Day 2

Saturday started with a very long walk from the Inn to downtown. A little miscommunication about the buses and we found ourselves walking over 25 blocks to our first destination which we really didn't know when we started out. Adventures are like that, huh? Gotta be ready for anything even with a bum knee.

That destination was none other than the Seattle Central Library. Smile. The building itself is super cool, completely made of glass, 10 floors, and simply beautiful. The internet access area was huge as expected in such a technology-driven community. An unconventional stop, perhaps, but it enabled us to learn a lot about the city. From there, we headed to nearby Pioneer Square and found ourselves at a happening book store called Elliot Bay Book Company. While the Square itself is more business-driven and many of the shops/restaurants were closed since it was Saturday, the bookstore was swarming with browsers. It reminded us of the original Half Price Books in Dallas with lots of levels, stairs, hidden corners, wood floors, exposed brick walls, and a quaint cafe.

Smith Tower was our next stop which uses an original elevator from the early 1900s to take you to the viewing level at the 35th floor. The view of the harbor and downtown was magnificent. We caught a bus from there to a great seafood restaurant McCormick's for a late lunch. Yummy seafood chowder followed by two different fresh fish entrees that we switched in the middle of eating so we both could enjoy the almond-crusted trout and the hickory-planked salmon with berry sauce. Yum!

It might seem strange but going to the theater is rare for us since we started our family, so we hit the 4pm show (Atonement) at Pacific Place before returning to the Inn. After some chill time, we walked about 10 steps to a hamburger joint called Dick's for dinner. It felt like an experience in itself ... prices were cheap, food was greasy, teenagers were plentiful. The french fries (hand-cut fried potatoes) tasted like Fink's from the Ephrata Fair, and the creamy shakes were a perfect way to end our day.