Travelling to LAX

Thursday, May 18

The hotel shuttle bus took us to SeaTac Airport, and we checked in for our flight to LAX. We were a bit late in departing but it didn't bother us as we had a big lay over in LA before our flight home.

After collecting our bags we walked to the International Terminal and checked in for our Air NZ flight home, which isn't until 10:30pm! However we were able to use the facilities of the Star Alliance lounge which helped the time go quickly, as well as walking around the terminal looking at the shops and getting some exercise before the big flight home!

Seattle - Day 3

Wednesday, May 17

We said goodbye to Danny and his boys, and then Elaine drove us into town and dropped us near the Space Needle. We had some breakfast and then went into the Museum of Pop Culture. There were some special exhibitions on horror movies and science fiction movies, with lots of costumes and models from famous movies of these two genres.

We then moved on to the music side of this museum, with a special area on Jimi Hendrix, Seattle's biggest ever rock star. There was also a great gallery on the development of guitars over the centuries, and how they changed once electricity was readily available. It was fantastic seeing some of the real guitars that different rock stars had used, as well as videos of some of the great American guitar players of the last century.

This museum had lots of interactive displays, some of which were beyond us like "Indie Games"! We weren't as confident as the young kids in attendance who loved the sound booths where they could try different musical instruments, but at least I had a go on the drums!

We walked around the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens and through the gardens as we headed for the retail area of the city. We couldn't get over how much Seattle is like Melbourne. After lunch we continued our walk and eventually reached the Library where Elaine picked us up. She then drove us to our hotel near the airport in preparation for our flight to LA in the morning.

We've had another great time in Seattle and we look forward to returning as there is still lots to see and do here.

Seattle - Day 2

Tuesday, May 16

We set off this morning with Elaine, surrounded by heavy cloud and steady rain, and drove to the ferry which departs from Edmonds, about 20 minutes from her home. The ferry took us across Puget Sound to Kingston, and from there we had a 45 minute drive to Port Townsend.

The countryside was so green and lush as Seattle has had one of the wettest and cool springs for a long time. This was good for us as all the spring flowers were still in bloom and it was a lovely drive. We arrived in Port Townsend and enjoyed a delicious lunch, and then we set off on foot to explore the town. Its a great place with buildings going back to the late 1800s, and it has a rich maritime history. There were also some lovely shops here as well.

We then drove to a wood worker/designer who Elaine had ordered a table centrepiece from, and it was fascinating seeing the different woods and techniques he uses to create his masterpieces. We were most impressed and thought Elaine had made a really good choice.

 We continued our drive around town, with beautiful homes overlooking the water, and it had a lovely feel to it. We parked back in town and walked around some more before driving back to Kingston to catch the ferry home. We were fortunate as the rain stopped while having lunch and even had some sunshine during the afternoon.

Back at Elaine and Danny's home the new purchase looked fabulous, and Danny prepared a brilliant meal for us, accompanied by top class Washington State wines. It was a very memorable meal and a great way to remember Seattle as our trip is quickly coming to an end!

Seattle, Washington

Monday, May 15

Sadly we finished our cruise today, disembarking in Seattle after 19 fabulous days. We were met by Noelle's cousin Elaine, who dropped us in the city to do some touristy things while she went on to work. The weather was cold and overcast, and we decided to do the Seattle Underground Tour. This was fascinating as it ran through the history of Seattle, which only began in the mid 1800s, and highlighted the problems the young town went through to get established. There were also many amusing stories the guide told us as he lead us around the original streets of Seattle which are now 10-15 feet below the current streets!

After the tour we walked down to Pike Place Market where we had lunch, and then indulged on a Seattle delicacy - donuts with maple syrup icing with bacon bits sprinkled on them. They are delicious, and for a Monday the market was very busy.

We then headed back to the Seattle Public Library where Elaine was to pick us up. We were happy to wait there until she arrived as it was drizzling with rain and cold to us, plus we could use the wifi there!

Elaine and Danny's house is really nice, and as he is a chef we had a delicious meal and some nice wines to go with it. We had a great night catching up with Elaine again and getting to know Danny and his 2 boys who are staying with them this week.

It seems funny being off the ship after 2 cruises but we have to adjust as it won't be long and we'll be home again!

Vancouver, Canada

Sunday, May 14

It was raining and cold when we left the ship this morning, so we found a cafe and hit wifi for a while. The skies were clearing so we walked to the Pacific Centre Mall and checked out the shops - it was another one of those "it could be anywhere in the world" malls that we've been to in many different cities.

The sun came out and we enjoyed walking around looking at all the lovely spring flowers that were blooming, and the trees that were just starting to bud. We saw some nice old buildings around the downtown area and near Canada Place, and enjoyed our short time in Vancouver.

Another 2 Days at Sea

Friday-Saturday, May 12-13

As we left San Francisco the seas got rougher and we've had 2 days of rocking and rolling, with a number of people sick from what we overheard from other passengers, and for the first time on a cruise ship we even saw sick bags provided in the lift wells!

However we did see whales not far from the ship as they make their way to Alaska for the summer there - it's always exciting seeing these beautiful creatures so close and in their natural environment!

For us we continued to relax and read, slept, ate, walked, chatted with friends and were entertained by the variety of shows and talks provided on the ship.

San Francisco

Thursday, May 11

We were up early to watch us sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, past Fisherman's Wharf and into San Francisco. We had to clear US Customs but they know us pretty well by now so that wasn't a problem! We had already booked our tickets to visit Alcatraz today so we just had to walk a few blocks from our dock to Pier 27 where the ferries to Alcatraz depart from.

We enjoyed a coffee and doughnut, and wifi of course while we waited for our 11:30 ferry. The "Rock" as Alcatraz is known is only about a mile offshore, so the ferry journey was about 15 minutes. We were greeted with a short talk by a Ranger, as the island is now a National Park. Then it was into one of the old buildings where a video was shown detailing its history etc. and we found this really interesting.

Next was the walk up the hill to where the cell block was located - talk about location location, and the great views, but it made the prisoners here realise how close freedom was but they couldn't reach it! The walk was equivalent to climbing 14 stories, so it was good that we have been doing lots of walking and using the stairs on the ship!

We picked up an audio guide to walk us through the cells and to describe what it was like being both a prisoner and a guard here. The narration was done by ex prisoners and ex guards and it was very well done. Some of the stories were amazing, and seeing the 5ft x 9ft x 7ft cells and the daily routine made you realise how tough it would have been as a prisoner. There were escape attempts, and a battle after one attempt when a number of guards and prisoners were killed. We thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent exploring this incredible piece of real estate and its history, but we were glad we were going back to our cabin on the ship at the end of the day!

On our way to do some retail therapy we had a late bite of lunch, and went back to the ship via Fisherman's Wharf, which we had explored on our last trip here 3 years ago.

Our ship departed at 11pm so we had the most fantastic view of San Fran as we sailed away from this city by the bay, back under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Pacific Ocean as we headed north for Vancouver, with another 2 Days at Sea coming up!