I wake up bright and early, my tail much bushier than the day before. I head down to another little coffee shop in town called Thruline Coffee Co. for some jitter juice and a raspberry scone. I remember Joanne’s suggestion to check out a nice little park just on the north side of downtown so I make my way down to the water and turn north. I work through Marina Park and past a small beach where 4 different people with telescopic camera lenses are taking photos of ducks. They didn’t look like particularly interesting ducks, they weren’t doing anything seemingly noteworthy, they were just kinda standing there. I have no idea what the extreme interest in the waterfowl was but they were so dialed in I didn’t bother to ask. Plus I probably would have been murdered and cast out to sea if I scared off those ducks.
I continue on to Heritage Park, a decently large expanse of grass with a wooded walk along the water. I walk along the length of the park and by the time I reach the other end I’m only a few blocks from the house. I make the final push up the hill and I’m back again, just before lunchtime.
On my return Greg & Joanne are discussing changing our plans for tomorrow. We are hoping to take a boat out on the Sound but the forecast is calling for rain. They have just recently joined a boat club and want to get out on the water while I’m here. This afternoon should be clear so Joanne makes a few calls to see if we can get out today instead. She thinks she can peel away from work around 3:30, which would put us at the marina around 4. She’s unable to secure a boat out of Elliott Bay - right near downtown Seattle, but she reserves one out of the Port of Edmonds - about 10 miles north of Kirkland.
Watercraft situation resolved, Greg asks me if I’d like to go check out the Space Needle and I reply with a resounding yes. You can’t come to Seattle and not go up in the needle. We load up in the car and head downtown. When we saunter up to the needle we find out that the earliest available time isn't for 45 minutes, not terrible news because Greg suggests we can do the glass museum first. The what?
Chihuly Garden and Glass is a collection of work from Dale Chihuly, a world renowned glass sculptor, and a destination that I would have never thought to patronize had Greg not suggested it. And boy am I glad he did because it’s really a remarkable place. The first sculpture we see completely blows me away, a 15 foot tower assembled from a collection of what must be thousands of blue, green, and gold hand blown pieces of glass. The work is called Sealife Tower and is inspired by the ocean, specifically Puget Sound. The sheer number and unique shapes of the pieces of glass is mind boggling. I try to look at individual pieces and I find myself quickly overcome by the enormity of the structure. It’s truly dazzling.



So much better than a bunch of stupid gum stuck to a wall.
Greg and I continue through the museum into room after room of captivating, unique works. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. The fun continues outside where the glass is incorporated into a garden, accenting and accentuating the natural flora. We watch a live glassblowing demonstration where the glassworkers heat and roll the glass and explain the importance of layers and how to add color. I don’t know if I’ve ever had an experience so completely exceed my expectations, I mean “exceed” is the wrong word, my expectations were on another planet from what we saw. Very cool.


We stroll through the gift shop and it’s time for our needle tour. We make our way through the gates and into a waiting area that wraps around the base of the needle and gradually works up to an elevator bank. While in line we pass panels that showcase the history and construction of the needle. It was built for the 1962 World’s Fair (remember World’s Fairs? Yeah neither do I, they seem so quaint and old-timey) and the theme of the fair was SPACE. We were in the midst of the space race and the Ruskies were making some disconcerting progress for ol Uncle Sam.
Posters from the time and cartoon depictions of THE FUTURE seem charmingly whimsical in a Jetsons kind of way. JFK was supposed to attend the closing ceremony of the fair but bowed out due to a “heavy cold.” In actuality he was trying to save the human race from extinction by going toe to toe with Khruschev during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
I think my favorite part of the exhibits was the fact that there was a gentleman whose title was “Chief Needle Engineer.” Add that shit to my LinkedIn.
After about 20 minutes of waiting we finally make it onto an elevator. We take the short ride up and step out onto an open-air viewing platform with spectacular views of Seattle, the Sound, and the surrounding mountain ranges. It was just a bit too hazy to see Mt Ranier and they say on an especially clear day you can see Mt. Baker, my destination for Sunday. We take in the views from the observation deck then head downstairs to the restaurant level. Here we find ourselves standing atop a revolving glass floor where you can look straight down the legs of the needle. It was great, assuming you’re not acrophobic.




It’s about time to head back to pick up Jo so we take the elevator down and head through a gift store with myriad Space Needle replicas that would most certainly get confiscated by TSA. On the way to the car we stop at a hot dog stand for a quick bite and I order a Seattle Dog, which I didn’t even know was a thing. Apparently it’s hot dog with cream cheese slathered on a warm bun and topped with caramelized onions and peppers. It sounds a bit odd but it was quite tasty and really gave me the fuel I need to take on the sea.
We make our way back to Kirkland, scoop Joanne, and continue on to the marina. The rep from Freedom Boat Club meets us at the dock and gives a quick once-over of the vessel. Most importantly he lets us know that some boaters earlier in the day saw a pod of whales up by Hat Island. Sounds like a good place to start.
Each time Greg & Joanne take a boat out they switch captaincy (they are actually pilots not captains, they have a lot of seafaring to do till they get their captain’s stripes) and today Jo is at the helm. She guides the boat out of the slip and we putter out of the marina and into Seattle Sound where we make a right to head north towards Hat Island. Not long after we get out onto the open water the wind starts to whip up, and cap’n Joanne slows er down a bit because the waves are knocking us around. It’s about an hour of choppy cruising to the island, where we keep our eyes peeled for some oceanic mammal friends.


We make the turn around the isle with no whales in sight. Damn. Oh well, I’m just happy to be out on a boat. We slow down to let some ferries cross (the Seattle Sound is an active shipping channel so you need to keep your head on a swivel), which affords us the opportunity to enjoy a beer and some cheese & crackers that Joanne packed. This is the life.
We continue back towards the port when the waves really pick up and we decide we’ve had enough. Joanne swings the bow around and we’re back at the dock in short order. All in all we were out for about 3 hours and got to see some cool areas of the Sound; I really want to come back out on a calmer, clearer day and do some more ‘splorin.
We get back and the boat club office is closed up and locked for the day. I really need to use the john so this is not a great development for my personal comfort. We see a restaurant across the parking lot and decide to have a beer & relieve ourselves. Unfortunately they don’t have any bar service and a table will have to do. Guess we’re having dinner here. No matter, I’m sure they have some good seafood.
We get seated and I order a Georgetown Brewing Lucille IPA and scan the menu. Joanne tells me that fish & chips is a big deal in Seattle and this seems like just the place for that. My hunch is confirmed shortly thereafter when a platter of flaky, breaded deliciousness arrives at my table and I scarf it down with gusto.
We finish up dinner and 30 minutes later we’re back at the house. We’re all feeling a little lethargic from the past couple nights and getting banged around on a boat for a few hours. Joanne checked the Sabres score on the drive home and seemed excited about it but wouldn’t tell us the final. She turns on the game replay and I make it through the first period, which ends 1-1. I feel my eyes getting heavy and the Sabres aren’t doing much to combat that. I call it a night after a pretty solid Seattle day: coffee, Space Needle, boating on the Sound, and craft beer. All I’m missing is rain.