400 Starbucks stores in a quarter mile radius!

Dan in Seattle

The Myth Assana has been to Seattle several times; not once she has seen it raining. Is rain in Seattle a myth made up by the Washingtonians to keep Californians away? Probably! We are heading up to Seattle hoping that Dan is equally lucky. Turns out he is not super lucky - it is kind'a cold and overcast - but not super unlucky either: it is not raining or drizzling. We have a HUGE room at Alexis Hotel, with a view towards Mount Rainier even though it is a bit overcast.

The Space Needle

Über Tourists We have plans to meet our friend Sharokh for breakfast, but turns out we would be sharing him with another of his fifty close friends… we decide to pass. The über tourists that we are, we head out to see The Space Needle. It is pretty cool, and the views are very nice. Pike Place Market Next is Pike Place Market. Again, über tourists and all, we walk all over the place. And the treat is watching this gang-member looking dude playing Bach flawlessly on the violin! Nice!

Whidbey Island

The Islands Done with Seattle we head to the islands. We ferry to Port Townsend and spend the day meadering thru coastal towns. Then a nice drive thru Whidbey Island. Metropolitan Grill Back to Seattle and our last night's dinner is at Metropolitan Grill where we have great difficulty convincing our sommelier that we really want to try out a local wine. We compromise and try a bottle of Pinot from Willamette Valley, Oregon.