It’s been more than 12 years since we moved away from the SeaTac area and when we left Margot was only 6 months old. Later, when we PCSed from Fairbanks, Alaska to Sierra Vista, Arizona (goodness, where has the time gone??), we passed through Seattle but only stopped briefly in the University District before quickly hitting the road again. It was a 2 week road trip down the Alcan then the 5 and we were sick, exhausted, and ready to be out of the car permanently; Sally (RIP) and Moose would agree. We were on a mission, and didn’t stop to enjoy the city, which we more than made up for this past December/January when we spent a few days touring the city over New Years with our now 10 & 11 year old kids.

Predictably, we hit up the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Pop Culture, and went on a Harbor Tour. We contributed to the gum wall, and visited bookstores. New to the tourist rotations this time around was a visit to the Volunteer Park Conservatory, a lovely botanical garden boasting desert flora. We ate fish and chips, and used mass transit to get around. Typically, we have a car with us in Seattle, but this time we flew in using soon-to-expire flight vouchers and enjoyed saving money using the Sound Transit system. We genuinely enjoy an over rail or underground ride!

Selecting a hotel with a view of the Space Needle was such a great decision, so thanks, Isaac! We were able to nap before the show, then wake up just before Midnight to watch the drone show and fireworks from the cozy hotel room. Then we watched the crowd dissipate after the show, while remaining thankful that we didn’t have to brave the cold and shoulder our way through the masses.

And a PSA: please don’t ride those electric scooters around town, we saw the aftermath of a nasty accident unfold on the street below. Your brain is important, don’t smash it on the sidewalks of a different city!

Anyway, in late February, I returned to Seattle for the Northwest Conference of Computer Educators, and was able to visit a few more places with my colleagues. H-Mart, Elliott Bay Bookstore, and the Qiao Lin Hotpot. This time my hotel was in the Central Business District, so walking to the Convention Center and nearby Pike Place Market was manageable without mass transit. I took the train from Eugene to Seattle with a co-worker and it was so nice to ride in a spacious cabin where I could work and read comfortably. Carpooling or driving sounded really uncomfortable, and I have no regrets about taking the train, I would highly recommend that for anyone who needs to travel between the Seattle and Los Angeles Corridor, there is a line that runs the entire length.

Seattle X2 for me this year has been great!

And in case anyone was wondering, the Belltown Hellcat was active around 2 am while we were there. If you’re privy, you know that this awful “influencer” drives his obnoxious vehicle with a deleted muffler through Belltown in the middle of the night. He imagines himself a late night legend while he records himself ripping through streets, waking up every resident regularly, then posting to TikTok. I will not dignify his actions with a hyperlink to his socials. I feel terrible for the high rise residents who hear his car muffler cacophony bouncing around the buildings in the middle of the night.

My mind ruminated on city life the entire time we were there. I came to appreciate our lifestyle of living in mid-sized cities close enough in proximity to metro areas to enjoy the entertainment and food, but far enough to avoid some of the the sticky sides of full time metro living.

In the end, I was able to appreciate the Seattle cityscape as it was, and as it is.