I just returned from a short trip to Seattle and Portland. Just let me say that if there were any way I could get there without having to go through an airport, I would. My mom used to brag about the elegance and luxury of air travel. Well those days are long gone. I came back with scrapes and bruises from all the pushing and shoving and mishandling of baggage from self-centered travelers who can't seem to comprehend the policy of FREE BAG CHECK on Southwest Airlines.
I met Brian in downtown Seattle on Saturday. I really like staying in Pioneer Square, because of it's classic character and it's proximity to the waterfront, Amtrak station, and airport (they have a mass transit train that goes from the airport to a block away from the Pioneer Square Hotel). Brian and I went to dinner and a movie, only a few blocks from the hotel, but Seattle's downtown area is very hilly (the streets are practically vertical), so we really got a workout on our walk over. (Luckily, it was downhill on the way back.) It was very sunny in Seattle - quite a shock, because it's usually gray and rainy this time of year. But it was very, very cold. I know it's January, but I didn't expect it to be in the 20's in the northwest when I left 60° weather in St Louis! Hopefully, it will be warmer when I go back.
