May 29, 2011---Weekly report

On Tuesday the 23rd Walt got our truck serviced in preparation for our departure on May 31st. The month has gone past so rapidly. On Tuesday I had an appointment to get my hair cut with Bonnie's hair dresser. It is so nice to have someone who is good at their trade. Wednesday was the day for a very good dinner at B and T's with a couple whom they had traveled with in the past. They were a fun couple and we got home so we talked, drank wine and got home very late. Bonnie's meal had a Greek flavor and it was amazing. I did get the recipe for the chicken and Orzo. I hope I can do the meal sometime in the future.

On Thursday we took a trip to Tacoma, Washington, with B and T. We visited the Tacoma Farmers Market, the Old Railroad Station, The Art Museum with the Norman Rockwell Exhibit, and the Tacoma Glass Museum. It was a great day in Tacoma.

We drove to Tacoma and parked in a parking garage along the Electric Trolley Cars. We climbed on the trolley and rode to the downtown area. Our first stop was a few blocks walk to the Farmers Market.

A view from the top of the parking garage

A watercolor picture we saw in a shop on our way to the farmers market.

Another neat watercolor. If I had a house I would have had a problem passing on  these pieces.

The Farmers Market with flowers, plants, baked goods, Food Stands, etc.

Tacoma has many old building with a lot of character.

The Old Train Terminal which is now a Federal Court Building with Dale Chishuly Glass Art.

Round circle of art---close-up view.

Another beautiful design--my favorite

This is the glass sculpture which made up the previous picture.

Glass art hanging from the center doom

Chishuly Glass Art at the Tacoma Art Museum

More Chishuly Art

Astounding

Glass balls in a mirrored room with a tiled floor

Albers Bros. Milling Co. which is now renovated for Lofts.

The dome which houses the glass blowing room of the Tacoma Glass Museum

The Glass Bridge which is a creation of Chishuly

Ceiling of the glass bridge---yes it is separate glass pieces

The walls of the bridge had sealed glass cubes with contained art pieces

As we entered the Tacoma Glass Museum this greeted us---a pool filled with glass pieces.

The glass blowing studio in the Tacoma Glass Museum

The Glass Art that was made while we watched---Cheeseburger Glass

Glass panels as we left the Glass Museum

We left the museum and started our trip home. We had a dinner date at five pm, but we were going to be a little late, so we stopped at the house and took Bart out for a walk and quickly freshened up and then went to B and T's and then drove to Maple Valley to friends and had a lovely dinner. Then after dinner we drank wine and had a very cheerful evening.

On Saturday we met at B and T's for a cookout with their sons and their families. It was a very quick 5 hours of talk and catching up with our nephews and their families. On Memorial Day we will plan to meet B and T's daughter and her twins for a dinner at Red Lobster. More about that in next weeks edition.

More of our travel saga to follow in a few days. We start traveling in 2 days so keep an eye open for our blog.

May 23, 2011---continuing last week

May 20,2011---Seattle Tour

We started out early on Friday. We drove to Tukwila, WA. and then caught a fast rail into Seattle. It was a fun and easy trip on the train with some excitement. When we stopped at a station north of Tukwila the rail supervisor and police stopped the train from leaving and walked through the car we were on. When we got to the next stop more police boarded and left. Finally at the third station a lone policeman boarded with a camera and we asked what they were looking for in the car. He said someone had shot at the car with a BB gun. Then Tom saw a gun shot in the window just a few inches behind me. So after he had taken pictures he left the car and we continued our trip to Seattle.

We moved rapidly above the traffic to Seattle

When we came out of the rail station we were at the Art museum in Seattle.

This art piece was on the corner near the museum.

PICTURES FROM THE PIKES MARKET

When we came out of the crowded Pikes Market we saw people relaxing on the green grass.

This was one of the first Fridays when the sun was shining so everyone was in Seattle.

The cruise ship was also in port so the area was even more congested.

A view of the city from the harbor area. The viaduct in the foreground is expected to be torn down and replace with a tunnel to handle the traffic.

A view of the harbor and skyscrapers in Seattle

After a great lunch at a seafood restaurant we walked a few blocks to

get tickets for a tour of the Puget Sound, harbor and the locks from Union Lake.

After boarding a bus we were taken to Union Lake for the tour boat which would bring us back

to the dock in Seattle.

As we waited on the boat to start our tour a water plane landed in Union Lake just in

 front of the  tour boat. About 6 or 8 people came off of the plane with suitcases and went up the dock.

A view of the million dollar floating homes in Lake Union

The view of the lock as we went through to the other side.

The skyline as we entered the harbor--- the sky had gotten misty so the

buildings are not as brilliant as it was at noon time.

One of the docking spots on the harbor

After walking and climbing up many steps to the level of the rapid train we boarded

our train for home. It was an uneventful trip which cost us 75 cents each way. What a deal since trying to find a parking place in Seattle is difficult and can cost you as much as 20 dollars a day.

An end to a great excursion.

May 22, 2011---Continous summary of week

May 19, 2011---Renton and Everett, WA

We met at B and T's at about 9 am and the guys went one way and the girls went another way.

Bonnie and I had a luncheon date in Renton at 11:30 am. We were to meet some of her hiking friends at Vera and Bobs home. We also met Jean and Susan at Vera's home. Vera is the little lady who wrote a book about being in a concentration camp held by the Japanese during WWII. I had read her book years ago so I was very glad to meet her. Vera and Bob are a very active 80 year olds and have a lovely garden behind their home in Renton.

We had lunch at a country club which overlooked Bellevue, WA. It was a nice afternoon of visiting with some very nice women. After lunch we went to Costco and Kohls and arrived at Bonnie's just as the men came back from their day of visiting an airplane exhibit.

They visited the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Everett, WA. They enjoyed the trip very much and Tom was amazed at how much the exhibit had grown over the years. Here are a few pictures taken by the guys.

JFK Air Force One interior

Air Force One

The Concorde

Planes in flight

This was the end of May 19th, 2011

May 22, 2011---Summary of past week.

May 18, 2011---Mt. St. Helens

We started our day with the site of Mt. Rainier. When the mountain is out it will be a good day. Our trip to Mt. St. Helen's was just wonderful. We started out at about 9 am and got back at 8:30 in the evening. Little Bart did fine but was ready for a long walk.

Mt. Rainier in the morning

First glimpse of Mt. St. Helens after we left the Visitors Center

First view of the lava flow which happened 31 years ago on May 18th.

Another great view

Mt. St. Helens

More distant view of the mountain

First sign of snow as we traveled to a higher altitude

The mountain, the old lava flow and the lake

Crystal Lake--one of two lakes formed by the eruption

The snow pack as we reached Jackson Ridge

The awesome view of the mountain from Jackson Ridge

The new landscape formed by the mountain eruption

Coldwater Lake---The second lake formed by the eruption

We ended our day when we found a historical Catholic Church on our way back to South Prairie.

St. Francis Xavier Mission founded in the 1830's

The End to our trip to Mt. St. Helens