Winter snows hit Seattle

December in Seattle area has begun with up to 6 inches of snow on the ground, surpassing the average total yearly snow fall in one event! Our grandson had a snow day, and we were able to explain to him what a “snow day” was.

About mid way through the 6 inch accumulation

Wonder how many kids in Seattle have seen rabbit tracks?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After 120 years of record-keeping, Seattle has witnessed just six white Christmases. The most recent White Christmas was in 2017. In that year 1.0 inches of snow fell at the city’s official reporting site at Sea-Tac Airport. Seattle’s winter weather is limited greatly by the Pacific Ocean, where temperatures stay fairly even throughout the year. Our daughter shared with us that snow removal equipment is few and far between out here, understandable as snow plows are rarely needed.

 

Alaska Airlines first experience

Wingtip and clouds at 35,000 feet

Our Indianapolis to Seattle trip started with an early departure time for Alaska Airlines Flight 501, non-stop to Seattle, which we felt boded well for the rest of our journey. The boarding was easy as we took advantage of the offer to get on early. (Being senior citizens does have benefits.) The flight attendant put my Sleep Apnea machine in the overhead compartment for me, which was helpful as the machine is very heavy.

Our flight took 4 hours and 38 minutes, according to the announcement at the beginning. Sher and I both had books to read stored on our phones. That helped to pass the time, and the one I had was in fact a very good and exciting story. Soon after takeoff the crew began to serve the snacks and drinks.  We were at the back of the aircraft’s cabin, so it took a while for the service cart to get to our seats.

The Boeing 737 800/900 is a very long jetliner!

A decent Cabernet Sauvignon from the drink cart

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once we were offered refreshments, we both opted for the red wine offering. At a price of $7.50 we were glad wine was available. As an extra treat, our flight attendant was kind enough to offer us an additional serving at no cost. Wine on board a flight at net $3.75? We’re ok with that!

All in all our first flight with Alaska Airlines was a very pleasant experience from start to finish. We checked our one bag at the counter in Indy and got our boarding passes there. As noted above, boarding was easy. The flight itself was mostly very smooth, only about 5 minutes of “rough weather” was felt. Once we landed and got with our daughter and grandson at the baggage claim we knew we had arrived. Now to start our visit…

Beauty and function

Seattle’s Puget Sound is home to 13 working lighthouses

The Alki Point lighthouse is an operational fully automated facility operated by the US Coast Guard. It is the southernmost of the 13 lighthouses on the Sound. This is a beautiful structure when seen from any angle, and is often open for free tours. Sorry, you can’t take your dog to this one. We got this shot on a cruise from Seattle to Tillicum Island.

Sunday Brunch at Arnie’s in Mukilteo

The entrance to Arnies with the water in the background.

The entrance to Arnies with the water in the background.

Arnies Restaurant in Mukilteo puts on a very nice Sunday brunch from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. Located in Mukilteo, Washington, the restaurant presents a striking view of the harbor, ferry dock and both the Cascade range and the Olympic Mountains as well.

The brunch itself is just delightful. The friendly staff first bring a fruit plate with yogurt dip to the table. The menu offered is complete with both breakfast fare as well as lunch and even dinner items. Your meal comes complete with the fruit plate appetizer, a huge cinnamon roll (served warm!), your choice of champagne, orange juice or Mimosa and your choice of meal.

Delicious fresh fruit

Delicious fresh fruit

 

 

The snow capped Olympic Mountains on the horizon

The snow capped Olympic Mountains on the horizon

Sher and I dined there last Sunday with our son and daughter and their families. Accommodations were made for the grandkids including a sling for the baby and booster seat for our granddaughter. All enjoyed their meal. The portion sizes are large, and with the fruit plate and cinnamon rolls none of us had any room for dessert!