Well, it seems I’ve fallen a tad behind with blogging. A combination of many nights camping and weak wifi connections and not lack of enthusiasm, I assure you.
We got to Seattle on a Friday afternoon and that evening, having been convinced that seeing local live music was a must, we went with a few of our hostel mates to a bar in Fremont called Nectar. It was really fun, the band was interesting and we had a few drinks before walking home at a reasonable hour. I had exactly four drinks (all the same thing) and the next day I was very sick. Now, I have previously been guilty of swearing I didn’t drink that much and insisting that a hangover was unjustified, but in this case it really was!
Anyway, I’ll spare you the rest of the details but the way I was feeling sort of explains the lack of photos in this post. I hardly took any because I was feeling so average. We spent Saturday walking around the city seeing the major sights of Seattle.
First stop was Pike’s Market. It was really cool, especially considering it was unfathomably hot, packed with tourists and I was feeling under the weather.
Pike’s is mostly a food market and is famous for its seafood stalls where the men pack the fish and then throw them across the counter to be weighed.
Again, a fish market and a hangover; not a match made in heaven.
Across from Pike’s was the original Starbucks and a ginormous line out the front. I didn’t take a photo.
Next stop, the Space Needle:
After taking that photo we headed to REI (Recreation Equipment Inc) so I could swap over some hiking pants. Americans are obsessed with REI and we unknowingly went to the national HQ, the Mecca. It was huge, a few stories high and had a restaurant, a rock climbing wall and a mountain bike testing range.
After that we headed back to our neighbourhood, Fremont.
Fremont is kind of an artsy, fun, quirky district with lots of bars and restaurants.
We headed to nearby Green Lake to cool off, having walked about 18km that day.
It wasn’t green. But it was nice. I ate a peach and struggled to get into Kerouac’s On The Road.
Under the George Washington Memorial Bridge in Fremont is a giant troll:
Creepy
The troll was the winner of an art competition back in 1990. Here’s a photo of us with the troll to prove we actually went to Seattle:
Gotta love a self timer
The next day Andrew’s aunt and a friend of hers joined us for breakfast in Capitol Hill. We went to the Deluxe Bar & Grill. Andrew ordered the waffles and fried chicken, but they were out of waffle batter. So he settled for pancakes instead:
Drooling
I had brioche french toast stuffed with cream cheese with blueberry compote:
It was amazing
Also, it was Pride Day:
Don’t zoom in
Capitol Hill was a leafy suburb with exquisite houses.
We took a stroll around Volunteer Park and went up the water tower to check out the views.
The Space Needle again!
Then we got into our car, Goldie, and waved goodbye to the west coast of America as we drove towards Vancouver.
My Bloggable Day 
Nothing more infuriating than an undeserved hangover! Poor you. Just loving your blog! 🙂
I know right?! Worst! Thanks so much Lynne 🙂
Hi Bec, I have been blog-stalking you for a
couple of years- thought it was time to say hi! I think I came across your blog from mamamia. I enjoy your musings and photography and I am especially enjoying your travel writings of late. Perhaps because the USA is just somewhere I would never go (because of the huge socio-economic divide in that country, their backward economic and social policies, their capital punishment, their war mongering, their heinous blind patriotism, their education system…I could go on…that country just repels me!) Anyhoo, you are showing me what I will probably never see, so thanks! I have always enjoyed your writing, observations and love of food! Michelle
Hey Michelle! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I love finding out who is reading 🙂
You make an interesting point about not visiting the USA, while this country certainly has some faults, I’ve been downright scared and repulsed by some of the legislation that has passed in Australia since we’ve been gone. Such as the Border Force Act, which could see detention centre workers at places like Manus Island and Nauru jailed for speaking out about things like child abuse and other horrors that go on under Australian administration. Also the Allegiance to Australia Bill (I’ve never heard a more patriotic sounding piece of legislation!) and it’s implications for dual citizens.
It’s important to note that not all US states use the death penalty and that they are leagues ahead of Australia in terms of marriage equality. Also Australia has a huge socio-economic divide particularly between Indigenous and Non Indigenous Australians, something you can see first hand living in a remote regional city. America is also far more multicultural and accepting I feel, as opposed to Australia where I see inherent, rife and worrying racism go on all the time (‘Stop The Mosque’ meetings?!).
Certainly both countries have major faults and positive points (don’t get me started on gun laws!), but I suppose you just have to weigh up the options and not go to a place if it doesn’t feel right. We have so far been in the most progressive areas of the US, so I will be interested to see if it will be any different when we move further east and south. I hope you’ll be along for the ride!
Points all noted about Australia’s recent policies and indigenous communities, couldn’t agree more! Worrying developments for sure. Not so sure about the racism towards migrants- those incidents/campaigns are rare and/or isolated I feel and I live and work in Melbourne’s west – hmmm…maybe that’s why. I am a bit meh about gay marriage- certainly not opposed to it- it strikes me as a very middle class cause- if only people put the same energy and consternation into refugee and indigenous policy! Oh well, I guess gay people have just as much right to divorce! Oohhhh, I am being cynical and it is not even 10am! I was saddened by your account of the suicide- that is so horrible. Happy and safe travels! Thanks for replying!
Haha cynicism is healthy at all times of the day!
Yeah that wasn’t the best way to end the day. I just hope that person can recover physically and mentally, they probably have a long road ahead.
No worries and thanks again for stopping by and commenting 🙂