Holy Cow! RVs are great, and there is no reason to ever fly. Or I should say there is every reason not to fly. Unfortunately, we did not take the RV, but rather flew to Seattle.
After Wednesday's lovely day of airports and 12-inch wide airplane seats, we finally arrived in Seattle at about 7:30 in the evening - 9:30 Houston time, just 11 hours after leaving home. Then we had the pleasure of waiting around at Hertz while they found a full-size car for us. It was our fault; we only made our reservation a month ago. They were willing to offer us a Mercedes SUV at a mere $18.00 per day more. This was a special deal just for us, or so we were told. We finally made it to our hotel in a Dodge Charger at about 10 o'clock.
We Check Out Boeing
Since Boeing is the largest airplane manufacturer in the world, and since they are headquartered in Seattle, a tour of the plant was definitely in order.
The plant is mammoth - it covers over 98 acres and is the world's largest building by volume. They assemble the 747, 767, 777, and the new 787 all at this facility. The tour costs some money, as Boeing apparently is not making much margin on their planes. But it is worth it.
Absolutely no cameras or electronics are allowed on the tour, so the photo below is bogus. Our photo was taken in front of a green-screen, and then we chose the background we wanted. All very cool. However, this photo could have easily been the real deal. This is what we saw.
Outside the plant it was like a car sales lot, except for airplanes. There were planes lined up one next to another with all sorts of airline names and logos. Each one was in the process of final testing by both Boeing and personnel from the purchasing airline. I took a photo of the line-up, but it really does not do justice to the sight.
Boeing 777 - Put Together Quickly
Just minutes from Boeing's giant facility, is the charming town of Mukilteo and the Mukilteo Light on the shores of Puget Sound. The lighthouse sits beside a ferry which goes across the sound to Whidbey Island. On the other side of the lighthouse is a lovely park which was getting a lot of use when we were there.
A ferry is departs every 15 minutes for Whidbey Island. Each ferry carries in excess of 100 cars along with walk-on commuters. There was a rather nice 35 foot Allegro RV boarding while I was watching. We once took our RV across the Delaware Bay from Cape May, NJ to Lewes DE. It is great fun.
Some Photos of the Mukilteo Waterfront on Puget Sound
There are some things that are almost obligatory on any trip. In New York, it is Times Square; in Philadelphia it is Independence Hall; in San Antonio, the Alamo. Well, in Seattle it is the Space Needle, a symbol of times gone by.
The Space Needle was built for the 1962 Century 21 Exposition (Seattle World's Fair). At 605 feet, it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi. That title did not last long as a mere three years later the Gateway Arch in St. Louis was completed on the west bank of the Mississippi at a height of 630 feet. Alas time marches on, and today the Space Needle is only the seventh tallest building in Seattle.
But Seattle is very proud of their needle. The price for a senior in the off-peak hours is $18, or one buck for every 20 degrees of the full 360 degree view! But it was fun and the view was great. Here's a small slide show tour of our Space Needle experience. Please exit through the gift shop.
A Short Slideshow of the Space Needle and Seattle Center
Sunday morning we hop on the bus that will take us to Vancouver, BC and our berth on the Statendam. We will be under way to Alaska.
Another postcard will come soon. Thanks for visiting.