Day 8 of the Great Adventure started off on the Lido Deck with the last breakfast of the cruise, where I took a picture of my last look at the harbor…
Debarking is always a sad thing, let me tell you. After being pampered for seven nights, I was not ready to reenter life on land.
One of the worst parts about leaving the ship is finding your luggage and lugging it out. It’s ironic how we were offered all kinds of help when we were getting ready to board the ship, but the staff pretty much gives you the boot when you leave and wishes you good luck as you go out…sans assistance.
LOL
We made our way to our prearranged shuttle and got deposited at the same hotel we had stayed at a week before.
After checking in, we prepared ourselves for another day of adventures.
Coupon Queen had wisely chosen the hotel’s location…within walking distance of the Light Rail, one of Seattle’s mass transportation systems.
We had to ride the entire length, which had about thirteen stops.
After a short duration of thirty minutes, we were deposited in the heart of Seattle.
We were ready to explore!
We really wanted to visit the Pike Street Market, which we had heard great things about…
Pike Street Market is a conglomeration of food stalls.
Remember that I hail from Podunk, USA, where the only market I see is Publix.
Hearing vendors hawk their wears was an interesting experience…
The next picture is the view of the market from the lower street level. You’ll notice that the building says “Sanitary Public Market.” I read a sign inside that explained that this building was named such because back in the day when it was first built, shoppers were not allowed to take their horses inside the building, thus making it sanitary.
What amazed me about this market is that you could find almost anything you wanted…
The market really does cater to the melting pot population of Seattle.
We visited the fish market, where we waited for the guys to throw the fish, as we’ve seen done on TV. The guys put on a great show, let me tell you!
The market opens up into the street, where vendors sell their wares under tents…
The main thing that Rooster and I wanted to do was visit the first Starbucks, which was opened in Seattle in 1971.
Thanks to a fancy phone with GPS, Rooster found it…right in the heart of the market…
This is a busy place, let me tell you! The line stretched out the door, but we didn’t mind waiting.
We had entertainment…
The original Starbucks is very stripped down inside, unlike the newest franchises…
I was surprised at how small this Starbucks was. There were no tables to sit at. I saw this plaque as the line moved forward…
And this…
Rooster, Chicky, my nephews Music Man and Dr. J, and myself waited, placing our orders when it was time.
This was the second time that I splurged during this trip, ordering a Chocolate Coconut Creme Frappuccino…
This drink was recommended by the lovely young lady who waited on me, and she did not steer me wrong. It was smooth as silk. The coconut gave it the summery/vacation taste that was just right for this trip.
Let me take a moment to talk about the staff who man this store.
They were, quite simply, amazing. They were so patient and extremely helpful. I did not see a single person who wasn’t smiling. One would think that it would be difficult to keep up the pace day in and day out given the crowds that pour through the door. Not so! I was highly impressed!
Of course, I couldn’t leave without getting a permanent souvenir…
I love the back of the cup…
When I exited the Starbucks, Grand Pooba had a surprise for me. While we had been inside, waiting to be served, the rest of the family had walked down the street, and Pooba has found this sign…
Oh my word.
YARN!!
I was eager to find the store, but first I had to walk up this huge hill…
Here’s the view looking down…
While everyone else shopped, I went looking for the yarn store. Super Sis was so great and offered to accompany me. She doesn’t even knit, but she was willing to support me in my love for all things fiber.
We wound up having a mini adventure of our own as we happened upon a film crew working on a scene for a movie…
No, that’s not Brad Pitt. It was actually a dummy set up for the stunt. But, more on that later.
We were on a mission – to find yarn.
And find it we did.
So Much Yarn really lived up to its name, let me tell you. My peek in the door proved that…
Of course, a peek was not enough.
In we went…ready to play with yarn!
The store has three rooms. The yarn is organized by gauge, beginning with the lace weight yarn and working into the heavier yarn as you make your way through the store.
Super Sis asked me a few questions about yarn and then found a comfy chair to sit in while I mused about what to purchase, because you know I HAD to purchase something!
I decided not to go overboard and purchased this…
That is Happy Feet. I chose the color because it reminded me of autumn. They’re going to be a lovely pair of socks one day!!
Super Sis and I made our way back to our family, passing the site of the film shoot, where the stunt had just been performed, and the dummy had met up with a bus…
It was interesting to see all of the extra people involved with this.
As we made our way up the hill, we got a better view of the dummy and the “blood” that was running down the street. In fact, I even heard someone say, “Hey, clean up the blood.” LOL
The blood was everywhere, including the bus’s windshield…
This area of Seattle has some great shopping, let me tell you. There were a lot of people enjoying the wonderful weather too. As I walked, I saw the sign for the market and couldn’t resist taking another picture of it…
The next picture is of Dr. J, Super Sis, and Super D. I don’t know why, but I just love this picture. Rooster is walking in front of them, and Music Man is in front of Rooster…
We saw street performers…
Isn’t that dog just the cutest thing?
We saw more Starbucks stores…
After a few hours, Coupon Queen and Grand Pooba were pooped, so they decided to ride the Light Rail back to the hotel. Super Sis and her family decided to see a movie. My crew decided to continue shopping and then grab dinner.
We headed into the large mall that is in the center of Seattle…
Rooster and the Mr. got tired, but we still had an hour to kill before dinner, so while they sat in the mall, Chicky and I headed back out to look around. I was still in awe of the tall buildings and the number of people out and about…
An Ann Taylor Loft store was directly in our path.
Darn. I just hate that…my new favorite store and all.
We soon tired of the hefty price tags and headed back to the mall and our chosen restaurant for dinner…
We had a good time during dinner, with everyone selecting appetizers to eat as dinner. That was all we were hungry for.
As we chatted, we discussed ideas for our next vacation and agreed to start saving our money.
After dinner, we hopped on the Light Rail and headed back to the hotel. It had been a full day, and we had one more day of travel ahead of us.
Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: Seattle, Starbucks, travel, Vacation | 3 Comments »
Yes, the guys doled out cookies. So generous of them…especially after a very filling dinner, which nearly every audience member had just emerged from…
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