Where Salmon is King

Entry 3:

Seattle is a small city with great public transit and wonderful food. On our first day (Monday, September 8th) we took an amazing ferry ride to Bainbridge Island where we walked around the quaint town and had an amazing lunch at the marina. The ferry ride was highlighted by epic views of Mount Rainier. Later that day we stopped by the famous fishmarket at Pike Place where we saw flying fish and sampled smoked King salmon (click on Pike Place hyperlink).

We woke up early the next day and took a bus up to the University of Washington. Along with several high school students and their parents, we took a walking tour of the campus. It's amazing how many times a 21-year-old can use the word "awesome" in a 90-minute span. We were struck by the University's focus on environmental issues. All of their cafeterias use compost materials for their disposable plates, cups, and utensils. They also encourage bicycling, carpooling, and walking. As a student, it seems like there are many fun activities subsidized by the school that you could be involved in including canoeing, sailing, and skiing.

From the University we travelled to the famous Lake Washington ship canal and locks. This is where boats are lifted 26 feet from sea level to Lake Washington through a series of canal locks. There is a salmon ladder to allow fish to travel from the sea water to fresh water rivers upstream.

On our last day we boarded the Seattle monorail to the Experience Music Project. We enjoyed playing various musical instruments and watching videos about Jimi Hendrix.

During the three nights we were in Seattle, we had dinner with our friends Eran and Chris. It was fun catching up with them and learning about China. A big thank you goes out to them for a wonderful dinner and free bus passes to the airport.

A final word to those who are thinking about visiting Seattle: All around town you'll find coffee shops, but you'll have to be on the lookout for one in particular. You may have heard of it. . . Starbucks.