We are off again for a much needed vacation. Its been 27 days since we returned from our BBQ and Baseball Tour so we needed a getaway. That doesn’t count our weekend visit to David, Robyn and the boys for Father’s Day. I rarely post when we visit the boys (I don’t want to bore you with the words of a very proud grandpa) but this visit did provide some great moments. Before we arrived Owen called Patrice to find out when we would be arriving. He left the following message on her voice mail, “Hello, Grandma…. this is Owen…….. your grandson”. This boy likes to be precise. Charlie was not to be outdone. He was talking to Auntie Lindsay and observed, “Auntie Lindsay, you’re pretty small for a grown up.” Charlie also included me in his brutal honesty, “Grandpa, I know you are old because your hair is white.”
Today we left for Seattle to add one more MLB park to our count. Our flight here was very smooth and the Sea-Tac airport was like a dream. We had a relatively short walk from our plane to baggage claim and our luggage was already there and ready for pick up when we arrived. We then caught the shuttle bus for a short ride to the rental car place. Thanks to our friends Bill and Niki in Nashville we decided to use Sixt which is a German company with a small presence in the USA. They quoted me a rate that was significantly less than Hertz so I decided to give them a try. Hertz was going to give me a Toyota but Sixt was renting me a MERCEDES! I knew that had to be too good to be true and sure enough they didn’t have a Mercedes for me so I had to settle for a CADILLAC! See below.
The car is fantastic. It comes equipped with safety features such as lights that warn you of cars in your blind spot when you are changing lanes. It has a rear view camera and will start beeping if you are in danger of hitting another car, wall or person. It also has a navigation system. But most important there are two USB ports to charge both our phones.
We are staying at the Silver Cloud Hotel. This is a chain of 10 hotels all in Washington except for one in Portland which would be in Washington except for the fact it is Oregon. I picked this hotel because it is literally across the street from Safeco Field and rumor has it we will be going to a baseball game there tomorrow. The hotel is a bit pricey but it has something that is hard to beat, amazing location. If you are interested in going to the ballpark you can’t get any better than this.
Upon arrival to the hotel we were told that we had been upgraded to a suite. Upgraded to a suite? On our trips we are very loyal to the Marriott brand and I don’t ever remember them being upgraded to a suite. This is our first time at a Silver Cloud Hotel and already I am trying to find another excuse to travel to Washington. I am convinced they have us mistaken for someone else.
There is also a great bathroom with two showers (one stall and one shower-tub combo). We have complimentary bathrobes, free wifi, a safe and all sorts of little knick knacks to make our stay comfortable.
After relaxing a bit in the hotel Patrice asked “Are you interested in Lox?”. I love lox so I jumped out of bed. The place we were going was called Hiram Chittenden Lox. I have certain rules about eating. For example I never eat a curry dish unless it is at an Indian restaurant. I will not order grits north of the Mason Dixon Line (made that mistake last year). But most important I won’t get bagels and lox unless I see at least one (and preferably two) hunched over Jewish guys behind the counter or the cash register. So I must admit I had some trepidation because Seattle, Washington is not my idea of a haven for Jews and Hiram Chittenden does not sound like a guy who ever studied for his bar mitzvah. Upon arrival to the place I realized I had been tricked. These lox are spelled locks. And they are not the type you eat or use to secure your valuables but rather the type that help boats transfer from one body of water that is either higher or lower than a second body of water (like you find at the Panama Canal). Although my stomach was disappointed I found the experience very interesting. In regards to sea traffic these are some of the busiest locks in the world. They are small so you don’t find ocean liners here but you do see a large number of pleasure boats and smaller commercial craft. It was very interesting to see them in operation and has increased my interest in a trip to Panama.
Tomorrow begins the real reason for this trip. More about that later.
Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings 