Day Three: From Flying Fish to Family Fun

Before I leaving Oregon, I was so pushed for time that I didn’t do any of my normal navigation planning. I am a person who uses Map Quest as often as I use spell check. I never leave home without a complete agenda and a stack of driving directions, but unfortunately this time, I was winging it.

We bravely headed into downtown Seattle with a loose idea of what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. Pike’s Market was first on the list. With the AAA map in hand we found the market and a parking lot. We paid $20 for three hours.

The night before when I shared with Andrew the plan for the day, he said, “You hate shopping and we are going to a huge market….that doesn’t make sense.” He was more right than I could admit. I have heard about Pike’s Market for years. The famous fish mongers have made quite a reputation for themselves; drawing tourist audiences from all over the world to watch their fish throwing show.

After we parked we walked a short block into the market. As we sauntered veggie and fruit stands drew my eye. The charming vendors gave out samples of the juicy Bing cherries and hailed their basil as, “the freshest basil you’ll find in Seattle!” The oversized “Pike’s Market” clock above our heads read 9:10 and right below, just inside, was the fish market. People gathered with their cameras, waiting for a purchase to inspire a hefty fish toss from the vendor. Mom talked to the front man and I weaved in and out of the crowd taking in the fare. I really don’t know what I was thinking. This was not a great place for a wanna-be vegan. I felt such pity for the poor fish that ended up on the ice, yet I chose to be there. I gawked at the huge monk fish (whose tail was rigged to be pulled by a chap behind the counter….when pulled the monk fish’s mouth would snap shut and make little girls scream.) Hundreds of live crawfish struggled to escape a huge bucket. I cheered them on; hoping one may find its way back to the ocean.

Also on the first floor was an amazing flower stand. Several ladies worked behind the makeshift counter creating large colorful bouquets to be sold for as little as $15.00. Every flower was perfect, bright and fresh. I stayed and took many pictures but this one of my favorite.

Pike’s Market is three levels of small shops and vendor stalls. Andrew was right, I hate shopping, so after the fish and the flowers, Mom found a seat with a view and Andrew and I walked down to the pier. It was a sunny day and it felt great to get back outside. The trip to the pier was a quick one and soon be went back to find Mom. On our way out Mom, Andrew and I picked out a yummy treat from a bakery vendor: cheese bread for Mom, large chocolate chip cookie for Andrew and for me a cream cheese cannolli. As I reveled in the last sweet bite, I noticed the Pike’s Market clock read 10:10. We handed-off our two hours left on our parking pass to the next Pike’s Market virgin.

The next stop in our loose agenda was the Locks, but I had no idea how to get there. I knew it was somewhere by the water. My land mark was the Space Needle and the AAA map was not helping us navigate (nor was Andrew’s constant parroting “you should have an iphone with GPS Mom.”) The driving antics that took place during this trip were a navigational nightmare; enough to drive anyone batty and this day in Seattle took me half way to looney. We couldn’t find the road to the Locks, so we decided to go to a place we could find: the Space Needle. Mom, in her very nonchalant, matter-of-fact- kind of way wanted me to park right, and I mean right, in front of the Space Needle. If I could have driven to the top, she would have been happy. Mom had me drive around, for what felt like a half an hour, looking for the perfect spot. For anybody that as ever driven in Seattle you know one way streets abound and that every street that you could legally turn on – a turn is not allowed! I was trying so hard not to freak out, but traffic was thick and Mom was sweetly insistent. Finally, after driving in circles around the needle, Mom let me choose a spot. It was a block away. A little worse for wear, we all walked to the tourist trap only to stand in line for 45 minutes. Ahhhh, vacation.

Once at the top of the Space Needle, we all relaxed and took in the panoramic views. Andrew spotted our truck far below us. I saw “The Eagle” a large, red, metal structure that we would visit at the Olympic Structure Park the next morning. The cityscape and the intricate workings of the harbors were quite impressive.

Back on ground, Mom and Andrew devoured a messy chili dog, we went on a mini roller coaster ride and Andrew took a spin on the Tornado.

Before we left the Seattle Space Needle Center Mom hailed down an official looking person and found out accurate directions to the Locks. Thank goodness she did. It was about a 20 minute drive out of the city. The Locks were one of the highlights of the trip.

Walking into the park I felt immediately at ease. The tall trees, the large expanse of green grass and the knowing that hundreds of heca-acres and botanical gardens all lay before me were of great comfort. A senior citizen jazz band was playing in the cool shade of the garden. Mom picked her seat just in time to take in the music. Andrew and I took off to explore the grounds.

We found the museum and watched a short video on the history of the Locks, as well as playing with some of educational displays. Outside we were lucky enough to see many boats traveling through and maneuvering the locks. We were in awe; it was an engineering miracle at work.

Andrew and I walked a few yards and journeyed underground to view the fish ladder and hundreds of strong salmon traveling up stream.

Mom came out to watch the boats, Andrew joined her and I took pictures of the amazing flowers in the garden. We all loved the Locks!

The slow pace of The Locks was soon put inot high gear as we were to meet my sister Lisa and her family in Issaquah for Mass at 5:30. We left Seattle at 4, hit rush-hour traffic and even got lost! Thankfully, we found the church...with help from Lisa’s husband Jim, and we found a cushy spot in the pew just in time for the reading of the Gospel. Whew!

That evening we ate copious amounts of delicious Mexican food at Si Casa Flores in Issaquah. Lisa, Jim, their two boys; Hank and Byron, and Jim’s mother, Dolores and husband John joined us in the revelry. It was a wonderful dinner with great conversation and yummy entrees. We so enjoyed hearing about the goings on of my nephews, Hank and Byron and catch up with both Lisa and Jim, Dolores and John.

.....in the lobby of Si Casa Flores, as we waited to be seated, I innocently posed a question to Jim that later became a “major” highlight of our trip….