Seattle, Part 4

Finally, our last pictures from Seattle. These show the view of Seattle from our ferry as we traveled away from the city. That trip was over to Bainbridge Island, a quaint little community full of small shops and homes. It was kind of strange to see a Coast Guard boat with a sailor posted at the machine gun mounted to the bow. Apparently a homeland security precaution for ferries.

The picture of Pikes Public Market shows just a small part of the shops. Think lots of shops--seafood stalls, bakeries, meat counters, tourist trinkets, flower shops, restaurants, and even a cheese shop.

The next picture shows the view from our hotel window. The Seattle Hilton actually starts on the 13th floor, where the lobby and lounge is. Our room was on the 17th floor. There is a restaurant on the 24th floor (serves descent food but lousy service) with nice views.

Lastly, a picture from the waterfront of the sound and an incoming ferry. Ferries are a very common way of transportation in the area, both for pedestrians and for vehicles. We are looking forward to riding more, perhaps to Tillicum Village, a state park showcasing the northwest coast Indian culture--complete with a salmon bake. Or, perhaps we will take the ferry to Vancouver Island and Victoria to see Butchard Gardens (a former quarry converted into an expanse of flowers and bushes), the Royal BC Museum (collection of human and natural history of British Columbia) or just the waterfront of Victoria (a very British community).