Happy 40th Anniversary Cruises

September 12th, 2015 is Patty and my 40th Anniversary! We have decided to do two cruises this year to celebrate.

1. Alaska ... August 30 - September 6
2. Caribbean .. November 22 - December 6

We parked our rig in Acton at Soledad Canyon Thousand Trails and had Super Shuttle pick us up early August 27th and take us to LAX. We flew this time on Alaskan Airlines as it had a non-stop to Seattle where our Holland American Amsterdam ship is sailing from.

Mt. Rainier

We are staying for 3 days in Seattle to do a little sightseeing. We booked the Mozart Guest House Bed and Breakfast in the Capital Hill District.

Mozart Guest House

The owner was a nice Russian lady named Tina that made amazing home made croissants. Breakfast was always good with sausage, eggs, juices, etc.... Much nicer then staying in a hotel!

Bedroom

I booked a tour of Seattle on Segway's. This is a great way to do a tour. We did about 5 miles in about two hours. We went by the space needle (which you can see in the background), along the cruise docks, Pike's Market and up and down some big hills. It is really a cool way to see a tour if you ever get the chance.

Riding Segways

I've been asked if it is easy to ride a Segway. Computers, sensors, and electric motors in the base of the Segway keep the device upright when powered on with balancing enabled. The rider commands the Segway to go forward or backward by shifting their weight forward or backward on the platform. The Segway uses gyroscopic sensors and accelerometer-based leveling sensors to detect the resulting changes in its pitch angle and, to maintain balance, it drives its wheels forward or backward as needed to return its pitch to upright. 

In the process, the rider establishes and then maintains a desired speed by modulating the extent and duration of their fore/aft weight shifts. To turn and steer, the rider shifts the handlebar to the left or right. The Segway responds by adjusting the speeds of the wheels in opposite directions causing the Segway to yaw and, if not traveling forward or backward, turn in place. At speed, the amount of shift of the handlebar corresponds to the amount of left or right lean required by the rider to balance themselves on the platform during a turn. 

What I find is that if you try to balance it, the gyroscopes fight you and you look like a dork moving back and forth and eventually you will get thrown off. If you just stand on it and let it balance itself you will do fine! It really is a blast!!

Miners Landing

Patty wanted to do the Ride the Ducks tour.

Ride the Ducks

This is the amphibious vehicle that tours Seattle and then drives into Lake Union. The Ducks are former military vehicles and stand for DUKW coming from the model naming terminology used by GMC:

"D", designed in 1942

DUKW

"U", "utility"

"K", all-wheel drive

"W", dual rear axles

Getting ready for our ride.

Ride the Duck

The Duck enters Lake Union

Going Swimming

You can see the Space Needle in the distance. The middle of this lake is also a runway as there were float planes landing and taking off as we were navigating the waters.

Lake Union

People live in these "Houseboats" on the shore. One of them was in the movie Sleeping in Seattle.

Houseboat Homes

We also did the Seattle Underground Tour. Like Sacramento the town was getting flooded out because it was built below sea level. The built the streets up and the second stories of buildings became the first floors.

Seattle Underground

There are a couple tour companies that take you into the old original "Ground" Floors of old Seattle. It reminded us a lot of the Sacramento tours. 

Underground

If you go to Seattle you need to go to the Pikes Public Market. 

Pikes Public Market

This is where they have the world famous Pikes Fish Market where they throw the fish.

Pikes Fish

This guy looks like he is dressed in a costume, he couldn't have looked more perfect for a fish market! LOL!!!

Who want's a fish???

The fish were expensive. You would pick out a fish to purchase. They were sitting on ice. He would then pick it up for you and then throw it to the guy who would wrap it up for you.

Throw the Fish!!

The ORIGINAL Starbucks is in Pikes Market Place. We saw it when we came by on the Segways, but because the Market Place is so busy we just couldn't go in very far on the Segways, so we came back and walked in.

Original Starbucks

Although the coffee is the same everywhere because this is the first and original Starbucks there is always a line here! Kind of funny and worth taking a picture of it! 

Hey look at me mom, I'm one of the cool kids! LOL!!

Starbucks Line

Well that's it for Seattle,

Please continue to pray for Avery Huffman. 

BTW, Good News on that front, Her latest MRI shows that the tumor has shrunk 30%!!!! That is awesome!! Prayer works! Keep praying for her miracle!

God Bless you,

Brian and Patty