just the sun shining (or lights) on there.

Or maybe the outfielder is cheating.

Or that.

“We are fully confident in the stock market, and have zero concerns about Sarah’s college account being wiped out just 6 months before we have to start making payments for her…”

Jokes aside... Please tell me that didn't happen...

Continued two posts down because @pkondz messed up the order.

How was I supposed to know you were posting right away!!

We also got to see the Mariners clubhouse

Cool!

This was the press box, where occasionally foul balls do some damage. Instead of being repaired, they are left like badges of honor.

I like that... and is also vaguely terrifying.

Another cool spot was the roof, where we could see the mechanism for the retractable roof

Also cool!

This historic site has one visitor center in Seattle and another in Skagway, Alaska.

Which (hopefully) you'll see for yourself in July.

Most of their efforts didn’t pan out. Pun fully intended.

Atta boy.

What if you don't even notice them?

we needed to chow down on our PB&J sandwiches we’d packed

Yusssss...

Seattle is one of only 3 cities to have a monorail in use as a daily transit system.

Oh! Did not know that. Shoot. Could've done the same.

Wait... I must have seen it???

Sheesh.

Still, our vacation Handbook states “If there is a monorail, you must ride the monorail.”

The reason we had to leave the Klondike museum so quickly was because we had bought tickets with a timed entry for the Space Needle.

Um...

the Chihuly Glass Museum next door (highly recommended by pkondz)

I did. I stand by what I said.

The Space Needle was up first. Many of you probably think this is an overpriced tourist trap that is overly crowded and not worth the time, crowds and money for what ultimately ends up being 10-15 minutes of a nice view.

And you are correct.

Okay... Wasn't going to say anything. But... there was a reason I didn't bother going up...

How come they don’t have World’s Fairs anymore? I feel like I’m missing out by never having seen one. They sound like they would appeal to my nerdy side.

I wholeheartedly agree with this!
Have we grown that jaded that we aren't interested anymore?

Whenever you buy a ticket with a “timed entry” you know the crowds are being controlled so that everyone proceeds in an orderly fashion and the attraction never gets overwhelm—HAHAHAHAHAHA

oh dear...

then reach the obligatory cheesy green-screen photo area where you all smile and on the count of three say, “We’re not buying theeeeeese!”

I refuse to even pose for them. I always either walk past, or say no.
There was one time where this kid was really pushy "You have to have the photo done. You have to!"
I told him my job prohibited having my photo taken. (Not true.)
He didn't have an answer to that one.

But my one son, Horace, wanted no part of it (name changed to protect his identity)

I looked at the feet and Drew my own conclusions.

The Blue Angels had just buzzed the tower.

No. Way!!

…that has to be in the Top 5 coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life. They seemed so close to us!

I bet!!!
The one time when it's a smart move to go up the tower.

we bought some overpriced souvenirs (sorry, that’s redundant)

The colors and shapes are eye-popping and amazing.

I'm glad you liked it.

The garden was perhaps less impressive than the works inside, but still beautiful.

I completely agree with that statement.

The only disappointment was the gift shop. We’d thought maybe they would have some unique glass ornaments for our Christmas tree, but…nada. Oh well.

Yeah... I hear that. I was hoping to find something too.

Did the kids enjoy it too? Or were they bored?

Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner since we felt like having some Italian. And dinner here was…fine.

We have one of those and... yeah... it's just okay. It used to be good... oh, about 40 years ago.

 

[shjrc371]

Chapter 10: A Slew of Seattle Attractions

For extra bonus points, can anyone tell me what is on Scotty’s t-shirt?

That is the Philly Special.

Great update. Although, I'm not quarantined because of my poor career choice, it is uplifting to read after returning to a home full of cabin-fevered teens and pre-teens.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hooray for the update! I’m happy to read it after having my family’s April mini trip canceled.

Aw, man. That stinks. I'm sorry you're missing out on that.

I suck at quoting but those stadiums really look cool! And I love that there’s a monorail. Have you ever bought a green screen photo? One time, when we went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, we had an absolutely great one of the kids. Bought it and framed it. Have yet to get another good one.

I don't think we've ever once bought a green screen photo. Usually I don't even bother going to look at the final result.

Did you make any “buzzing the tower” jokes?

I mean, you kinda have to, right?

Glass museum looks amazing. I love when I find places like that. Bicycle heaven in Pittsburgh was one of those for us.

It was a neat exhibit. Julie was having a lot of fun taking photos there.

My summer trip seems a little more questionable, too. As does college for my senior. A potential gap year is on the table (she also will turn 18 September after graduation so we are trying to figure these things out). My senior is very sad and we’ve got the stages of grief going on. Nothing I can say can really make it better.

We're all just making it up as we go now. I think my daughter will still be going to college this fall, although it would be nice if we could hear about some scholarships before then. Her savings have held up ok for now. But I can definitely see where there is a lot of uncertainty.

I feel like it's 50/50 whether we go to Alaska this summer or not. If everyone would follow the rules and stay home now, it's still possible. But there are a lot of entitled people out there who feel like the rules don't apply to them.

Yes, thank you so much. Your reports bring much happiness and peace, and remind us what is truly important - family. Thanks for giving us something else to listen to. Don't underestimate your superpower, Captain_Oblivious!

My superpower is mindless distraction! Thank you !

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Sure hope yours works out better than mine.

Funny thing is... if you do wind up going (and I sure hope you do), then the roles will be reversed. Instead of you asking me questions, it'll be me asking you.

I'd say it's 50/50 at best. Some days I feel really pessimistic, like we'll never leave our house again. Other days, I feel like our state governments are locking things down like they should, and we can get this under control after a couple of months and still save our summer. I guess either of those outcomes are still possible.

I know the cruise/tourism industries are going to be desperate to rescue whatever income they can. So we'll see. If it's cancelled, it's going to be a pain calling around seeing if I can get deposits back.

Ha Ha Ha! What a vivid imagination you have!

I wasn't sure if that was going to be too over the top.

Parking must be an absolute nightmare when they both play the same day... do they?

That probably is rare. The only overlap between seasons is September, and football games are only on Sundays. I'm sure they coordinate their schedules.

How so?

Football stadiums tend to be similar. The field dimensions are all the same. And many of them are newer, so there is less history in those buildings. Baseball fields are allowed to have unique dimensions, and some have quirks like Boston's Green Monster. So they are usually more unique. Fields like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field have been around for over 100 years and have tons of history. The only football field like that is Lambeau Field in Green Bay (we did tour that one).

Wait... are you telling me... all of this... is because... Scotty happened?????

Looks like a hand-off to the wide receiver who then passes it to the running back.

Close! @shjrc371 got it below.

Nah. That other spot is just the sun shining (or lights) on there.

It was reflecting off my bald head.

Or that.

Never!

Jokes aside... Please tell me that didn't happen...

It's not so dire. Her account is down a bit, because everything is down. But the account was designed to be aggressive (investing in stocks) early and then slowly transition to more conservative investments (bonds) as she got older. With her being 18 now, it should be almost entirely conservative, and that seems to be playing out. So it's down maybe a couple thousand dollars. Which isn't ideal, but much better than it could have been.

Drew's account, on the other hand, is taking a beating.

How was I supposed to know you were posting right away!!

Oh, like you wouldn't have made fun of me if the roles were reversed.

I like that... and is also vaguely terrifying.

Better have good reflexes and pay attention if you're up there!

Also cool!

I thought so!

Which (hopefully) you'll see for yourself in July.

(crosses fingers)

What if you don't even notice them?

Then you'd be...Oblivious.

Yusssss...

Sigh...

Oh! Did not know that. Shoot. Could've done the same.

Wait... I must have seen it???

Sheesh.

I dunno. It's not a very long monorail. About a mile.

I did. I stand by what I said.

You were right!

Okay... Wasn't going to say anything. But... there was a reason I didn't bother going up

When it's our first visit to a place, sometimes I feel like we should do the cliche tourist thing, even knowing it might be a tourist trap. I can avoid it on future visits.

I wholeheartedly agree with this!
Have we grown that jaded that we aren't interested anymore?

I need to do a little research on World's Fairs. They seem like they would be a lot of fun to attend.

I refuse to even pose for them. I always either walk past, or say no.
There was one time where this kid was really pushy "You have to have the photo done. You have to!"
I told him my job prohibited having my photo taken. (Not true.)
He didn't have an answer to that one.

I'm an assassin.

I'm generally too nice. I don't like to make a scene. Plus I know that the photo is helping kill time in line. So I just take the photo and then don't even bother to look for it at the end of the tour.

I looked at the feet and Drew my own conclusions.

Not necessarily...

Although Horace reminded me that he did eventually go out and join us for a few seconds before we left.

No. Way!!

So. Awesome.

I bet!!!
The one time when it's a smart move to go up the tower.

Once again, I'd love to say I planned it. But it was a Blind Squirrel moment.

I'm glad you liked it.

Me too! Otherwise it would have been a big waste.

I completely agree with that statement.

You have good taste, then.

Yeah... I hear that. I was hoping to find something too.

Did the kids enjoy it too? Or were they bored?

I think we all had a good time. The sculptures are unique enough that they grab your attention. We probably spent about an hour or so.

We have one of those and... yeah... it's just okay. It used to be good... oh, about 40 years ago.

I remember eating in one in Indianapolis that was pretty good. This one seemed different than I remembered.

That is the Philly Special.

Nice job.

Greatest play in the greatest game in NFL history. Totally not biased here. Anyway, please collect your bonus points at the prize window.

Great update. Although, I'm not quarantined because of my poor career choice, it is uplifting to read after returning to a home full of cabin-fevered teens and pre-teens.

I'm working from home now, so I'm getting cabin fever too. Only 7 months to go!