Days 19 - 22 - Hot Time in Seattle Town

Sunday and Monday saw record high temperatures of 92 and 89 in a city where most houses and many small businesses lack air conditioning. For all but perhaps three or four days a year, it really isn't missed, but shady outside tables and park areas were popular the past few days, and children were flocking to water spray areas around town. Fortunately, it still cooled off once the sun set, so we did not go sleepless in Seattle. And, on clear days Mt. Rainier always looms not far away.

Mt. Rainier Sunset

We are at a charming B & B in the Capitol Hill area of the city, a block from Melissa's and David's condo and their fluffball cats. Our host John has kept us well supplied with fresh Washington fruit for breakfast and turned up the fans in our rooms. It is fruit season in the Pacific Northwest with a wide choice of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, bing and Mt. Rainier cherries, peaches and more.

Seattle Fruit Selection

Sunday was a day of rest after our road travels. Chef David treated some close friends and his in-laws to a tasty brunch that left us too full to try anything very strenuous, especially in the heat. So we fled to an air-conditioned movie theater. "Now You See It" was a lot of fun despite its flaws, and the real magic maybe that they did it without killing people and blowing everything up. After the movie, we wandered around one of Seattle's beautiful large parks until the sun got lower in the sky. A fly-by Anna's Hummingbird and the summer flowers made for a pleasant stroll.

Our Monday strategy to beat the heat was to flee the middle of the city. We headed out to the Lake Washington waterfront in Kirkland for a lunch with a view, followed by a tour and wine tasting at the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville. The grapes are grown in the Columbia River Valley, but the production, bottling and tourism are all done near where the people are in the Seattle area.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay

White Wine at the Chateau

After the winery, we hit another park - this time Discovery Park along the water on Seattle's north side. West Bank Lighthouse, harbor seals and a Cassin's Vireo offered a fine supporting cast to the cooling sound air. We topped off the day with outstanding fresh salmon and halibut at the landmark Ivar's Restaurant on the Lake Union waterfront in Fremont.

Tableside View at Ivar's

The thermometer hit only 85 in Seattle on Tuesday, but we wanted something still cooler. We took a ferry over to the Olympic Peninsula, drove to Sequim (pronounced Squim) on the north shore and navigated 15 miles of unpaved National Forest roads to the upper reaches of the wild Dungeness River. We walked along the river through an Olympic rain forest, checking out a variety of Washington wildflowers and, of course, looking for birds. A pair of dragonfly-catching American Dippers made Phil's, and everyone else's, day. But the flowers, water and butterflies were pretty spectacular, too.

American Dipper and Dragonfly

Dungeness River

After the hike, we drove over to Melissa's and David's peninsula property in Port Hadlock, where Mary and I offered free landscaping advice. Our kids have been working hard to develop this piece of land. One of the reasons they had joined us in Oregon was to finalize construction and delivery of a modular home for the site for David's parents. The home should be in place later this year, and we share their excitement in seeing things start to fall in place.

Mt. Baker from Melissa's and David's Place

Much cooler in Seattle on Wednesday with a light breeze, so there was no problem walking 20 blocks downhill to enjoy the sights and smells of Seattle's Pike Street Market on the waterfront. We stopped at a small French restaurant for lunch before heading over to the Museum of History and Industry. The museum traces the development of the area from Chief Seattle through its rapid growth during the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush, the height of the union era during World War 1 and the 1962 World
s Fair to Microsoft and Nirvana. We highly recommend it to Seattle visitors.

Museum of History and Industry

Tomorrow is Fourth of July, but we will depart Seattle, let Melissa and David recover from our visit, and start back east. See you next time in Idaho and Montana.