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Family – Day 3

Thursday, July 15, 2010
Seattle

Another stage in the Tour started the day but just barely. Each day we seem to get to bed later and as a result wake up later. A note about the Tour: Lance Armstrong, who was expected to compete for the win in his last Tour hasn’t been a factor since his wreck leading into the Alps last Sunday, so it’s been a little anticlimactic. It’s still the Tour, but just not what we had hoped for going into it.

Today was yet even a later start than yesterday (noon), but that’s OK, it’s vacation and shouldn’t be stressful right? We spent most of the day at The Museum of Flight near Boeing field. They have an amazing collection of planes and other aeronautical achievements spanning the history of flight, some of which you can go inside (a Concord, an older US 1 presidential plane). It’s pretty cool to be able to walk in and/or around these aircraft – they are such a big part of our industrial & technological history.

After the museum we swung by Costco so everyone could restock for the long drive home home then took 99 along (and above) the waterfront, one of my favorite drives because of the views of the city and Elliott Bay.

After a short stop at the house we went to Golden Gardens beach for some last minute fun (kids) and R&R (adults), then home for a pasta dinner gratis Sara.

I wish we had more time together but it is what it is and we’re just glad everyone made the trip up.

Just a warning…there are a lot of photos in this entry!


Museum of Flight

Airpark—


A British Airways Retired Concord


Boeing VC-137B Air Force One [SAM, retired]
Several US Presidents used this plane including Ike, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. By today’s standards, not very cushy but that’s progress.


L to R: Jacob (facing away), Isaac, Heidi, Matt & dad


The original 727 model (yes, I’m old enough to have flown on several of those babies!).


The original 747 (didn’t fly on one of these until this past year though I’m sure it was a much later model)


Some eggs with that ham?


Not to be outdone…


…only to be outdone.


Not exactly what you call ‘lift’…


L to R: dad, Isaac, Dave & Stu


What can I say…I couldn’t resist.


Off to the Great Gallery at break-neck speed…


The Personal Courage Wing from the Airpark (houses the WWI and WWII exhibits)


Pedestrian bridge


Dad and Stu in the elevator up…


L to R: dad, mom, Matt, Mindy, Matie (in front), Tana, Heidi, Em (in front), Rachel, Isaac, Jacob, Stu, Dave



The Great Gallery


I had to take Matt to the airport so he and I blazed through the Great Gallery ahead of everyone else. The Gallery is composed of planes and displays on the ground level and a ‘cloud’ level. A pretty impressive sight and collection of aircraft. Here: Lockheed M-21 Blackbird.


Boeing B&W


Douglas DC-3


Mikoyan-Guervich MiG-21 PFM


McDonnell F-4 Phantom II (one of my favorite fighter jets as a kid)


From the rear…


From the front…


Detail.


And one more for the road (I did say it was my favorite as a kid…).


Lear Fan 2100 & DC 3


Stephens Akro (mounted in a bank turn)


Beach C-45H Expeditor


Northop YF-5A


A look back through the Gallery


Douglas A-4 Skyhawk II (Blue Angels Navy Jet)


Canadair CL-13B Saber


Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15


Aeronca L-3B Grasshopper


Swallow Commercial


Fairchild F24W (Grasshopper in the background)


Stinson SR Reliant


Bowers Fly Baby (yellow, foreground) & Nothrop YF-5A


Closeup of the Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, another of my favorite planes from WW II (Bah, Bah Blacksheep).


Matt saying his goodbyes…


…and an unsuspecting Tana, who doesn’t like her picture taken (gotcha!).


Snapped a shot of this vintage MG on the way back from the airport (Boeing worker’s car).


Resurs 500 Capsule, launched by the former Soviet Union


McDonnell Mercury Capsule Reproduction, Space Pioneer


Boeing Model 40B


Boeing 80A-1


From the front…


DC 3


…another (one of my favorite planes in the gallery)


When I got back from the airport I found several of the family in the 2 flight simulators…this is the peanut gallery (so to speak).


Gavin, Dave and Jacob practicing before going into the simulators.


A view of the western side of the gallery


Curtiss Robin C-1


Cockpit of one of the jets you can sit in (can’t remember what jet). At this point my phone died, so i didn’t get any other photos from the museum. I’ll have to go back for more at some point!



Shots from 99 as we made our way back from Costco to Phinney Ridge.




Golden Gardens Beach


…not really golden or much of a garden, but it’s the closest, nicest beach in this part of town.


While the kids played, we sat or stood around and talked or took pictures…


…while Jacob trolled for any sea life just off shore…the only ‘older’ one brave enough to venture into the frigid water of the Sound.


OK, so Isaac’s eyes are shut, but I still like the shot.


Nice try Jacob, but there aren’t any ‘girls’ here worth impressing…good practice though.


Matie plays on while Em quickly dunks herself in the cold water to rinse off the sand.


While Stu and Zack blissfully play on…


…and mom and dad patiently wait…


…until it’s their turn for a quick dunk to rinse off.


Matie just keeps playing…ah, the blissful life of a kid.


Back at the house, a quick warm up in the hot tub.


Your guess is as good as mine 🙂

Family – Day 2

Wednesday
Seattle

Day 2 with the family in Seattle started for me with an early morning Tour de France stage followed shortly after with a longer-than-expected trip to the bank with dad (Smiths just don’t do many things quickly) after Sara dropped me off at the ‘house’.

Once the family was ready to go (no small task given just 2 bathrooms and 14 people), we headed to the Seattle waterfront for a stroll along the piers and their various quirky shops, street people and tourists (with a few Seattlelites sprinkled in I’m sure).

We then boarded the Spirit of Seattle, an Argosy tour boat, for a 1 hour harbor cruise around Elliott Bay, which is where most of the photos are from below. I had been on it once before about 9 or 10 years ago, but it was still fun and informative and I think the family enjoyed it.

After the cruise Sara took everyone but mom and dad up to Pike’s Market for a run through and I took the folks to our place where they could get off their feet, rest up, see out place and meet Schooner.

A bit later we met back up at a park above our place in Magnolia that overlooks the city for another home-cooked picnic (thanks again to Sara) and some soccer, frisbee and relaxation (at least as much as could be had after a couple of hurried days away from home), and then headed back to the rental house for more hangin out, hot tubbing and conversation.

Thinking at this rate tomorrow will be a bit more ‘slow-paced’ 😉

Family in Town

Tuesday
July 13, 2010
Seattle

My side of the family is in town this week for 3 days (everyone except Matt, Heather and their family) so we have a full week of activities planned. After Sara and I took care of our friends chickens and cats in the morning (first 4 photos are from their garden), we met up with everyone at the rental house and headed over to the Ballard Locks where we watched the Sockeye school in front of the dam, flee from the harbor seals and climb the fish ladders, and then watched a couple of sailboats and a kayak pass through the locks. Perfect temperature, beautiful Seattle day!

We then drove over to Discovery Park where we hooked up with Sara, Matt & Gavin (Sara’s watching them this week). Everyone but mom, dad and I hiked down from the upper parking lot to the beach (we drove and parked at the beach since they couldn’t make the hike) and spent about 45 minutes exploring the beach, tide pools and sand at low tide where we found among other things a large crab and a sea slug (biggest one I’ve seen outside of the aquarium).

Since the day was passing quickly and we started off a bit late, we stopped at the rental house on Phinney Ridge near the zoo, grabbed a quick bite to eat then headed up the hill to the zoo for about 3 1/2 hours.

We ended the day watching the Duck Dodge from Gasworks Park on Lake Union over a picnic of KFC. Given the weather and activity around the park and lake it was quite scenic and picturesque.

A great first day with the family!


Our Friend’s Garden:



The Ballard Locks



Discovery Park



Woodland Park Zoo



Gasworks Park

Schooner’s Personal Space

When Schooner wants something (i.e. attention, solitude, the brush), he lets you know it vocally and/or with distinct body language. If you don’t give it to him, he also lets you know it – he’s a very good communicator. For as aggressive as he can be (sometimes when he’s really mad he’ll chase me down and nip at my leg as I try to leave him alone), he is oddly afraid of any loud sounds or quick movements, including the seagulls as they walk around on our roof.

He was declawed (all 4 feet) by the people who used to own him and their young children used to tease him pretty badly, so he tends to bite when he’s both mad and playful (harder when he’s mad), and uses rapid punches or ‘swats of the paw’ when defensive, which are quite powerful. We love him anyway and we’re slowly gaining more and more of his trust…besides, he feels really bad when he’s gone too far and draws blood.


Letting me know with ‘the look’ while holding my hand down that he doesn’t want me to pet him. Actually, I think he’s just mad at me because I stopped brushing him when he clearly wanted more, so he jumped up on the couch next to me and then gave me attitude when I reached out to him. Very finicky this cat…


I stop petting him but leave my hand on the couch too long…


…and suffer the consequences. He only draws blood if I persist or fight back, but in this case I let him get in his bite without reacting and it’s enough – point made and taken.

Friday’s Trip Home

The cool little brick building across the street from our office has always piqued my interest so today on the way to and from the car (I’ve been driving to work this week since Sara is in SoCal at a wedding) I grabbed some shots. I also sprinkled in some shots from the drive home.


Mini finds a cousin on the way home, only to discover he (she?) comes from the slow side of the family. Shyly, we are compelled to pass at some point…neither of us were made for such a slow stroll home.