bell harbor, seattle
Date: March 18, 2018
Time Start: 8:40 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:50 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown, Olympia
Cruise To: Bell Harbor, Seattle
Engine Hours Start: 748
Engine Hours Finish: 753
Weather/sea conditions: cool a.m., 40's, partly cloudy, warming to low 50's and sunshine.
It's a pretty morning with sun, blue sky, patches of clouds, and calm water reflecting the sky and our surroundings. Our destination is Seattle's Bell Harbor Marina where NORTH STAR will become our luxurious waterfront hotel while Dan attends meetings of the National Shellfisheries Association this coming week. We'll be paying about 10 percent of what a downtown hotel would cost! What a deal!
Traffic today is light, we see only about a half dozen other boats between Olympia and the Narrows! As always, the scenery captures our attention all along the way. The sun hits the tip of Harstine Island where there is a tidal rip; Mt. Rainier rising from the clouds fills our vision at Johnson Point; little Eagle Island is graced by clouds, cormorants, and a colony of seals on the beach.
Time Start: 8:40 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:50 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown, Olympia
Cruise To: Bell Harbor, Seattle
Engine Hours Start: 748
Engine Hours Finish: 753
Weather/sea conditions: cool a.m., 40's, partly cloudy, warming to low 50's and sunshine.
It's a pretty morning with sun, blue sky, patches of clouds, and calm water reflecting the sky and our surroundings. Our destination is Seattle's Bell Harbor Marina where NORTH STAR will become our luxurious waterfront hotel while Dan attends meetings of the National Shellfisheries Association this coming week. We'll be paying about 10 percent of what a downtown hotel would cost! What a deal!
Traffic today is light, we see only about a half dozen other boats between Olympia and the Narrows! As always, the scenery captures our attention all along the way. The sun hits the tip of Harstine Island where there is a tidal rip; Mt. Rainier rising from the clouds fills our vision at Johnson Point; little Eagle Island is graced by clouds, cormorants, and a colony of seals on the beach.
No busy freeway for us today, we zip through the Tacoma Narrows, passing Pt. Defiance before entering Colvos Passage along the west side of Vashon Island.
Crossing toward Elliott Bay, we pass West Seattle where I grew up, taking in views of the Alki Point lighthouse.
Downtown Seattle is in our sights. We have a bit of boat traffic, too - ferries and freighters.
We have arrived, our slip is waiting for us, and it is a fabulous Sunday afternoon to be in Seattle. We have time for a stroll through the historic Pike Place Market before it is time to head to the opening reception of the conference. Prophetic that we see oyster shells decorated as Santas!
It's a long walk to the Renaissance Hotel for the reception, and we opt for an Uber ride for our return to NORTH STAR, where we are in a prime location for enjoying the lights of the city.
Dates: March 19, 20, 21
Bell Harbor layover days
Weather: Sunny, perfect early spring, mid 50's with cool nights in upper 30's to mid 40's.
While Dan is off to day long meetings, I have perfect weather for exploring the city - the market, downtown, the sculpture park, Seattle Center, etc. We have an elevator to take us from the waterfront to the level of the market, and from there it is easy walking in the downtown core. This is a bustling, growing city. The skyline is filled with construction cranes. The Hammering Man sculpture outside of the Seattle Art Museum seems just perfect in this setting!
Bell Harbor layover days
Weather: Sunny, perfect early spring, mid 50's with cool nights in upper 30's to mid 40's.
While Dan is off to day long meetings, I have perfect weather for exploring the city - the market, downtown, the sculpture park, Seattle Center, etc. We have an elevator to take us from the waterfront to the level of the market, and from there it is easy walking in the downtown core. This is a bustling, growing city. The skyline is filled with construction cranes. The Hammering Man sculpture outside of the Seattle Art Museum seems just perfect in this setting!
Looking down the street, I see the Smith Tower, once the tallest building west of the Mississippi, and now dwarfed by Seattle's growing skyline. Old buildings get torn down, but it is nice to see pieces of them saved as works of art. And, some buildings are architectural works of art! (Note: all three of these photos are vertical and you must click on them to get the total effect.)
The Westlake Center is an outdoor gathering place for Seattleites. On this day, Darigold is handing out free
T-shirts with their logos as well as complimentary bottles of milk.
T-shirts with their logos as well as complimentary bottles of milk.
Heading back to the waterfront, the best path is through the market once again, with views looking down on Bell Harbor. Along the waterfront, there is a lot of construction as improvements are being made to prepare for removal of the viaduct and to repair and replace the existing seawall and aquarium. An underground tunnel for vehicle traffic has been dug to replace the viaduct.The goal is to have some wonderful new spaces for both locals and tourists. Sadly, as in so many of our west coast cities, Olympia included, homelessness has become a major issue to be dealt with.
Gulls love to perch on the rails of the marina breakwater. We are so fortunate that there aren't any gigantic cruise ships moored here right now, as they tend to dwarf the marina. However, crews are working on the deck to prepare it for the arrival later this year of a mega ship that will have some 5,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members! Late afternoon lighting changes the look of the city.
A Ranger Tug friend, Vicki Brown, meets me for a stroll through the nearby outdoor sculpture park. It is great to have her share her knowledge of the plantings in the park as well as of the sculptures. What an asset for Seattle!
Each day means a new trip to the market where there is so much to see. And, I am developing a few favorite places such as La Panier that could easily become habit if I lived here.
New in Seattle are bike sharing options. We see lots of these yellow and green bikes around, they seem to get left everywhere.
I can't resist getting out in the spring weather. It is perfect for a visit to the Seattle Center. The Space Needle is closed for construction work, but there is much to enjoy in walking the grounds. Be sure to click for vertical photos!
Now for a whole lot of color! The Chihuly Garden of Glass is an absolute wonder. It starts with theme rooms filled with glass, continues into a glass atrium, and ends with outdoor gardens filled with glass sculptures.
The room inspired by native basketry:
The room inspired by native basketry:
The Sealife Room (vertical photos!):
The Persian Ceiling:
An indoor floral garden of glass:
Boats, one loaded with glass floats and one loaded with Ikebana:
A Macchia Forest:
In the Atrium (vertical photo):
The outdoor gardens:
Time to return to the marina. A school group has just completed a day of learning aboard the Spirit of 76, a boat equipped with facilities and faculty from Marine Science Afloat to teach them about our underwater world. They tow nets to gather plankton, a diver brings up sea stars and other marine life for them to see, and they have two lab/classrooms aboard for learning. The program focuses on fifth graders, but takes other ages as well. What lucky kids!
Each evening I join Dan for activities at the conference. One evening he is involved in judging student work in the poster displays, and another evening we attend the Ken Chew Chinese Banquet, a twelve course meal that leaves us stuffed! This is just an appetizer plate.
Date: March 22, 2018
Time Start: 1:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 7:40 p.m.
Cruise From: Bell Harbor, Seattle
Cruise To: Swantown, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 753
Engine Hours Finish: 759
Weather/sea conditions: Rainy, cool, mid 40's, showers and sun breaks
Seattle lives up to its reputation and gives us a rainy final day after four gloriously sunny early spring days. Bumbershoots are out, even blowing inside out just as depicted in one of the nearby street sculptures. While Dan finishes up his meetings, I make one last visit to the Pike Place Market for a final latte and pastry at my favorite French bakery, Le Panier. (Vertical photo.)
Time Start: 1:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 7:40 p.m.
Cruise From: Bell Harbor, Seattle
Cruise To: Swantown, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 753
Engine Hours Finish: 759
Weather/sea conditions: Rainy, cool, mid 40's, showers and sun breaks
Seattle lives up to its reputation and gives us a rainy final day after four gloriously sunny early spring days. Bumbershoots are out, even blowing inside out just as depicted in one of the nearby street sculptures. While Dan finishes up his meetings, I make one last visit to the Pike Place Market for a final latte and pastry at my favorite French bakery, Le Panier. (Vertical photo.)
With the rain, the market is darker, the neon lights glow, and people are bundled up. It's a true Seattle day.
We release our dock lines at Bell Harbor, leaving behind this growing, booming, vibrant city that seems to be reaching for the sky in so many ways. What a fabulous way this has been to visit Seattle! We get a glimpse of the snowy Olympic mountains across the water as we leave Elliott Bay on a storm filled day. Ferries are the only vessels crossing the bay, and we make the turn towards home at the Alki Point lighthouse with rain pelting our windshield.
We experience winds and resultant chop on the water, showers, sun - a true mixture of northwest weather. Sun pops out at the Narrows, where we always feel like we have officially entered South Sound waters as we pass under the twin bridges.
We are back into dark clouds, then sun again, with such beauty in the skies. And what skies we have today, from ominously dark to blue skies with fluffy white clouds. There is even a partial rainbow. The wind chop adds to the drama, sending spray up and over NORTH STAR.
Thanks to daylight time, we arrive in Budd Bay and make our way to Swantown and our slip before dark. It's been six hours of cruising from Seattle, and so much to enjoy. Thanks, Captain Dan, for turning a week of business conferences into a week of pleasure for us both!
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