This week, I was on a business trip to Seattle. As this was for work, I did not have time to. visit Seatte’s tourist spots but caught a glimpse of the Mt Rainer, the Space Needle and enjoyed some fine Cuisine.
Olympic Mountains
Seattle stands between two mountain ranges, the Olympic and the Cascades. From atop its high rises I had the luxury of viewing the Olympic Mountains that stood majestically next to the Pacific. They looked gigantic even though they were a 100 miles away.
One thing that struck me as I was walking in downtown, is that except for the restaurants and a Walgreen’s, most of the stores close by 6PM.
Olympic Mountains. (2023, July 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Mountains
Mt. Rainier
This week, I was on a business trip to Seattle. Seen here is a picture of Mt. Rainier, the highest peak in the Cascade Range. It stands majestically as a backdrop to Seattle’s skyline It was the venue of the first UFO sighting. Apparently, the person who saw the UFO in 1948 refered to what he saw as a ‘Flying Saucer’ and hence the name. UFO sightings still happen here, though not as many as in Shasta.
Caleb Riston, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bill Gates’ famous abode is a wooden house along the shoreline
Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fairmont Olympic Hotel
The Fairmont hotel was my temporary home with a beautiful lobby and room. I caught a glimpse of the farmers market, a tourist favorite, as it was only a few blocks away from where I worked. It is at the heart of the city and is listed.
‘Swanky’, as my colleague, Andy puts it, aptly describes this hotel. The decor is debonair, with posh stores near its entrance and two awesome restaurants inside it. High ceilings and Chandeliers decorate its halls. My room was large with a king size and on a corner giving me a glimpse of two downtown streets. It is close to where I want to work, and thus very convenient.
Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons
Here is the outside view of the hotel.
Supercarwaar, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Here is a look at the hotel’s palacial lobby.
FASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dinners
My colleague and I had dinner twice at the Wild Ginger, an Asian cuisine close to where we worked. I tried the 7 flavored beef and the Penang beef curry, both pretty good.
Mae Phim is a tiny Thai restaurant near the corner of Pine and 2nd, next door to the farmer’s market. It has won several accolades like one of Seattle’s top 10 restaurants and has a Zagat rating(Apparently size does not matter). It is easily one of Seattle’s Hidden Jewels. The decor is ordinary ,the waitresses amicable.
Both times I had dinner there the bill was a under $10 for an entree, ice cream.
The first night I had the Gang Penang Chicken. Despite the word ‘Penang’ in the dish, the dish had a rich Thai flavor. The second time I had the Curry Chiken soup which tasted like a delicious curry one would serve with rice. The soup did have noodles in it and had a rich spicy flavor. Both times I was impressed. I’ll definitely visit it.
Taking the advice of the concierge, I payed a visit to Seattle’s only Indian restaurant, also close to the corner or Pine and 2nd. The decor was the cliched look of an Indian restaurant in the US, the dim lighting, elephants in the tapestry and Mughal paintings on the walls. I tried the Pabla Lamb curry. It was delicious and tender. Well worth the visit.
Seatac
Seattle’s airport SEA-TAC (Seattle – Tacoma) is a city by itself. Once you go past security, you are in the Pacific Marketplace an area of bustling restaurants where travelers with hours to spare, like yours truly, sit and savor the atmosphere or the eateries.
It has a spectacular sound proof gallery where one may sit and watch the flights take off.
I tried a Mahi Mahi fish Taco which costed $4.99. It comes with salsa and tortilla chips and is delicious. The size was a bit small but I’m probably asking for too much at that price.
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. (2023, August 31). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle%E2%80%93Tacoma_International_Airport
Bay Area Bloke 