Space Needle and Chihuly Garden Glass

The main event in Seattle seems to be the Space Needle.  You can ride up to the top and see some of the best views in the city!

We went at sunset, so we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy the different scenery during day and night! Just below the Space Needle is a beautiful Garden made of glass work by Dale Chihuly.

We also got to see the lovely International Fountain while we waited for the evening garden lights to come on.

The sun went down as we walked back to the garden, and the glass began to illuminate.  What a beautiful way to end our trip in Seattle!

 

Goodnight Seattle! 

~ Mr. Bear

 

 

Distillery Tour and International Market

We wanted to check out some of the local claims to fame, so we went on a distillery tour.  Seattle has the most distilleries of any city in the U.S.  Even though I was not old enough in bear years to be able to drink, it was a very interesting tour, and my friends enjoyed the samples!

Three Howls Distillery was our first stop… They have excellent smooth liquors, and even some flavored vodkas, including rosemary, blood orange, and a banana foster.

Next stop was Letterpress, and their specialty is their vodka and Limoncello…

  

Last stop on the tour was 2 Bar… They make their own version of Moonshine.

  

We took it easy after the tour, and planned some leisurely activities for the next day.  We did some shopping in the International Market, after a sushi lunch.

I even found some really cute bear souvenirs!

~ Mr. Bear

 

Bridges and Trolls and Bears… Oh My!

We went exploring the Fremont area next. To get there we had to cross a drawbridge, but we had to wait for some boats to cross underneath first.  The road lifted in front of us and everyone watched as the boats sailed through.  Then the bridge lowered again and we were able to cross and be on our way.

 

 

We heard that a giant troll lived underneath the bigger bridge that we saw.  We walked to Troll Avenue and then made our way to the start of the bridge.  As the bridge met the ground, there he was! We were glad we were walking rather than driving, because this troll grasped an old car in his clutches.

  

We made another visit to the Market at the end of the day, since this bear had tired paws and a sweet tooth.  I passed by the original Starbucks, but the line was so long and I decided to scope out something sweeter.  An old bear invited us into the Rocky Mountain chocolate shop.

 

In fact, that bear might have been a bit too sweet!  In the end, we had some pizza from Serious Pie and called it a night!

~ Mr. Bear

 

Adventure by the Sea!

We did some more exploring in the West Seattle and Fremont neighborhoods.  To get to West Seattle, we took a water taxi and saw some great views of Puget Sound, and the Seattle skyline.

  

 

After some shopping in West Seattle, we decided to find some seafood for dinner. We walked along Miner’s Landing and found a Fisherman’s Restaurant where we dined on clam chowder, steamed mussels, and stuffed prawns. We were stuffed ourselves, so we might have thrown a few scraps to a hungry feathered friend.

As the lights came on the Seattle Great Wheel, and the sun began to set, we finished our adventure for the day.

~ Mr. Bear

 

Seattle! Back on the West coast again!

First stop in Seattle has to be The Market!!  You cannot visit Seattle and not check out this place!

 Contrary to what you may have heard about this city, the weather was lovely and sunny, so we took a nice walk towards Puget Sound.

We enjoyed a fresh salmon lox bagel for breakfast, while looking out over the sound.  You never want to shop hungry, so I made sure to get some fresh seafood in my bear belly before all the walking and browsing.

 

There are so many fresh things to be found in the market.  Rows of bright flowers, fresh samples of ripe veggies and fruit, even artwork from the locals.  One of the best things to find that close to the water is of course, the seafood!

 

There are several places in the market to find fresh fish, but the best place to be entertained by wild fisherman is Pike Place Fish.  You can stand by and wait for a fish order comes in, and then watch as they fling huge fish across the counter.  They have become famous for this method of preparing fish for their customers, and they obviously have a lot of fun in their jobs!  They play around as they work and thrill the customers with every fish toss.  They even have a scary monk fish attached to a chain (which isn’t visible under the ice) that they pull to make him jump, and often yell and scare whoever is closest.  I saw a poor little girl get terrified as she got close to inspect the ugly fish and it jumped unexpectedly.  They certainly enjoy their jobs and have fun with their fans!

We stopped and had some ginger beer floats at Rachel’s Ginger Beer… mine was blood orange flavor and was so refreshing!  Once we sat and got off of our feet for a few minutes, it was hard to get back on them.  We decided it was best to do one last walk through for the day to grab some things for dinner, and then head back to the hotel.  Our haul for the day included fresh bread, salami and cheeses, some wine, and some fresh white peaches.  Yum!!  

  

As we left the market to head back, we came across the often talked about, gum wall.  It was artistic and kind of disgusting all at the same time.  You can see the work of visitors from years and years passing through and contributing their own piece to the Seattle landmark.  Some were even crafty enough to spell out messages, or hang business cards.  I found it quite a challenge to find one small space to sit which I wouldn’t stick to!  I managed to get a photo, but then decided there were too many bees floating around for my taste.

 

There is way too much goodness to enjoy from the market in one day, so I will definitely have to go back again before this trip is over.  More tomorrow 🙂

~ Mr. Bear

 

San Fran: Sightseeing Day!

The Palace of Fine Arts, which was a popular spot for photos that day, was our first sight of the day.  There were a few brides and grooms getting their pictures with the beautiful structures in the background.  Swans and a fountain in a beautiful pond, along with the perfect weather, provided such a peaceful place to walk around.

The Golden Gate Bridge is as beautiful and breathtaking as expected.  A nice walk along the beach takes you right to it, dogs run along and play with the giant bridge in the background watching over them.  They say that workers are constantly paining the bridge red, and when they finally finish, it is time to repaint again.  It was a cloudy day and the red bridge stood out from the clouds.

At the base of one end of the bridge is Fort Point.  Fort Point was built in the 1800s to protect San Francisco.  No ship ever tried to get past it and during WWII, it was used to guard against a Japanese invasion.  Now, it is a national park and guest can climb to the top for amazing views of the bridge, the beach, and the city.  It was nice and windy at the top and there you could really take in the enormous size of it.

After the climb on the bridge, we drove across into the city of Sausalito and then turned around and drove back.  It really is a magnificent bridge and the biggest I have ever seen!  After a coffee at Ritual coffee shop and a bit to eat with friends, it was time to say goodnight to San Francisco!

Until next time!

~ Mr. Bear

 

Chinatown & Cable Cars

For dinner, I knew I wanted to check out Chinatown.  I asked the lady at the hotel what the best way to get there would be and she said I could try the cable car.  I walked down to the station and got my ticket and waited for the next one to arrive.  When it pulled up to load the passengers, the car filled up fast and I didn’t see a seat left for me.  The ticket taker told me to go to the other side with the other people.  When I went to the outside, I noticed the people just grabbing on to the poles and hanging off the side.  Was this really a way to travel?  I followed their lead and found a good spot to squeeze in and hold on. Wheeeee! We went up and down the crazy San Francisco hilly roads and “ding ding” along the way.  Then the driver grabbed the huge lever that operated the brakes and leaned his strength and the car came to a stop when he yelled, “Chinatown!”  This was the stop, and with a hop, we were off.

I heard about a place called Empress of China that I wanted to try. When I found the sign and went in, I was confused at first since I saw no tables or anyone to greet me.  Then I noticed an elevator and a sign that said to go to the 6th floor, so I did.  one the 6th floor, the doors opened and a lovely restaurant appeared.  There was a nice view of the city from this height and very yummy recommendations from the waiter.  The tea was flowing and the fortune cookies were made fresh.

It was pouring rain when I started to head back, and the cable car had stopped working, so I took a bus instead.  There are plenty of ways to get around San Francisco.

~ Mr. Bear

 

Pier 39

In the morning, I was feeling hungry and thought I would head out towards the piers to find something to snack on while I continued sight seeing.  The popular Boudin (Bo-deen) Bakery is located just near Pier 39 and they are known for making San Francisco sourdough breads.  I went in to the bakery and there were bakers baking away and loaves of bread dancing above my head in baskets just floating along on conveyor belts.  The smell was warm and toasty and I knew I had to have a taste.  I was up at the counter getting ready to place my order for a bread bowl filled with clam chowder, when I looked up and noticed a friend in distress.  Not only did they have loaves of bread, but they had BEARS of bread!  Was this friendly looking fellow on the shelf meant to be ordered and eaten?  He looked such a warm golden brown and had a permanent smile on his face… I had to rescue him.  I placed my order for my lunch, but also told the bread man I would be taking a teddy bear bread “to go.”  This bear didn’t say much, but I knew he appreciated coming along for my adventures that day.

Pier 39 is also home to some local, very vocal, inhabitants.  There is a line of docks that seems to be a favorite hangout spot for a large group of sea lions.  They argue and make a big scene all day and get tons of attention from the tourists.  From what I could tell, they don’t actually do much but make noise and entertain the people with their rolling around and groaning.  We watched them laze around for a bit and then noticed a nearby island that was home to Alcatraz.

Alcatraz is no longer an active prison, but was once home to some of the most notorious criminals.  Now it is open for tours, but there is such a demand for tickets that you have to order them months in advance.  Unfortunately, they did not even have a special ticket reserved for bears, so I wasn’t able to go inside.

After walking around the shops at the pier and even admiring the gigantic Christmas tree standing by ready for the lighting, my new friend and I returned to the room for a quick bear nap before dinner.

~ Mr. Bear

 

San Francisco!

I made it to San Francisco!  I have always wanted to visit this city!

The first day of the trip, I took it easy since it was a long flight and I was feeling a bit jet lagged.  I made a short stop in Union Square where the decorations for Christmas were going up and the shopping rush was starting.  Union Square is full of high end shops and and busy streets.  There was a huge Christmas tree in the center and an ice skating rink.  It was interesting to feel 65 degree weather and see ice skaters, while surrounded by palm trees and one giant Christmas tree.  I felt the spirit of Christmas, or some strange presence was watching over me.

For some souvenir browsing, I headed to Fisherman’s Wharf, where I would be staying for my trip.  The best shop to pickup souvenirs was at Ghiradelli Square, where the chocolate is flowing!  So much chocolate, it was hard to pick just a few to take home with me… mmm!  After browsing the chocolates, and even sampling a few, I was starving for dinner.

I was told that dungoness crab is the food you have to try in San Francisco.  I went to a seafood restaurant near the piers, called Scoma’s, and did just that!

~ Mr. Bear

 

Niagra Falls!!

Niagra Falls is an amazing sight… the rushing waterfalls are just hypnotizing!  We were also able to go underneath through the tunnels and come out of a portal and view the lower part of the falls.  It was very noisy in the portals, demonstrating the massive power of the rushing water.

Leaving Canada to head back home, we stopped for some sweet treats and postcards.  We found a lovely souvenir shop with a big Canadian bear stationed out front, so I knew I would feel right at home.  I handed the cashier my Canadian money and waited patiently for my change.  Then she asked me in a sweet and helpful voice, “Loonies or Toonies?”  I must have looked confused as she repeated the question, but then just handed me a variety of coins.  Then I stood there staring at my paw full of coins and she pointed at each one and named them. The one with a bird, a loon, is called a loony and worth one Canadian Dollar.  Of course the toonie is a two dollar piece.  Canada is certainly different!

This brings my trip to an end and now I am worn out.  Heading to the airport to take a long bear nap on the flight home.  See you next trip! 🙂

~ Mr. Bear