Vandrea Does America: Day 13- Seattle, WA (Columbia tower and Aliki Beach)

Tuesday 7/3/12
Hello Bellevue! This morning we enjoyed waking up to bird calls instead of a police officer banging on our window. Bellevue also showed us a yet untapped resource... malls. Malls are excellent places to camp out next to as they have public bathrooms, are open early for mall walkers and late for department stores. They also don't seem to survey the cars coming and going from their lot. Unfortunately, while ignoring the parking lot, security also ignored our dropped cell phone. Somewhere in a parking spot in the Bellevue mall parking lot sits, I think, our phone. After getting cleaned up we once again took the 550 to Seattle from the Bellevue Park and Ride.

Our first stop was halfway up the Columbia tower. Seattle's Space Needle and Smith Tower are better known, but the Columbia tower is actually the tallest in town. Though we were too early for the 73rd floor viewing we settled for the Starbuck's on the 40th floor. It was amazing to look out over the city and see everything looking like it belongs in a doll house. We had fantastic views and avoided the steep observatory admission prices (Though for the price of a venti carmel mocha whip frap we should have gotten a complementary helicopter tour of the city. We have mostly avoided the ubiquitous coffee chain, but couldn't pass this location up -I).

Next we boarded a water taxi and headed over to West Seattle (only $3.50 and they take the ORCA card). Walking up the ramp from the taxi we spotted giant starfish clinging to the wooden legs of the dock. There was even a very special jellyfish floating around. A Fried Egg jellyfish. If you can see it in the picture you will instantly know how it got its name. We discovered more natural beauty as we waited from the bus. A gaggle of Canadian geese approached including two sweet baby geese. A free DART bus whisked us across town to Aliki beach where we walked along the water and feasted (or at least Isaiah did) at Spud's fish house. Which also happens to be the oldest fastfood restaurant in Seattle. (It wasn't fast, but was much tastier than what's typically designated "fast food". There was a line out the door. The line must explain the restaurants slowness and longevity-I) A miniature statue of Lady Liberty adorns their boardwalk and chances of spotting seals and sometimes whales in the distance. We enjoyed a day as leisurely as Spud's cod fryer and then ended the night slightly outside Bellevue so as not to park in the very same spot every night. -A