Finding America

We woke to your typical Seattle morning – overcast and dreary. Fortunately we had a few things to accomplish before heading into the city for our first exploration. First off it was unbelievably already time for my new truck, The Silver Fox, to get his 10,000 mile check up. Whoa have we been covering some territory.

While I tended to the truck Kamrin did a spot of laundry and then went for a run. The truck was checked up and out the door in no time and I also took a nice run around the nature preserve that the RV park backs up to. Fortunately it had stopped raining and although it continued to be overcast we were at least not in fear of a soggy day.

Once we were cleaned up we headed into the city for out first view of Seattle. Traffic wasn’t too bad and we took a random exit that looked like it would drop us into the thick of it. We ended up driving through Pioneer Square and down to the sports arenas. We headed back uptown along the water and like the shepherds following the star, we used the spire of the Space Needle as our compass.

We found parking almost beneath the Space Needle directly beside the SFM and EMP museums (more about them later). We made a bee line to the Space Needle and purchased a ticket to the top. Check out the video here for our amazing views of this architectural wonder.

After our high flying adventure at the Space Needle we came down to earth and had an excellent lunch at the nearby Greek restaurant called the Grecian Corner. The food was really excellent and if you are in the area and looking for something besides carnival foods give this eatery a try.

Fully fueled we were pulled by the tracker-beam of the SFM Museum or better known as the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. Friends from one Sci Fi fan to the next this is a worthy pilgrimage. We spent over an hour here exploring the multiple floors of this fantastic museum. On the first floor you can follow the history of Sci Fi through the amazing displays, videos, holographs and other paraphernalia of the genre’s prolific history.

I was in heaven. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures of video other than the ones you see form outside the exhibit area. The security was following us like a war band of Klingons and we knew that breaking the rules would mean swift and sudden death. Fortunately we were to busy being awe struck by the collection of guns, phasers, space ships and other movie props that were collected here that we all but forgot about our compulsion to film everything.

Truly the museum was a serious highlight. Unfortunately by the time we got over to the EMP – Experience Music Project the place was so filled with tourists that we were overwhelmed and only took the time to really check out the new exhibit on the music of Disney. It was pretty neat to watch and listen to the history of Disney’s music. This in itself was a treat, but it wasn’t long before this little haven was bustling and crowd sent us heading for the doors. Perhaps on a sunny day when the rest of Seattle would rather be outside than those of from sunnier climes could avail ourselves of this fine museum.

We drove to Pioneer Square afterwards and took a nice stroll through this historic district. Knowing that we would be back later in the week for the Underground Tour we decided not to explore overly much. We did stop in Utilikilts, a retail store that sells Scottish style kilts made of durable fabrics and leather. With a price tag starting at $125 I figured I pass this time but perhaps sometime later.

We crossed the street to the very quaint and intricately decorated Fado Irish Pub. We had some time to kill and a pint and an order of corn beef tacos fit the bill. The tacos were actually outstanding and we both agreed that we needed to add those little marvels to our menu at home.

We had plans to meet my friend Sam for dinner but since he was still not out of work and we still had a while until then Kam walked in to a get some beautifying done to her nail and I settled into a nearby coffeehouse for a hot drink and a read of my book.

It wasn’t long before she was done and Sam was on his way. We met up with Sam after a little directional malfunction at Ivar’s Salmon House on the Lake Union. The place was slathered with Pac NW art and the menu matched this tradition. We all had excellent meals though Sam decried the lack of moisture in his particular meal. Check out the video below.

With the lights of the city to guide us home we made our way back to Kent after a very full day and checked out for a few hours shut eye.