A birthday layover in Seattle

After a very scenic flight from Juneau, we landed in Seattle. The plan was to stay there for the full next day and continue to the East Coast first thing Saturday morning. As usual, we assessed hotel options on Hotwire, compared rates, and then decided to book directly with my favorite Seattle airport hotel the Hilton SeaTac. It's a nice, comfortable, convenient place to stay, but earns top rank in my book for two important reasons...

See Reason #1: The pool

And Reason 2: the hot tub

The main pool is huge and in the growing handful of times we've stayed here, I've never seen it crowded even though it's heated year-round. In fact, these photos were actually taken on our way back from the ICW trip at the end of March and I happily swam in it for nearly an hour. Also, the grounds and landscaping at the Hilton are beautifully done with flowers and a variety of plants. Sure, the SeaTac Hilton is also a conference center, but for me, staying there feels like a treat because I can swim- outside, in a lovely pool- to my heart's content.

Anyway... back to original programming.

Once checked in, it was already after midnight so I sent our good friends Annie and John a text to let them know we'd arrived in their city and then called it a night.

The next day, Scotty and I had breakfast in the hotel and then hopped the Seattle Central Link light rail from SeaTac to the last stop on the line at the center of downtown, Westlake Station. We purchased an unlimited Day Pass, which costs $5.50 or twice the cost of a one-way pass. Since we planned to come back to the hotel in the afternoon to swim and then go out again downtown later that night, this option made the most sense. More information about stops and travel times can be found here.

From SeaTac to Westlake Station, the ride takes about 40 minutes and includes 11 stops. We take the light rail about the half the time we stop in Seattle (the other half of the time we are either renting a car or being picked up by friends). I've found it to be a pretty relaxing and inexpensive way to get downtown. Here's a photographic tour of the ride (excuse the window reflections).

Leaving the SeaTac Station

Seattle highways

Downtown Seattle from a distance

And closer up

Upon arrival at Westlake Station (from Nordstrom's sky bridge)

Scotty and I walked around downtown for a while, grabbing some Starbucks (when in Rome, er Seattle) and checking out one of the famous Duck Tours vehicles.

And later, we got hungry for lunch, so naturally we stopped for tacos at the Blue Water Taco Grill. We each got a fish taco plate with beans and rice, and in Scotty's words, "It's actually better than I thought it would be." He was right. I have a good man, that one, to put up with my Mexican food obsession. 

After lunch, we met up with Annie and John and, because we had dinner plans downtown later, made a beeline back to the hotel pool to enjoy the unusually sunny Seattle weather. We were too busy talking and sunning ourselves to take any pictures, but this one one the light rail sky bridge pretty much captures the mood. We love hanging out with them!

                 

Me and the big A

Annie is my oldest friend, all the way back from third grade when we went to Waldorf School together in Minnesota.  Even though sixth grade was our last year in school together, we've managed to stay close through multi-state moves and over twenty years. Just typing that makes me feel old... sheesh.

She's a keeper, this girl.

And this is pretty much how I end up when we're all hanging out...

Scotty had made dinner reservations at Shuckers, a seafood restaurant in the Seattle Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Incidentally, the four of us went there last year on my birthday and for special occasions Shuckers has become a fun tradition. With its full bar, fresh-shucked oysters, and twenties decor, dining there almost feels like stepping back in time.

My dinner: bleu cheese salad and two types of oysters rockefeller

Scotty's tuna tartare, whipped potatoes, and asparagus

Scotty, Me, Annie, John

Thank you, my dear friends, for an awesome day and for celebrating another trip around the sun with me. :)