Friday, May, 21, 2004 - Seattle, Washington

Our flight into Seattle was uneventful, we arrived at the airport at approximately 5:00 pm. We had arranged ahead of time for a car to pick us up, using Seattle Towncar. It was $60, including gratuity. They can take up to four people, however, luggage for four people would probably not all fit in the car. Luggage for three adults would probably fit. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel and Tower in downtown Seattle. Our room was 2211, on the 22nd floor. It had a king size bed, high-speed Internet access, and a great view of Puget Sound from our large window. The dEcor was pale woods, light carpet, and beige and white bedding and walls. The bathroom had ceramic tile on the floors which looked like tumbled travertine marble. There was a (1875 watt) hairdryer in the bathroom also, so I was lucky since I did not pack one. The coffee provided in the room was... Starbucks, what else? The only real splash of color was the paintings and photos on the walls. It was very tastefully done, and was very relaxing. We asked the concierge at the Sheraton where she could recommend for us to eat that would be good Asian food. She recommended many within walking distance, and we settled on Bambuza on the corner of Pike and Convention Center Blvd. They had what was supposed to be Vietnamese food, but I found it to be more of an Asian fusion type food. The Bambuza rolls were just spring rolls with shrimp. Randall had salmon, and I had egg noodles with shrimp and tofu. We also had some coconut sweet potatoes that were really good. After dinner we walked around downtown a little. It was not that cold, but the wind was awful.

Saturday, May 22, 2004 - Embarkation Day Embarkation day we slept in. We woke up about 9:00 am. It was lightly raining, but the wind was not bad, so it was not uncomfortable. The temperature was in the upper 50's. We had breakfast at a Starbucks about 100 yards from the Sheraton. After walking around after scones and coffee, we were struck by the number of Starbucks in one city block of Seattle. They were everywhere! We had forgotten to pack a few essential items so we found a Rite-Aid Pharmacy nearby. From there we walked down to the Pike Street Market by the water. We got to watch the fish throwers, and were amazed at the amount of produce and fresh flowers for sale. Also, we got to see the Princess ship that had rammed the pier in Victoria, B.C. the night before limp in. We were unable to see any damage on the hull, but we only saw her port side, and the damage may have been starboard or already repaired in British Columbia. We were grateful we were not on the Princess ship, as they were getting in much later than anticipated. Read more