Where In The World Is Sum1?

Shelton Washington

Date: Week of June 20th

Locale:  Shelton Washington

         The Washington State Department of Corrections was my customer for this week.  The class was held at a prison in Shelton Washington, but since there's not much in the way of accommodations there, we stayed in Olympia.  We, in that the technicians I taught were from prisons around the state.  Fortunately, this prison didn't want me either, and let me leave at the end of class. 


         There are three places I really love, and would love to live in each.  Unfortunately, life has me living in Chicago.  That makes any visit to these three places special.  The Puget Sound area of Washington is one of the three.

         After arriving very early Saturday morning, June 18th, I slept in a little bit.  By 10am, I was at the Pike Place market.  This is a place you have to see should you visit Seattle.  Many of you have probably seen this on the food channel, and watched as the hawkers throw large Salmon to each other.  While that may receive the most attention from the media, walking the whole market and seeing what all is there is a treat.  I saw a couple singing in one area; he played banjo while she played a wash tub bass.  I was amazed at her instrument, because it was a single string device, a piece of twine tied to a pole, and nailed to the center of the upside down wash tub.  I could not determine how she was changing the note as she played along, so had to Google it.  Apparently, she changed the tension on the twine by moving it slightly, therefore changing the pitch as she strummed it.  Unfortunately, you can't hear the bass well in the video I recorded.

         The next day, I rode the ferry from Seattle to Winslow (Bainbridge Island), and drove around the area I knew well 20 years ago.  I managed to find a store that sold a wine I love, and had to get a bottle of it.  If you enjoy white wine, see if you can have a bottle of Ferry Boat White, from the Bainbridge Island Winery sent to you.  You will not be disappointed.  I crossed the Hood Canal bridge and thought about going to Port Townsend, but decided it would take too long, and cause me to arrive at the hotel in Olympia later than I wanted.  But I did get to visit Port Ludlow briefly.  What a quaint, beautiful village nestled on the west side of the Hood Canal!  Here's a small photo of the local marina there.

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http://visitjeffersoncountywa.com/port-ludlow

         I chose to drive along the west side of Hood Canal to get to Olympia.  It's a route I've never taken, and thought I'd just explore a little.  As you know, it rains a lot in the Puget Sound area, but this day was sunny, and beautiful out.  I even found a boat I wanted to buy!  It's a bit of a 'fixer upper', so need a few volunteers to provide assistance and expertise.

         Class ended on Thursday afternoon, so Friday morning I drove up to Seattle to explore a little more.  I spent some time at the Seattle Aquarium before having dinner at The Crab Pot on the waterfront.  I really enjoyed my time there, and captured a decent video of a large octopus in one of the large tanks.  If you visit Seattle, you have to eat seafood while there, I think I had all the seafood I could see.  Well heck, I do that all the time though.  I seefood, I eat it. 

http://www.thecrabpotseattle.com/

         No pictures of a visit to Seattle would be complete without shots of the Space Needle.  Being a huge Seahawks fan, I decided to combine Seahawks and the Space Needle when I saw this model at the waterfront.

         Well, I finally had to leave of course.  My next travels will find me in Connecticut, before finally returning to Chicago for a few weeks.  No rest though; I have a new course to qualify on.  It may result in going to California several times to deliver it.