Day by day summary of my time in Seattle, my summer retreat from Texas heat.
July 4
UPS Waterfall Garden Park, an oasis within downtown Seattle. This park is in the location where UPS first started in 1907. The UPS expanded to become a major shipping company across the country. The UPS was headquartered in Seattle until 1975.
Various views of the Seattle Ferris wheel. It was lit up in red-white-blue colors in the evening of July 4.
I took an Argosy cruise to Tillicum Village on Blake Island. Walked around the coast before enjoying a Native American dinner featuring salmon. The salmon came from Pugent Sound, and we can see salmon being roasted. A Native American themed show followed the dinner.
After the dinner and show, we returned to the ferry and sailed to the fireworks show near Bainbridge Island. Spectacular, especially the ending. They even created a dragon on the barge, shooting flames which floated on the water.
July 5
Kerry Park, a viewing platform in Queen Anne with panoramic views of Seattle skyline.
Living Computer Museum. This museum has vintage computers from several decades, going back to the 1940s. There is also a section on artificial intelligence including robots and self-driving cars. The museum also has computer games from past generations, including an arcade. Computers once were the size of a refrigerator - today's smartphones are more powerful. Programmers had no direct interaction with the computer. Instead they sent their programs to a punch card operator who converted the programs to punch cards, which then go into the computer. The teletype became the first means for programmers to directly interact with a computer. In the 1970s terminal screens, which displayed green lines, emerged. These screens also allow people to communicate with the computer by simple commands, eliminating the need to learn programming languages. Graphical user interfaces, where the user uses a mouse to click on pictures, first appeared in the mid 1970s before becoming mainstream in 1984. Touch screens are the latest in computer evolution.
July 6 Daytrip
I joined a group tour today. Started with a visit to Chateau Ste. Michelle, oldest winery in Washington state. I did a behind-the-scense tour of the chateau and a wine tasting.
Next up was a visit to Snoqualmie Waterfall, used in filming Twin Peaks and The Vanishing. The waterfall is 260 feet tall - as a comparison Niagara Falls is 167 feet tall.
Next was a visit to Boehm’s Chocolates in Issaquah for tour of the factory, chocolate sculptures, and of course chocolate samplings.
July 7
Freeway Park, a small park along I-5 and next to the Washington State Convention Center.
Locks Cruise. Started in Elliot Bay with spectacular views of Seattle and then entering Puget Sound.
Then the ferry entered the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The Locks separate the salt water of Puget Sound from the freshwater of Lake Union. Since the water levels are different, the locks also serve as an elevator for boats. The locks are a popular tourist attraction, as people stand on the shore to watch boats rise or fall in the locks. Our ferry entered the locks on the lower level. The back gates close and the water level rises, lifting the ferry. Then the front gates open, and the ferry continues into Lake Union.
Lots of floating homes and boat houses on Lake Union, including the home filmed in Sleepless in Seattle. We also sailed under the Ballard (green) and Fremont (blue and orange) draw bridges, as well as the George Washington Memorial bridge (gray). The George Washington Memorial bridge is also known as Aurora Bridge. Take a look at the top right picture (with the George Washington Memorial and Fremont bridges) - this picture is an optical illusion. Can you tell which bridge is closer to the ferry?
July 4
UPS Waterfall Garden Park, an oasis within downtown Seattle. This park is in the location where UPS first started in 1907. The UPS expanded to become a major shipping company across the country. The UPS was headquartered in Seattle until 1975.
Various views of the Seattle Ferris wheel. It was lit up in red-white-blue colors in the evening of July 4.
I took an Argosy cruise to Tillicum Village on Blake Island. Walked around the coast before enjoying a Native American dinner featuring salmon. The salmon came from Pugent Sound, and we can see salmon being roasted. A Native American themed show followed the dinner.
After the dinner and show, we returned to the ferry and sailed to the fireworks show near Bainbridge Island. Spectacular, especially the ending. They even created a dragon on the barge, shooting flames which floated on the water.
July 5
Kerry Park, a viewing platform in Queen Anne with panoramic views of Seattle skyline.
Living Computer Museum. This museum has vintage computers from several decades, going back to the 1940s. There is also a section on artificial intelligence including robots and self-driving cars. The museum also has computer games from past generations, including an arcade. Computers once were the size of a refrigerator - today's smartphones are more powerful. Programmers had no direct interaction with the computer. Instead they sent their programs to a punch card operator who converted the programs to punch cards, which then go into the computer. The teletype became the first means for programmers to directly interact with a computer. In the 1970s terminal screens, which displayed green lines, emerged. These screens also allow people to communicate with the computer by simple commands, eliminating the need to learn programming languages. Graphical user interfaces, where the user uses a mouse to click on pictures, first appeared in the mid 1970s before becoming mainstream in 1984. Touch screens are the latest in computer evolution.
July 6 Daytrip
I joined a group tour today. Started with a visit to Chateau Ste. Michelle, oldest winery in Washington state. I did a behind-the-scense tour of the chateau and a wine tasting.
Next up was a visit to Snoqualmie Waterfall, used in filming Twin Peaks and The Vanishing. The waterfall is 260 feet tall - as a comparison Niagara Falls is 167 feet tall.
Next was a visit to Boehm’s Chocolates in Issaquah for tour of the factory, chocolate sculptures, and of course chocolate samplings.
July 7
Freeway Park, a small park along I-5 and next to the Washington State Convention Center.
Locks Cruise. Started in Elliot Bay with spectacular views of Seattle and then entering Puget Sound.
Then the ferry entered the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The Locks separate the salt water of Puget Sound from the freshwater of Lake Union. Since the water levels are different, the locks also serve as an elevator for boats. The locks are a popular tourist attraction, as people stand on the shore to watch boats rise or fall in the locks. Our ferry entered the locks on the lower level. The back gates close and the water level rises, lifting the ferry. Then the front gates open, and the ferry continues into Lake Union.
Lots of floating homes and boat houses on Lake Union, including the home filmed in Sleepless in Seattle. We also sailed under the Ballard (green) and Fremont (blue and orange) draw bridges, as well as the George Washington Memorial bridge (gray). The George Washington Memorial bridge is also known as Aurora Bridge. Take a look at the top right picture (with the George Washington Memorial and Fremont bridges) - this picture is an optical illusion. Can you tell which bridge is closer to the ferry?
