"Why don't you go to the gift shop over there and buy a small suitcase?" This was the advice from a Jet Blue employee who was trying to help us. He had noticed Mairead taking things from both suitcases because we had just tried to check her bags, and they were both overweight - it was $150 extra for each overweight bag. At the Bag Drop the gal had said that perhaps it was just a pair of shoes or something similar that was making each bag the few pounds over weight - she had just suggested we step aside and try to take a few things out of each bag. This is when the gent suggested buying another bag. This was last year on Friday, July 26 - I was helping my daughter move to Seattle.
I had booked a room at the Residence Inn in Watertown on July 25 - Mairead would clear out her apartment, and I would pick her up to spend the night at the Residence Inn before heading to the airpot for a 6 am flight to Seattle. The only problem was that Mairead did not finish at the apartment until after midnight. I think it was 1 am when we finally got to bed. And we had to head to the airport at 4 am! Now here we were having trouble with the bags. We were tired and cranky. We managed to straighten it out, and arrived in Seattle about 10:30 am. We slept most of that day away after checking in and slept a good part of the next day!
Now it is October 10, 2020, and we are in the middle of a pandemic. Mairead had to cancel her trip home in April because of it. She is working with developmentally delayed adults in a group home here in Seattle - they remain in strict lockdown - the first case of Covid in the US was in Washington state. In late spring I had started thinking about driving to Seattle if the Covid numbers were down in September or October - a cross country road trip. But Covid cases are at an all time high in central and southern states now, and there is an uptick in states that had Covid under control. So I decided to fly out. My son Dan said he would come as well - his wife Amanda too. We decided to leave Friday, October 9 at 7 am - the start of the Columbus Day weekend - return home would be Monday, October 12 at 3 pm. But Jet Blue later changed our Friday departure to 11 am.
This trip seemed to come up all of a sudden. Dan and I did have some conversations about the risks - he had a double lung transplant 2 years ago - I had just had a collapsed lung the end of July. Prime high risk candidates for Covid. My biggest concern was not the flying itself - I am sure the planes are cleaned and sanitized. I am afraid of these crazy people who refuse to wear masks - refuse to social distance - or may come on the plane sick. We still decided to go.
Traffic to Logan Airport was nothing like when I was commuting to Tufts Health Plan for work - I guess that is one good effect from Covid. My son Mike dropped me off around 8, and I met Dan and Amanda there. The airport was eerily quiet - the Jet Blue terminal is one of the busiest, but it was almost deserted today. I had checked in online so only needed to print my luggage tag. I dropped my suitcase off in less than 10 minutes from the time I arrived!
I went to one security line - Dan and Amanda to another. The lines were very short because no one is flying I guess. The TSA agent was very polite and friendly - he told me not to worry about my liquids just have a good day. I went through the scanner - was patted down so quickly and respectfully - no screen showing the hot spots - no wanding - no waiting with everyone looking and wondering what was up. Again the agent was very friendly - she also told me to have a good day. I guess the fewer travelers due to Covid decreases the stress for TSA.
It was spooky walking to the gate with so few people in what is normally such a bustling place - and it was after 8 am - a prime travel time. But I also felt safe - everyone was wearing a face mask. There is a nice seating area before you get to the Gates - tables all have charging stations and are good distances from each other. So we sat here and had some breakfast.
Boarding was to be by row - back to front. I guess I am naive - I thought they would only do a row or 2 at a time, but it was the same as always - Mosaic passengers, those with disabilities go first - then every 10 rows strarting in the back. Thank goodness there were not so many passengers - there was no back up at the door of the plane like there usually is. I stayed 6 feet back from the person in front of me - Dan and Amanda were already seated when I got to my aisle seat. No one was pushing past me - I could put my knapsack in the overhead bin with no rush. I was in the aisle seat, Dan was in the middle, Amanda at the window. I like Jet Blue - there is more leg room and more room between seats which makes for a more comfortable 6 hour flight. The guy in front of us had the 3 seats to himself - most rows had the middle seat empty. So it seemed pretty safe. First class is the only section that gets drink and meal service now. The rest of us received a gallon size baggie with a 4 oz bottle of water, a snack size bag of Cheez-Its, a bag of Pop Corners, and a napkin. The stewards came around once more prior to landing with the same bags for anyone who wanted one.
Mairead had told me that it was cool in Seattle - it had been 46 degrees when Mike and I left Falmouth - so I had a turtleneck on. It seemed pretty humid in that Sea-Tac airport. I was sweating bullets by the time we took the train to collect our bags - then walked to the shuttle to the car rental building - then after walking to the Hertz desk at the far side of the building, a sign said to go to the 3rd floor. We walked all the way to the other side again for the elevator - and walked halfway again before we got our car. We had ordered a mini van to have plenty of room for bags, etc.
I blasted the a/c as soon as I got inside the car. We finally found the exit from the garage but had to wait in line. The woman working the gate had to check my license and the rental agreement against the car's license plate. She told us that thieves get in cars and ram other drivers to exit the garage before the gate closes. We weren't sure we believed it - this started since last July when I was here.
Amanda texted Mairead that we were on our way, and Dan plugged in her address in the GPS. We headed to Mairead's current house - she had moved from one house to another during the past year. I had forgotten about all the hills in Seattle!! We found her house AND a parking space on that narrow street. Some streets are so narrow - cars park on both sides so only one car can pass at a time. I am always afraid that I will meet a car as I am going down one of these steep hills, and I will have to back up.
I was excited to see Mairead - I was beeping the horn and waving. She seemed happy to see us too as she threw her things into the car. She has to quarantine for 5 days after we leave. So before we headed for the hotel, we dropped a few things off at the apartment where she will be staying. Dan and I have stayed at the the Residence Inn on Lake Union before - Mairead and I stayed at another nice hotel nearby last July. We love the location - watching sea planes take off and land, watching sail boats and all kinds of ships from our balcony. I check in - then Mairead and Amanda take the bags upstairs. Dan and I find the parking garage, and I manage to get the car into a parking spot. Somehow, when I was checking our reservation the week before, I had upgraded our room - we have a LUXURY 2 bedroom suite - each bedroom has a king size bed - sitting room has a pull out sofa - and we have a wrap around balcony with a table and 4 chairs outside the sitting room, 2 chaise lounges between the sitting room and kitchen, and 2 arm chairs in front of the huge kitchen window. An island with a couple of bar stools separates the sitting room and the full kitchen. The rooms are all bigger than the regular 2 bedroom suite. I couldn't believe the balcony! Of course, we were all outside taking pictures and admiring the view.
Above - our balcony extended over to the two brown chairs in front of the kitchen window.
Views of Lake Union from our balcony.
We decided the first order of business was to order lunch/dinner - restaurants had a one to two hour wait. So we decided to just order at the tavern downstairs and eat in our suite. They didn't have Danno's and Mairead's choices - which can be difficult at times since Dan and Amanda are vegan - Mairead has multiple food allergies. They found something, and we were told it would be 20 minutes. Dan and Amanda walked somewhere nearby to get water. The food was okay, and there was plenty of it. Tomorrow night I am having halibut or Alaskan salmon! After we ate and caught up with each other, I took a shower - I still felt sweaty even though my clothes had dried. I absolutely love my flannel PJ bottoms! So I was quite comfortable after my shower. Mairead and I watched a little TV - Dan and Amanda went into bed - I was tired too but I was waiting for Rachel Maddow on MSNBC at 9 pm. But she had the night off!! Ali Velshi was hosting her show! I like Ali and normally would have watched, but I was too tired - it was 9:30 Seattle time but 12:30 Cape Cod time. So I went to bed - Mairead had decided to sleep on the sofa - but I had to call down to the front desk for bed linens - this was after calling down for another remote - we had 3 TVs and only one remote. So much for Luxury!!
The Residence Inn used to have a hot buffet breakfast - I had been dreaming of having breakfast on the balcony. With the pandemic there is no more buffet. However, there is a hot fresh breakfast - you line up at the entrance and go in one at a time. One gal greets you and gets you your tea/coffee/hot chocolate and/or your orange or apple juice. She takes an order for a hot breakfast - today it was scrambled eggs and bacon. I figured I would try that with my tea. The gal moved me along to a guy who asked if I wanted toast or cold cereal. I asked for toast - it was wheat bread - 2 slices - and I got blackberry jam. I took my to go cup of tea and my bag with the eggs and bacon and 2 slices of bread - to toast back in the room - and headed upstairs. I got off on 3 and walked to room 334. As I walked I realized I had forgotten my phone. I tried my key card on the door - it did not work - I tried it again, still no good. I knocked on the door using the door knocker - I knocked with my hand - no answer - I figured that Mairead was taking a shower, and Dan and Amanda were in their room. I was hot from walking the long corridors by now - I did have my sweatshirt on over my PJs. I put my breakfast outside the door so I didn't have to carry it back and forth to reception. I went down to the front desk and said that my card did not work for room 334. The receptionist nicely told me that it was because I was in room 734!! She gave me a sleeve for the card and wrote the room number on it. I felt like an idiot. I schlepped back up to Room 334 and got my breakfast - my hips were already bothering me so I couldn't make a speedy get away. I went back to Room 734 thinking I would not tell anyone - my kids think I am dippy enough already. But of course I blurted it out to Danno and then Mairead. Now they know I am dippy for sure! Danno was ready to head out - Mairead was almost ready so I got ready too. Amanda was studying for a test in her MBA degree program and was not coming with us.
We had decided to visit Leavenworth - a Bavarian town east of Seattle. It was not always Bavarian - it was hunting grounds for indigenous peoples until the late 1890s when goldminers, loggers, and fur traders arrived. Then the railroad arrived, and the area flourished. Unfortunately, the railroad left after rerouting its tracks outside of Leavenworth. This left Leavenworth in dire straights. So in the 1960s the citizens decided to come up with a marketing theme - and the Bavarian Village was born. There are numerous festivals throughout the year to draw in over a million tourists. And we were going to be three of them today!
There are 2 routes to Leavenworth from Seattle - route 2 and route 90. Route 2 is the scenic route. Route 90 is the faster route. We decided to head out route 2 and then come home the other way. There is so much greenery in Seattle - flowers, shrubs, bushes, ornamental trees in almost every yard, on every street, even on rooftops and approaches to the highway. There are so many architectural styles, but all the new buildings are basically the same design. The mountains here in Washington state remind me more of the Kerry mountains than the Appalachian mountains did. They are tall and looming. We had seen Mount Ranier briefly from the plane - today clouds hid him. Mount Ranier - or Tacoma - is a volcano in the Cascade Mountains. We would be traveling today along the Cascades on the way to Leavenworth.
I looked up Mount Ranier to learn about this mountain looming in the background of Seattle. He is the highest mountain in Washington state, and is one of the most dangerous in the United States because he is expected to erupt in the near rather than distant future. Mairead, you better get yourself back to Boston!! He has two volcanic craters on its summit. This is what caught my fancy - the larger crater is named Emmons after geologist Samuel Franklin Emmons who was part of a survey of Mount Ranier in 1870. This name struck me because it is an unusual name, and it is a Boston name. Lo and behold - this Franklin Samuel Emmons was born in Boston to Nathaniel Emmons and Elizabeth Ware Emmons. My aunt Nellie Keohane worked for his family on Beacon Street in the 1920s!! Life really is a big circle!!
Anyway, once we were out of the city, we passed a lot of small towns and small farms with mostly black cows. We passed through state forests and the Cascade mountains. Stevens Pass had great views of the mountains - I guess skiing is big around here. But everything was very sparse - I drove miles from one town to another - what businesses could possibly be out here? Besides farming and skiing what other employment is there? Maybe this is why it is so scattered - although the road did follow rivers and railroad tracks.
All of a sudden we reached Leavenworth - it really is like a Bavarian village!
Dan and Mairead walking on the far left.
We drove down the main drag - it is pedestrian only in the main part of town. The houses and businesses really are built in Alpine style. We spotted Waffle and Dinner Haus and decided to eat lunch here. We drove back to a parking area that charged $20 for the day - I didn't mind because the money supports the local school. We crossed the street and walked down Main Street past the shops.
Dan and Mairead again on far left in both pictures.
I love Nutcrackers so I ran into the Nutcracker Museum gift shop - I could have spent hours there and in the Nutcracker Museum! But the nutcrackers were so expensive!! In a quick look, I couldn't find anything less than $75!
We continued on to the intersection where the Waffle Haus was located. There was no outside dining so we had to wait 10 minutes or so. The seating was spread out and the staff wore masks. Mairead and I ordered the special - pumpkin waffles - Dan ordered a plain waffle with hash brown potatoes. Mairead ordered a German sausage as well.The waitress was very friendly but couldn't believe neither Dan nor Mairead wanted whipped cream on their waffles. But she was happy when I said that I would have whipped cream. My job is to keep the peace and make people happy!!
The waitress was nice but got the waffles mixed up - I got the plain waffle - Dan got the pumpkin - we didn't realize it until we started eating. The waitress had put 3 times the whipped cream on my waffle!! I could hardly see it!! My plate wasn't big enough to push it all off. I had a small taste of the German sausage which was delicious. Mairead bought a loaf of home made apple bread at the check out.
Dan carrying my knapsack after we finished lunch. Mairead was inside paying the bill and buying apple bread.
The picnic tables were for the pizza shop next door so we couldn't eat outside.
My hips and back were bothering me from all the walking at the hotel and here in Bavaria so I opted to sit in the shade and people watch while Dan and Mairead explored the other end of town. The Bavarian Village is situated below the highway so there was a low hill where small children were running up and down, rolling and trying to roll down - I was laughing out loud at them. An older gentleman sat down near me - about 8 feet away. He was there with his children and grandchildren - it was like a reunion. He was watching the children as well, but he told his daughter that he really wanted another beer. She told him that he had to wait until they all met up again - some were off checking out the sites. The grandchildren were young and were climbing on the wall where we were sitting so I was talking to them and Grandpa.
View from the shade!
There were horse and buggy rides that came down Main Street - I kept missing their clip clops until they were almost on top of me - so I don't have a great picture of them.
The shop keepers were dressed in Bavarian outfits which also gave the place a more authentic flavor along with the lively music that was playing over the loud speaker.
I spotted Dan and Mairead in line for a beer near where I was sitting. They had to wait 20 minutes for their beer and giant pretzel. There was a picnic table closeby - but the sun came out, and it was quite hot sitting there in the sun. Dan and I hid in the shade until the order was ready. The bottles came with the tops on them and no bottle opener - Danno opened them using the picnic table edge. The pretzel was delicious!
This link will take you to the video of Dan opening the beers. https://youtu.be/jLmDcSnkXeU
We headed back to the car when the beer was finished. We had a two and a half drive back to Seattle, and Amanda was there alone.
There were a lot of large farms, apple orchards, grape vines on the way to route 90. The numerous farm stands must do good business from the visitors to Leavenworth - we passed wineries as well. The farms were bigger with more cattle - there were larger towns on the way back to Seattle. Fewer mountain roads. It had started misting - I had the windshield wipers on and off most of the way back.
We got off route 90 at North Bend and passed the Twin Peaks Coffee Shop from the TV show - we followed Mairead's directions to the "Welcome To Twin Peaks" sign - but it wasn't there!! We turned around and still couldn't find it - we turned around once more and with no sign in site, we headed back to Seattle. This was very disappointing.
Amanda had ordered in Thai food - enough for all of us - I had my first taste of Thai Pad - delicious. I also tasted tofu which was in the Thai Pad and another dish - it wasn't bad - tasted like the Thai food. I also finished off a quarter of my chicken quesadilla which was left over from last night.
Dan invited his friend Josh over - he has been living in Seattle for several years. Dan and Josh had shared an apartment in Watertown years ago and then they got an apartment with Mairead and my youngest son John. I was sitting on the balcony when Josh arrived. It was too cold on the balcony after a while so everyone eventually moved inside. I went into the bedroom and put on my PJs to give them some privacy. I was in bed watching TV but could hear them talking and laughing. I was happy that Josh had come by. Dan and Amanda went to bed about 9 after Josh left. Mairead wanted to stay out on the sofa - they were all asleep when I went to bed after the beginning of Saturday Night Live - I shut it off when the musical guest was introduced.
The views are lovely on a bright clear cool day - we had to enjoy the sunshine while we could - Sunday was supposed to have downpours by midday.
This is where I was sitting when Josh arrived.
The next morning we all just lolled around in bed. Dan had invited Josh over for a day of football - Amanda was taking a test for her MBA course. So Mairead and I decided to take a drive around before the rain started at noon. We stopped by at the two L'Arche houses. L'Arche is an organization that supports adults with intellectual disabilities. Mairead works there to help the Core Members reach their potential. I had met some of the staff and some of the Core Members last year when I helped Mairead move to Seattle. It was nice to see them again and meet some of the new staff. We stood on the porches with our masks on and talked to them in doorways. They all seemed so happy to see Mairead.
The where Mairead currently works and lives.
Mairead wanted to see parts of Seattle that she hadn't seen or hadn't been to lately so we spent time driving up and down steep hills admiring the architecture - noting the more wealthy neighborhoods. Mairead mentioned that in her neighborhood, they block off a couple of streets on Halloween and do it up big. L'Arche is not celebrating Halloween this year because of Covid, but Mairead plans to take some Core Members for a walk around the neighborhood to see the decorations - they are now allowed to go out for walks or go for drives in the L'Arche vans.
We drove to the CHOP where the protests took place earlier this summer - the Capitol Hill Organized Protest area. Black Lives Matter was written on the street in multiple colors. There were cement blocks topped by a chain link fence around the police station. There were shop fronts with boarded up windows, graffiti or what I call street art on the walls. It was very quiet there, I can't imagine what it was like during the protests. Mairead said that they could hear noise during the protest and saw the helicopters hovering low over the area. Josh had told us that his apartment which is a couple of blocks from CHOP filled with tear gas during one protest. And still the killing of unarmed Black Men continues. I guess the last protest was when there were no indictments of the police officers who murdered Breanna Taylor in her bed. When will this end? These lawless cops have to go - they are giving the honorable hard working police officer majority a bad name.
The police station barricade on the left.
The police station is barricaded to fend off protestors.
We drove around part of Lake Union, we drove to Lake Washington and along a beautiful greenway which reminded us of driving along Muckross road in Killarney - Mairead said that they bring the Core Members here, then we made out the Queen Anne area. We almost stopped at Ezell's Famous Chicken but opted for Dingfelder's Deli instead. Mairead ordered a brisket sandwich - I ordered a cup of mushroom barley soup and a tuna salad sandwich. We had to wait for 20 minutes so we headed back to the French bakery - Bakery Nouveau - we had passed earlier when it had a line about a block long. We got a parking space after passing a camp of tents. for the homeless. One of them came by and asked for spare change. It must be difficult getting change these days - does anyone even carry cash? We bought a dozen macaroons because Danno loves them - Mairead bought a croissant. We had texted Dan to see if he or Amanda wanted any lunch while we were out, but he said he had just ordered lunch.
Dingfelder's Deli
Dan and Josh were eating more Thai food when we got back. Amanda had Ubered to the International section of Seattle. Dan and Josh were impressed with the macaroons. The tuna salad was great - I took off the bread and ate it with the lettuce and tomatoes. The soup was a little spicy; Mairead said she had had better brisket. Mairead then stretched out on my king size bed while I took my computer down to the empty lobby. I had a seat by a TV but there was nothing good on. So I started this blog, checked email, and twitter. I went back upstairs after a while, and Dan said Amanda had just called and was coming home. I told him to text her that I was coming to pick her up. We found her, and as we were getting directions home, a homeless man crossed the street near us - the back of his pants had fallen down and he was trying to walk and unsuccessfully hold his pants up. We passed so many homeless tents under overpasses - I just couldn't believe it. Mairead said the homeless don't want to stay in crowded shelters because of Covid so are staying outside - sleeping wherever they can. We do have homeless on Cape Cod - many with mental health issues and/or drug/alcohol problems, but there just seemed to be so many outside here in Seattle.
Amanda had had a nice afternoon - she walked through Pike's Market - she said it was practically empty but the stalls were open. She then hiked to the International Section and explored that.
We were chilling at the hotel - Dan and Josh still watching football - Amanda joined them - Mairead and I stretched out in the king size bed watching TV. Eventually Dan was ordering supper - I got halibut, the others including Josh got fish and chips from Duke's Seafood. The halibut was delicious! I ate a bit of the zucchini and red potatoes but concentrated on almost finishing the halibut - Dan ate the remaining piece. They all said the fish and chips were good. It was a nice ending to the day.
Dan and Amanda went to bed about 9 after Josh left. Mairead settled down on the sofa. I was reading in bed until Vera and Morse came on PBS - YES!! What a great trip this was!
Mairead had to be at her apartment at 10:30 so we checked out about 10, packed up the car and headed for her quarantine apartment. It was sad saying goodbye - especially since we did not have any physical contact - we had been on a plane so Mairead had kept her mask on for most of our visit - there were no kisses, no hugs. But hopefully things will be better in March when she comes home.
We had a couple of hours to kill before we had to go to the airport. Amanda thought she might want to see Volunteer Park so we headed over there - the gates were blocked - there was no parking - it was raining. So we drove to see the Freemont Troll - there was no one there - I got a parking spot right beside it. We took a few pictures then decided to show Amanda Kerry Park. Despite the mist and clouds there is a great view on top of that hill. Again it was empty - a couple of people, no tour buses, no line of cars looking for parking.
I don't remember the graffiti on the porch troll.
Kerry Hill
I don't know if Boston has these scooter for rent - they are like the bikes - pick one up here and drop it there.
We needed to fill our gas tank so Hertz didn't charge us the threatened $10/gallon if we bring it back empty which is totally outrageous. So we jumped on route 5 South. We got off and did a couple of loopy loops to the Chevron gas station. Then we decided to try a diner close by in case nothing is open at the airport. This diner was a gem! Small, large, tiny, huge models of planes - especially military planes - pictures of pilots - patches - and all kinds of memorabilia.
There was plexiglass between booths but not behind Dan and Amanda - instead there was a window from a B17 bomber shot down in Italy during WWII. I asked the waiter about the window - he led me over to an article about the window. I told him that I was a nurse and had worked with retired military when they came home from the hospital. He said he was a Vietnam vet - he was wounded over there and discharged. I told him the Vietnam war was during my high school and college years - I had written to guys in Vietnam - I had seen them come home strung out on drugs but maybe it was PTSD - in hindsight it was probably both.
I was hungry and knew there were no more meals until tomorrow morning in Falmouth - so I wanted the open turkey sandwich, but was afraid it was too heavy. Dan and Amanda ordered breakfast food. The waiter said they had chicken noodle soup, and I kinda turned my nose up - I was thinking of a cup of soup and half a tuna sandwich, but I'm not a fan of that soup. I ordered a BLT, and the waiter offered a cup of soup instead of French fries. Great! And what a good choice! The best chicken noodle soup I had ever had - and the real mayo on the BLT was divine - I use nonfat mayo at home - so real mayo was a treat.
I could have stayed at that diner for hours - there was so much to see. But we headed for the airport. Everything went very smoothly - we returned the car - didn't have to wait long for the shuttle to the terminal. The only glitch was that the machine didn't print our bag tags so we had to go through the whole check in process - then they couldn't print my bag tags. Finally we were on our way to the train for our gate. We sat about 2 or 3 gates away to be away from the other passengers. The time went by quickly - next thing we were on board. I had 3 seats to myself - Dan and Amanda were opposite me and had their 3 seats to themselves. There was one person in the row in front of us and the next two rows forward were empty. We were in the next to the last rows which were empty except for an off duty steward hitching a ride home.
Five hours is a long time to sit in a plane - I was excited going to Seattle so that made the 6 hours more bearable. But I couldn't wait to get off this plane. We arrived a half hour early. We were the last off the plane - our bags were waiting for us at the baggage claim. Dan and Amanda headed off to Central Parking, and I headed out the door to Mike who was already there. We arrived home at 1 am, and I slept until 10:30 today!!
All in all another great trip!
No comments:
Post a Comment