Reagan's Travel and Photo Galleries Update Blog

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Spring 2016 Amtrak Rail Adventure - Monorail, Space Needle and Light Rail April 5

That's me up at the top to the Space Needle in Seattle

Monorail, Space Needle and Light Rail

It's a windy cloudy cool day in Seattle with temperatures in the 50's so that is just a tad too cool for this cold natured Southerner. Still, I headed uptown on the Rapid Ride bus to Westlake Center to ride the Monorail to Seattle Center. There I visited the observation deck of the Space Needle over 500 feet above the ground - that 50 stories. With the wind at the higher elevation it was uncomfortable for me. Thankfully, most of the deck is indoors with a narrow outdoor walkway around the full circle of the deck. Yes, I did both but was very fast circling the outdoor deck. What I do to take photos for you all.

After my visit to the Space Needle observation deck I got lunch in the Armory at Seattle Center. This is basically a large indoor food court. I got pizza for lunch and then headed back on the Monorail to Westlake Center. Since I have not ridden the light rail, I decided to take a ride all the way to Seattle's SeaTac International Airport and then back to my hotel. Since warmer weather is promised for tomorrow, I decided to stay in again today after returning to my room around 3:30 PM.

Here are selected photos of my activities today.

Entrance to Monorail at Westlake Center

Boarding the Monorail at Westlake Center

Monorail tracks

Arrived Seattle Center

Monorail in the Seattle Center Station

Space Needle at Seattle Center

View of Seattle Waterfront from Space Needle Observation Deck

Pudget Sound

Monorail below from Observation Deck - I did use zoom to make it closer than it

Lake Union

Pudget Sound

Outdoor Observation Deck on the Space Needle

My Lunch Pizza

Light Rail to SeaTac(Seattle Tacoma) Airport

Light Rail

One more full day in Seattle. Thursday I depart 9:30 AM on Amtrak's Coast Starlight to Sacramento to connect with the California Zephyr on to Chicago and a final connection the the City of New Orleans expected arrival Monday afternoon April 11.

My Next 2016 TRAVEL PLANS

Louisiana Trip Home - May 8-14

Louisiana home is calling so I'll head that way after Forest Hills Baptist Sunday School and worship on May 8 to visit sisters and brother-in-law hopefully recovering from open heart surgery scheduled for Monday, April 11. And need to visit and tour my great niece Cheri's new home she had built and is moving into mid April.

Via Rail and Amtrak Trip to Canada and Albany, NY, May 28 to June 15 - Traveling by Via Rail in Canada to Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Returning to USA via Amtrak for visits to Albany, NY and New Orleans, LA.

Yep, that's all I have officially planned for this calendar year. Other trips will surely be planned.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. Also, click on the "blog title" at the very top of email to view this blog on the web.

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.

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Monday, April 4, 2016

Spring 2016 Amtrak Rail Adventure - Pike's Market Place April 4

Colorful and Delicious Fruits at Pike's Market Place in Seattle

Pike's Market Place and A Quiet Day Also

After a very active and strenuous three days getting about and walking up and down Seattle's "hills", I decided to slow it down today. After breakfast I took the Rapid Transit bus up 3rd Avenue to Pike Street. Just a block from where I have been to and from the central business district of Seattle is the Pike's Market Place mostly famous for the "flying fish" at one of the seafood stands. I am not a seafood eater so that was mainly entertainment for me. But I did find the fruit stands enticing and the flower stands were simply beautiful. I bought two apples and a large orange at one of the fruit stands and just finished eating the orange and one of the apples for my early supper. Just a block away from Pike's Market Place is Target. I went in but ended up not making a purchase. Also visited Macy's and left empty handed from there also. On the way back to the hotel this afternoon, I stopped at a local coffee and lunch time place for a light lunch. Simply took it easy in my room this afternoon and now actually making this update post early. It's only 6 PM PDT. Another reason for hanging in the room more today is that this is the "coolest" day of my stay here. Was suppose to rain but I did not notice any. Low last night was mid 40's Fahrenheit and it only warmed up to about 56 degrees today. My first three days were cool but all warmed up to almost 70 degrees. The next two days are to be round low to mid 60's. Probably head to Seattle Center again tomorrow to visit the Space Needle observation deck. Might even do the "Duck" tour. A couple friends suggested I visit Lake Union to see the floating boat homes. I stayed in a Residence Inn at Lake Union in 2013 and did a boat tour which passed the floating boat homes. I included photos of Lake Union and the floating homes in Photo Galleries of my 2013 visit to Seattle.

The photos today in addition to showing you Pike's Market Place also include a couple Rapid Transit bus photos to let you know how I get around mainly up and down 3rd Avenue. Also there is a view of a ferry as seen from the market place.

Great way to get around Seattle

Seattle has trolley buses that run off electricity and can actually go when not under the electric line

That's a Target Store on Pike Street

Pike's Public Market Place

Lot's of friendly people - a lady volunteered to take my photo

The lady has a fish in her hand that she caught...

...from this man

Tons of seafood available for purchase

What's a ferry doing in the Market Place? It just a view from the market

Beautiful Flowers available at Pike's Market Place

Colorful and delicious fruit and vegetables

More fruit and vegetables

I'm looking forward to two more days in Seattle before beginning my four night Amtrak return to New Orleans via Sacramento and Chicago on three Amtrak trains - Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, and City of New Orleans.

Yep, that's all I have officially planned for this calendar year. Other trips will surely be planned.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. Also, click on the "blog title" at the very top of email to view this blog on the web.

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.

************************************

EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS -- CLICK HERE to sign up your email

to receive each new blog post to in your email inbox.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Spring 2016 Amtrak Rail Adventure - Ferry Seattle to Bremerton April 3S

Seattle's Smith Tower with Mt Rainier clearly visible in background

Washington State Ferry Seattle to Bremerton and Return

Another full and good day in Seattle. I began the day with breakfast in the Juno Restaurant at my hotel and then walked down hill to the Washington State Ferry Terminal. Since I had visited Bainbridge in 2012 I decided to take the ferry to Bremerton. The weather was sunny and probably one of the clearest days I have experienced in Seattle. It was so clear that one can clearly see Mt. Rainier and other mountains in background of the photo I took of the Smith Tower near my hotel. That's the featured photo above.

While in Bremerton I toured the Pudget Sound Navy Museum. Until recently the Pudget Sound Naval Shipyard produced many ships and submarines. I returned to Seattle around 3 PM and walked up the waterfront to the Seattle Wheel before literally "climbing" back up hill to 1st, 2nd, and finally 3rd Avenue on which my hotel has a side entrance. My friend Charlie in Costa Rica will totally understand when I say I am exhausted and am in rest and hang in my room mode the rest of today. Seattle is a great city to travel in as long as you are going north to south along 3rd Avenue but it's a killer to walk west back to east up hill from the waterfront. The little hill Charlie asked me to walk up in Atenas is mild compared to walking up these hills on concrete usually with nothing like a handrail to use as support to steady us older persons. You can bet tomorrow with be a lazy day confined to using the rapid transit along the 3rd Avenue corridor.

Nevertheless, I am still having a great time. Here are some photos from today's activities.

Entrance to Juno Restaurant for Hotel Guests

My breakfast this morning - since grits not available this is my favorite type hash browns

On a ferry heading to Bremerton from Seattle

Leaving the Space Needle and Seattle Wheel behind as we depart

Inside my ferry

View of islands across from Seattle. I think the mountains are on the Olympic Peninsular

My ferry to Bremerton was the Kitsap

Love this view of the Seattle skyline in the distance

Approaching Bremerton

Another view of my ferry

Motorized vehicles departing my ferry

Pudget Sound Naval Shipyard

Ferry "Kitsap" returning to Seattle

Park around Pudget Sound Naval Museum

Beautiful Spring Flowers

Exhibit at the Pudget Sound Naval Museum

Pudget Sound Naval Museum

My bird visitor while sitting in the sun

Here comes the ferry that will take me back to Seattle

The Ferry "Kaleetan" will take me back to Seattle

Meeting the "Kitsap" midway of our journey back to Seattle

A very interesting water view

Approaching Seattle and the Space Needle

Seattle Waterfront

Pirates' Plunder

As Close as I will come to riding the Seattle Wheel

Weather is forecast to be more cloudy and possibly some wetness next couple of days so we will see what adventure I may seek.

I have added a new trip to my travel plans. My brother-in-law Bobby Youngblood is scheduled to have heart surgery Monday, April 11, and my great niece, Cheri, is moving into her new home in mid April so Louisiana is calling.

Yep, that's all I have officially planned for this calendar year. Other trips will surely be planned.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. Also, click on the "blog title" at the very top of email to view this blog on the web.