Musings on Seattle

If I return to the Seattle area to visit, I think I would do things differently: I would drive onto the ferry to San Juan Island with my vehicle, and stay a couple of days: in addition to the whale watching, and general tourist trips, there a couple of historic sights, state parks with beaches, and a lavender farm to tour. And, maybe even a sea kayak tour. That would not be a bad place to spend a couple of days.

And, I would want to visit the Carbon River Rainforest at the north east corner of Mt Rainier National Park. I would probably stay in a motel closer to the park, maybe in or near Tacoma vs. Seattle.

The last morning of my stay, I actually had time to do more sight seeing, but was not sure what I wanted to do. I considered the Boeing Fields Museum but was not really interested. I looked at the Woodland Park Zoo, but really, most zoos depress me. And it galls me to think that in addition to the zoo entrance fee, the city charged parking fees. I understand parking fees in the downtown area: it makes good economic sense to encourage people who can, to use public transportation, bicycles, and to discourage less driving. It makes good economic sense for land developers to use odd lots of land in the area, to turn a high profit, pay tax dollars, and provide a public service. But the zoo is many, many miles north of downtown. I have driven around the area a couple of times, and have seen no sign of public transportation (although it probably exists, and I do not know what to look for.) So, while this may be in keeping with a city wide policy to charge for parking at public places to decrease automobile usage, it smacks of pure greed. Fortunately, there are other areas of the park that offer non-pay amenities: walking, picnicking, park bench seating, and these do not have parking lots that do require a fee.

I sat in the shade at Green Lake Park, with the breeze blowing off the water. I had on a light jacket and gloves. Even on the ocean, traveling quickly, it was not quite that cold, but of course, I had the mitigating effects of the sun on the ocean. Over and over we were told that this has been a very wet year, and even that day, there were showers in the area, although the cirrus and cumulus clouds did not suggest rain at the park. However, there may have been rain elsewhere in the region.

Interesting, everywhere I went in Seattle, even in the city park,  it was filled with people who have heavy accents. That is expected in the tourist spots, but in the city park, I listened to a Bulgarian who has been here 8 and a half years speak to a Lithuanian who has been here 26 years. Interesting.

As cold as it was, I saw swimmers in the lake. I think the people in Seattle celebrate the sunshine. And, it is the beginning of June.