Waking up at Meri's place means that there is no RV blinds to lift next to the bed, for Lisette to take a photo of what's outside the window first thing in the morning. It does mean, however, that Lisette will have photos of the far wall of Meri's guest bedroom, because that's what she sees when she first opens her eyes! One day, perhaps after this RV trip, Lisette will string these photos together into a video, and these pics will stick out.
Ferry from Bremerton to Seattle
We hadn't planned on going to Seattle on this trip, but since the ferry to Seattle is only an hour, we decided to revisit some places, see what had changed, and check out some new sites. We had visited over a decade ago in February, and it made sense why our airfares were so cheap once we arrived--it rained nonstop during the days we were there! The weather was very sleep-inducing--we'd go somewhere in the morning after breakfast, then head back to our hotel downtown and have a nap before heading back out in the evening!
Our friend Meri dropped us off at the ferry terminal (including Sheila), and we paid the $2 per adult fare (much cheaper than we were expecting!) before embarking on the ferry. We learned that there were orcas in the water, and we craned our necks to try to see them, but we were unfortunately on the furthest side from where they were frolicking about. Sheila also hated the constant undulations of the ferry, so Michael had to carry her in his arms for the majority of the trip--not an easy feat as she is fairly heavy, and his arm eventually went to sleep!
Pike Place Market: Prepare for Crowds!
Once we got off the ferry, we walked along the piers, which were crowded with tourists wandering around the various cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops that lined the strip. Our plan was to revisit Pike Place Market, the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, with stalls overflowing with fresh produce, seafood, flowers, beauty products, and other local goods. It's famous for its fish-throwing vendors, the original Starbucks store, and is one of the must-go stops for anyone visiting Seattle.
Because we had been to Seattle before, we believed that we knew when we'd get to Pike Place, but we ended up passing it and walking an extra 20 minutes away! By then, Seattle had lived up to its reputation and the experience we were hoping to replace from last time--it started raining. And raining hard. And it was cold! We were not prepared, so we waited under an awning for the rain to ease before jogging back to Pike Place. It turns out that we were kind of on the lower level which is why we missed it and the red neon Pike Place sign, so we headed up and were promptly greeted by crowded chaos. The market was absolutely teeming with people, and we had to walk shoulder to shoulder alongside the sea of folks.
Lisette has been wanting to try Piroshky Piroshky for a while now; it's a popular, Seattle-based Eastern European bakery known for its sweet and savory pastries, filled with things like smoked salmon, cheddar garlic, orange cream, and other flavors. There are regular popups around the country, and Lisette had considered ordering when they were in San Francisco. Fortunately, she avoided the extra fees and got her potato & mushroom and spiced garden curry-flavored pastries freshly baked. The curry was a bit too sweet, but the potato & mushroom was delicious--perfect for a rainy day!
For uber gourmet food lovers, Kitchen & Market is worth a visit--think of it like a posher, more expensive Whole Foods. Lisette bought sourdough bread for Meri (actually reasonably priced), but ended up splurging on some vegan licorice (flavored with ginger, although she couldn't taste it) from Sweden. It was an eye-watering $9 for a tiny bag! Would Lisette buy Kolsvart licorice again? It was good, but not sure she'd spend that much again. Sometimes (often?) Lisette is intrigued by certain foods, and wants to purchase it to simply try it.
Several More Seattle Highlights
Despite the immense amount of food options, Michael couldn't decide what he wanted for lunch (decision paralysis, perhaps)? But we figured the best plan would be to get away from the crowds. While it was great to see Pike Place again, the area around it also sadly had a lot of people doing it tough--we even passed a group of tourists who, like us, had to avoid several people openly doing drugs on the sidewalk. It's absolutely tragic that there are many cities around the US (and certainly, in other parts of the world), where this is a major problem.
Walking away from Pike Place, a kebab place a few blocks down looked promising, but a kebab was an even more tear-jerking $20(!!), so we eventually ended up at a Thai restaurant, sitting outside in a shaded area, with a space heater helping us dry off, including Sheila (who now stank of that distinct wet dog smell).
A distinct building in Seattle, meanwhile, is the Amazon Spheres, which make up part of Amazon's corporate headquarters. Besides the fun spherical design, it's a very eco-looking building, with lots of plants and greenery both inside and outside. We wandered into one of the spheres and there was an art exhibition on the ground floor, with one section encouraging people to sit and color different leaves to then stick on a wall with others. There were only adults partaking in this perfect rainy day activity when we went.
We had noticed there was an REI Co-op store about 15 minutes' walk away for Lisette to see if she could find some replacement hiking sandals, but at that moment the rain started again, with a chilly breeze to the air. We were unprepared (Michael perhaps the most as he was dressed in shorts and a light jacket), so we took this as our sign to head back to the ferry terminal, grabbing a coffee for Michael before jumping on the next ferry back to Bremerton. Surprisingly, the ferry going back is significantly more expensive--$12 rather than the $2 we paid to come over, which is kind of like a toll bridge having different prices depending on the direction you're traveling.
On the way back, Michael was prepared to hold Sheila in his arms, so he positioned it so that it'd be the least comfortable for him. While his arm didn't go to sleep, Sheila did on the way back--and was even snoring on the ride home! Clearly someone tired themselves out from the day's events!
When we got back to Bremerton, the weather was cloudy, but fortunately not rainy, so we walked the 20 minute trek back to Meri's house, eager to get warm and relax for the night.