Touring

COMPANY: Today we had some special visitors - Grandad and LaRayne came up from Portland to see Seattle sites and visit with us!

Last night the family enjoyed dinner at Maggie Bluffs, along the shore of Puget Sound. This morning it was off to the ever-popular Hiram Chittenden Locks. It was a dark and dreary Monday morning, so there weren't a whole lot of people around - but there were more fish than we've ever seen before!

We could, of course, see them in the underwater viewing windows. But for the first time we could also see them while standing above water, on the dam, swimming in a huge school. Very cool!

The tide was really low this morning during our visit. That allowed us to see this HUGE jellyfish (the size of a large pizza) that was clinging to some rocks.

At first CJ and Annabelle were too afraid to approach it, but eventually they worked up the gumption to go check it out up close.

After the locks, it was on to a stroll through an outdoor art museum.

ON THE WATERFRONT: The Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park is a must-see for Seattle visitors (and area residents!) The setting offers sweeping views of Puget Sound as well as Belltown's highrises and peekaboo looks of the Space Needle and World's Fair Pavilion.
This is our second trip to the park and the kids love climbing around on the the eyeball sculptures that double as outdoor seating.
After the eyes (along Alaskan Way), we meandered up the path to the other sculptures, including perhaps the showiest of all - Eagle (1971, painted steel, by Alexander Calder, an American artist 1898-1976).
The kids love playing tag under and around this particular sculpture.

Just past Eagle, we noticed in swath of grass and wildflowers between the path and the railroad tracks what looked to be some furniture and appliances dumped. How rude! Who the hell would dump their cast off household goods there? And why would you go to so much trouble to haul your unwanteds there? Ridiculous! Oh. Wait. Maybe it's an installation ...

Sure 'nuff. ...

Upon closer examination, the sculptures were made of wood. The all wood retro stereo console, especially, looked like hours and hours of work - the attention to detail was fantastic. As it turns out, the "stereo" and washer & dryer are part of a temporary installation for the summertime.

Interestingly enough, later on our tour, we came across a patch of wildflowers that looked like it had been part of a brush fire. The grasses in the swath were pitch black and looked scorched, but the flowers were healthy and vibrant. Turns out the black was paint - and the area was part of the same summertime art show. It's was work of Andrew Dadson.

Realizing full well that today's entry is mostly a photo diary, I'll close out with a couple of other photos from the sculpture park. Tomorrow, we'll hit the books. Or at least A book. Probably. :)