Northwest Travels (First Leg... Seattle!)

I'm back...!

Vacation was great - as it always is! Seattle... Victoria... then back to Seattle. One vacation down this year, one to go!

Great hotels. You can't go wrong with Fairmont and as for the Edgewater... they get the Bill Barker seal of approval as well.

The Fairmont Olympic is centrally located, the rooms are large, and when you throw in the on-site 10,800 square foot fitness facility with its 42 foot heated pool and giant jacuzzi... well... it's a "Bill" kind of place. (*WINK*)

Seattle's a great eating and drinking town! First night there we hit Purple and on our last night we hit Quinn's. Other great meals were had at Le Pichet (dinner) and the Seattle "fusion" icon Wild Ginger (lunch). A bit further off the beaten track we had a nice snack of fish and chips along with not just one, but distinct locally brewed cask conditioned ales at the Harbour Public House overlooking a lovely little marina on Bainbridge Island and on another day cocktails (dynamite homemade sangria!) at Cactus on Alki Beach in West Seattle.

Believe it or not, we never made it to the Pike Brewing Company - not for a drink at least. We tended to stroll "The Market" in the mornings. While of course I was quite prepared to start drinking beer at 9:00 a.m., alas... the brewpub doesn't start pouring till 11:00 a.m. Mary and I did however have a simple yet excellent breakfast at The Crumpet Shop (also located in "The Market") on day.

We did the Seattle Underground tour one morning. I highly recommend it not only to those visiting Seattle but to those residents who have never done the tour, figuring it's too "touristy." Well, maybe it is... but it's fun! Also, it's educational; you learn how and why Seattle evolved into the city it is today. (Also, you'll get acquainted with the Pioneer Square section of Seattle!)

The Space Needle and Seattle Center are worth a visit just to stroll around, but if you want great views of Seattle I suggest Smith Tower and/or Columbia Center Observation Deck.

Oh... and now... last but not least... Sun Liquor:

Man, oh, man, oh, man... (*BLISSFUL SIGH*)

What a happy, happy place... (*ANOTHER BLISSFUL SIGH*)

It was here where Mary got... er... smashed.

Yep. Not me! Nope. Mary. My lovely bride. Or... as they now call her in Seattle... "The Goddess of the Porcelain Temple." (*CHUCKLE*)

Funny story... we had taken the water taxi over to Alki just for the pleasant boat ride and to munch on some fish and chips. From there we took the shuttle into town and after walking the beach and browsing the shops decided to partake in what looked to be one heck of a happy hour at the previously mentioned Cactus. While there we started chatting with three 20-somethings who were... er... "Bill-like" in their happy hour spirit - a couple who were taking their friend out for her birthday. One think led to another (one drink led to another) and before we knew it we had accpeted their offer of a ride back into town via the land route over the bridge (they had their car) to their home neighborhood of Seattle's capital district.

Well... Mary had started with a "Mike's Hard Lemonade" at the fish and chips joint and had switched to beer at Cactus. Sun Liquor - in contrast - is a classic cocktail bar... and boy... do they make GREAT cocktails...!!!

(*STANDING UP AND CLAPPING*) Literally... (*STANDING UP AND CLAPPING*)

First the wine cooler... then the beer... then a couple mai-tais and sips of various other drinks the rest of us were sampling...

(*SIGH*)

Well... before too long Mary excused herself and after 15-20 minutes with no sight of her returning...

(*SIGH*)

Oh, well... live and learn! (*HUGE FRIGG'N GRIN*) Been there, done that. (Not for decades... but still...)

After finally prying her away from her... er... "comfort pose" hugging the bowl it was into a taxi and "home" to the Fairmont where I proceeded to tuck the worse for wear Mary into our comfy bed for the night while I proceeded to the local Seattle Rock Bottom Brewpub for a shrimp scampi pizza and a nightcap pint.

At the time I was... er... less than pleased that Mary's... er... condition precluded our planned diner at Restaurant Zoe that night... but looking back... (*SIGH*)... I can only imagine what might have been the result had I spent three or four hours at Sun Liquor sharing (proactively!) my imbibing proclivities with a bar full of 20-somethings.

I of course would have triumphed... but at what cost...? (*PENSIVELY STARING INTO SPACE*)

* Next... Bill and Mary in Victoria, BC.