Exploring Seattle

I've had the chance to explore various neighborhoods around Seattle since returning to The United States.  This city is our birthplace, and I love the hustle and bustle of it.  While it doesn't begin to compare with sprawling Tokyo,  I'm still enjoying the sites, people-watching, the food, and the noise.  I've learned that I love a lot of commotion and feel energized by a city.  I've made a pact with myself that I was going to go to Seattle more often.  We are only 10 minutes away from the ferry, so why not!

Some places worth checking out:

Tea ceremony dates at Japanese Garden in Arboretum.

Washington State Arboretum

We caught a bus (#43) downtown Seattle from Pine Street to Montlake and walked along some pathways in the Arboretum.  A little glum this time of year, but it was a nice day to explore.  They have a Japanese Garden that opens in March that has tea ceremonies and other happenings going on there.  I want to go back in the spring for Cherry Blossom season.  There are also some other great trails along Lake Washington where you can picnic, take in the scenery, or walk over to MOHI (Museum of History and Industry). 


Teatro Zinzanni Dinner Theatre

This was a wonderful evening of entertainment near Seattle Center.  I bought General Admission seating which weren't cheap (over $100/pp), but I think well worth it.  We had an awesome view of all the entertainment (singing, dancing, acting, acrobatics, gymnastics, music, etc) and a 5 course meal.  The venue changes every few months and runs year round. 


Seattle Great Wheel

Seattle's newest attraction since we've been gone.  Although it doesn't compare to the huge Cosmo Clock Ferris Wheel in Yokohama, it was still nice to do on a sunny day.  For $13pp we saw some great views of downtown, and of the water..  Not to mention we went around about 4 times which is usually unheard of with such attractions!

Celebrating The Seahawks

We came back to Washington at an exciting time.  Not just to our home, or in time for Christmas, but also to a winning NFL team.  Seahawks Fever was at an all-time high especially when "The Hawks" were going to the Superbowl.  Many stores and fans in and around Washington were displaying 12th man banners and wearing Seahawks colors to show their support.  It was fun to see everyone getting into the spirit!  We've enjoyed being able to watch a couple games in real-time, or on the same day. This was always a little tricky in Japan with  the 16-17 hour time difference.

 

Superbowl Sunday- On Feb 2, 2014 The Seahawks played against the Denver Broncos and won 43-8!!! This was the first ever Superbowl win for The Seahawks which was so awesome!  To celebrate the win, The City of Seattle hosted a victory parade in downtown on Feb 5th for the 12th man from 11-1:30pm.  

Parade - Since I was free on the day of the parade, I went with a small group of people over to watch the "little" parade.  Not sure what I was thinking, because me, along with over 700,000 people were packing the streets of Seattle, ferries, etc to get to the parade. It was really COLD (mid-20's for Seattle in Feb is pretty chilly), but the crowds were mild, and most everyone was happy to be there to show their love and support for the team.  I didn't get the best photos, but I could see the players, coaches, support staff, politicians, etc pretty good from my vantage point.  I'm glad that I was able to participate in this monumental day even though my middle son keeps reminding me that I should have taken him along.  Oh well, maybe next year!

Tons of parade viewers!

Richard Sherman

 The 12th man or 12th player is a term for the fans within a stadium during American football and association football games. As most football leagues allow a maximum of eleven players per team on the playing field at a time, referring to a team's fans as the 12th man implies that they have a potentially helpful role in the game.

Definition courtesy of Wikipedia