Seattle

Mt. Rainier, a defining symbol of the Pacific Northwest

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It is sixty miles from Seattle, closer yet to Tacoma and is the prominent feature on the horizon of this part of the State of Washington. Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma, is an active volcano in the Cascade Range.

I took this pic from the highway near SeaTac Airport

Mt. Rainier is believed to have had some minor eruptions between 1820 and 1854, but these might have been merely rockslides or ash and pumice falls. Geologists think the most recent major eruption was in 1450 AD/CE.

Another view of Mt. Rainer (courtesy Alaska Airlines)

Mt. Rainier is 14,400 feet high and is is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous lower 48.  The threat of eruptions is real, and evacuation drills are in place for the immediate vicinity. The biggest threat is from lahars, volcanic mudflows that form when the glaciers melt. These volcano spawned mud slides destroy anything in their path.

Washington State Ferry between Kingston and Edmonds

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The Washington State Ferry System operates across the Puget Sound and the Salish Sea using 20 different terminals. These terminals are ports for the largest ferry system in the United States. Some of the ferries take vehicles, some are for foot travel only.

Waiting in line to get to the terminal

Ferry is approaching the dock, back left

 

 

 

 

 

 

During our recent road trip with family we traveled extensively on the Olympia Peninsula in the western part of the state.  We reached the port of Kingston and prepared to take one of the vehicle ferries on a 30 minute trip across Puget Sound to the port of Edmonds.

We were the first car to board the ferry

Lots of seating in the passenger lounge on the upper deck

 

 

 

 

 

We had a two hour wait to board the ferry at Kingston. It seemed like the wait on the road was not long, and we were actually first in line to board as we wanted easy elevator access to the passenger lounge.

This is the second ferry that runs the Kingston/Edmonds route

Downtown Seattle, 27 miles off, Space Needle far right

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rather short voyage was interesting. The scenery was something to see, not what landlocked Hoosiers are used to, that’s for sure. The Seattle skyline on the horizon was impressive, with the well recognized outline of the Space Needle visible 27 miles from our vantage point in the middle of Puget Sound.

Guy Johnson entertained us at the Oxford Saloon in Snohomish

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When Sher and I visit our family in the Seattle area, we always plan at least one trip to the Oxford Saloon in Snohomish. The Oxford (built in 1889) has quite the history, It was a brothel, a speakeasy and is documented as being haunted. Great food and good music highlight many enjoyable times we have had at the Oxford.

Guy on the Oxford stage

Roaming the crowd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The evening we went the food as usual was delicious. (See our recent write up here.) Who was playing that evening became clear when Guy Johnson came in with his guitar, gear and a colorful coat. Guy is  a  singer, songwriter and performer from nearby Lynwood. He treated Sher and I with our genre of music: 60’s and 70’s!

Sher and I made our own dance floor!

We had the opportunity to chat with guy between sets. He shared with us some of his history, including details about his band. He was most generous with his time speaking to us. Guy is a very talented musician and he makes that guitar sing. We had a delightful time at the Oxford with not only our family but sharing stories and music with Guy Johnson.

You can find Guy Johnson on his Facebook here.

Haunted Oxford Saloon

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Of course we can’t be in Seattle without visiting the quaint little town of Snohomish. In Snohomish we find our favorite tavern The Oxford Saloon. It’s a haunted neighborhood bar, although everybody doesn’t know our names, everyone is so friendly we feel like they do.

The mannequin on the swing is depicting a lady who is said to haunt the saloon
This staircase is said to have the ghost of a man who was shot there.

They have live music in the evening.

Very entertaining

We like the food. We got appetizers on this visit but they have a full menu.

Loaded nachos
Onion rings
Pretzel bites with cheese dip
Blackberry gin smash, one of their specialty drinks and my favorite.

A great place to visit if you’re in the area. Tell them the Hoosier couple sent you.

Seattle’s Space Needle

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From the official website of the 605 feet tall Seattle Space Needle comes a to the point introduction to this world famous attraction: The Space Needle is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world and is a treasured Seattle icon. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair … whose theme was “The Age of Space”. 

See views of downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges from the tower

On our first trip to Seattle we went up in the Space Needle. At that time there was a restaurant that rotated a full 360 degrees in an hour. In 2017 a large reconstruction project revamped the entire top of the tower. Now the restaurant is gone, but a lounge, cafe and a wine bar with glass floors lets you look straight down to the ground over 500 feet below you! The rotation still gives you a chance to sit and view the total 360 view of Seattle.

Beardslee Public House in Bothel, Washington

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While our grandson was having his music lesson, Sher and I went with our daughter and son-in-law to a brewery/restaurant in the town of Bothel, north Seattle. This place was opened in 2015 serving brewed in house craft beers and food made from locally sourced ingredients.

We ordered the “Brewer’s Choice” selection for our flight to taste

The variety of beers was fun to sample. Sher and I liked the Tangelo Sour Ale with a sour citrus taste and a low IBU of 18. Our favorite turned out to be the Grappen Belgian Tripel. This ale is an American version of the famous Belgian ales. The 8.6% ABV and an IPU of 24 fits the bill for me for sure. We always enjoy trying the different beers in the flights. Sher and I are starting to know what we like and don’t like.

Current listing of the crafted onsite brews

The food was Excellent! This was my bacon cheese burger . Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The food at Beardslee Public House was just as good as the beer, IMO. The burger I had was delicious, Sher enjoyed the tomato basil soup, and the kids had a huge appetizer sampler plate. The atmosphere here was informal and comfortable. Service was excellent and very friendly. Yet another good time during our winter stay in Seattle!