... to braving the cold weather at the beach, hunting for tiny crabs. The photo below is of Dani and the kids after our time playing in the sand and building sandcastles.
After the beach, Dani took us all to one of the most spectacular waterfalls I've ever seen. It's called Snoqualmie, and I was very glad that I had brought my new rain jacket with me that day, as I got totally soaked standing on the platform, trying to take this picture without getting my camera wet.
To cap that day off, on the drive home along one of their major freeways, all of the traffic in our direction was coming to sudden stand still. Everyone in their cars are swerving into other lanes, trying to avoid colliding, but for what reason, no one could work out. Looking only 50m in front of us, there were absolutely no other vehicles, and it was quite clear that no accident had occurred. Everyone in the right hand lanes slowly began to creep forwards again and the cars started to disperse. We edged our way forward in the left hand lanes and as we watch the minivan in front of us, all of a sudden a mother duck and her four chicks waddle across the final lane of traffic and make it to the verge and relative safety. My mind was blown. It turns out, everyone originally going 60 miles an hour, had decided to come to a screetching holt to allow a family of ducks to cross the road! Amazing!
The following day, saw Dani and I exploring the stunning reading room located at the University of Washington (after wandering for nearly half an hour through their emmense library trying to find the thing)...
Could you imagine getting the opportunity to study in such a place? How any of the students actually learn anything as opposed to just starring in awe at the architecture, is beyond me.
From there our ability to follow a road map was severely tested. It really didn't help with the fact that we didn't know the actual location of where we were going. Which was to find the Fremont Troll. The same one that makes an appearance in '10 Things I Hate About You'. After more left turns than you would have thought were physically possible, we eventually found the thing. Turns out it IS located on Troll Avenue. Who would have thought? After the obligatory photo op. of me with the troll, Dani and I headed into down town Seattle to go on the very anticipatory Underground tour.
Turns out there is a laberynth of tunnels below the streets of Seattle, dating back to the original settlement of the area. The reason for their existence... Seattle was origianlly built on a major flood plane, with the streets and buildings getting flooded twice a day, every day. Now as you can imagine, eventually, the townsfolk decided that that just would not do. Their solution, to knock the buildings down and start again, but this time, raising everything by 3 metres. This however, began with only the streets (not really sure why). Unfortunately, the business owners couldn't be bothered waiting for the council to finish constructing the new roads, so they decided to start putting up their new premesis between the streets that were now 3 metres above the ground. Shoppers would then have to climb down a ladder on one side of the street to get to those shops, then climb up another ladder to get to street level, before climbing down yet another ladder to then go into the shops on the other side of the street. Once the roads had been completed though, the council just decided to bridge over the gaps between the streets and the buildings, essentially forcing the businesses to raise their entrance ways to the 1st floor of their buildings, and leaving the ground floor as a basement level surrounded by a maze of pedestrian walk ways below ground, and hence, forming the underground network of Seattle.
Yay, we all learnt something today. Now who doesn't feel smart after trying to work that one out?
I will now take you to a most serene and pleasant local to try and help ease the mental gymnastics I just put you through in attempting to understand my above description of Underground Seattle. Cougar Mountain would be such a place. An area that has no fear of displaying its love of the colour green in all of its hues. The 6 mile hike I walked all on my lonesome (kids weren't up for it), led me to the peak of Cougar Mountain. A very anticlimactic place thanks to the lack of view and any noticable ellevation. I then wandered further down an alternate trail and came across a stunning water fall, a most brave little woodland mouse, and this picturesq bridge where I enjoyed a packed lunch of tuna and bread, otherwise known as a tuna sandwich :)
All in all, I loved Seattle (or area thereabouts). Matt and his family were absoultely wonderful, and I'll never forget the memories of sleeping in a room with 5 year old Sidney. Every morning, a wonderful wake up consisting of 20+ questions, proceeded by a day of being shadowed by said child. Sidney, your the greatest! :) And I'm so sorry that I never got say goodbye, but I'm sure if you bug your parents sufficently (and I know you have it in you), you might get to visit me one of these days :) And I'll work on speaking properly just for you (otherwise known as my accent).
