Rodney Dodig

I had a great time in the Seattly/Tacoma area of Washington visiting my friends May 7 – May 12, 2008. They sure showed me as much of the area as they could while I was there. It was up early every morning, eat a nice breakfast and then off to visit all the great tourist sites. After arriving on Wednesday, Dale picked me up at the airport and drove me out to their small ranch (the Coyote something) so I could freshen up after my plane trip. After a quick tour of the property he took me to one of the local wineries on the coast. We sampled some excellent local wine, bought a bottle for dinner that evening and had lunch at a sea side resturant. I took a lot of photos of the coast (the Hood Canal) while we drove the winding road. The flowers were just past their peak and beautiful and when the clouds cleared and the mountains peaked through it was just spectacular. Returning home, we enjoyed a nice dinner at home with a bottle of wine. Then it was off to bed for me to get ready for the next day.

The next day it was up early some breakfast aand off to Seattle to see the sights. Our first stop was at the Space Needle and the gounds for the Worlds Fair. It was a beautiful sight and there were lots of remnants of the Worlds Fair still in existance. We wandered through the grounds admiring the wonderful architecture and gardens. The Rock and Roll Museum was a magnificent structure. The colors reflected from the building materials, the shapes and sounds made it a truly unique experience. Afterwards we rode up into the Needle to view the City from on high. Their were spectacular views of all parts of the city. We sat for awhile and enjoyed a good cup of coffee and just admired the view. Afterwards it was off to the Chinatown area for lunch. We ate at a wonderful Chinese Resturant. the Dip Sung was fantastic. Then it was off to a Tea Shop to sample some very nice teas that had been imported from the orient. Quite delicious and the proprietress was a pleasure to chat with.

Full of tea and energy it was ff to Pike’s Market to see and smell the sights. There were rows upon rows of beautiful flowers of all colors and types. Fruit of every variety and seafood galore at every turn as we walked the aisles. It was an assault on all our senses.

After an exhausting day walking all over Seattle we returned to the ranch for some rest, dinner and a good night’s sleep before tackling another full day on the run.

The next morning we were up early for a good breakfast and another day of sight seeing. Today Dale and Dean were taking me over the mountains through the only open pass. Another full day of fun times lay before me. We headed out of town and were soon in the foothills of the mountains with beautiful vistas all around. I got to see some spectacular mountain scenery as we drove through the mountains. I love the mountains when they covered in a gleaming white cover of snow. Everything looks so clean and fresh. After an approximate two hours on the road we pulled off to see Snoqualmie Falls and the beautiful resort built at the top. For those of you who are fans, this was the opening shot for the TV show “Twin Peaks”. One of my all time favorites so it was really cool for me to actually see the place the shot parts of the show.

After taking some time to snap a few photos and admire the view it was on to our second stop. This was Roslyn Washington. This town was the spot where another of my all time favorite TV show was filmed. That being “Northern Exposure”. They actually filmed the entire show in this small town and luckily a lot of the places still exist that were in the show. You can still see the Roslyn Cafe, The Brick and the WKRP Radio station. The town itself hasn’t changed much except for a new road to get there. Not a lot of tourists but the ones who were there, came to see the place where Northern Exposure was filmed. From there we went to another town that was built in the Bavarian style and had lots of shops for purchasing sourvineirs. Then we stopped at a local winery where Dale and I sampled the local wines and I bought a few bottles for dinners later on. Then it was time to start the long trip home. We came back throught the mountains as the Sun was setting. It was even more beautiful.

The next day I don’t really remember what we did in the morning. That day was overshadowed by what we did in the evening. Dale and Dean had gotten me us tickets to a Dinner Theater. It is called “Teatro ZinZanni” and they are only located in Seattle and now San Fransisco. What an amazing and delightful experience. The meal is designed by a Top Chef in Seattle and it was delicious. A five course carnival on the taste buds. The show was a combination of Burlesque, Comedy Central, Opera, Regular Theater, Magic and Cirque du Soleil. If you ever have a chance to attend one of these, it gets a five star rating from me. The entertainers were from all parts of the world and quarterly the act and the dinner change. Absolutley Fantastic!!!! Afterwards we went clubbing, which made for a long night.

The nex day after sleeping in, they took me to see the Glass Museum and the water front of Tacoma. I have to admit I was still a little tired so I didn’t get to photograph as much as I would have liked to. The museum was an amazing structure. Very beautiful in it’s own right. We also attended an exhibition of glass blowing while we were there. It gave me an appreciation of how much work goes into a piece. It took almost an hour for 3 people to create a single Martini Glass. This museum is the creation of the artist Chiluly. He is the one who creates those large chandeliers of blown glass. They are truly amazing pieces.

In addition, he created the “Bridge of Glass” which takes you from the main street of Tacoma over to the Glass Museum. The ceiling on part of the bridge is made up of his small to moderate sized pieces. It is so beautiful.

Afterwards we took a drive along the water front and through ne of the parks along the coast. The perfect ending to another perfect day. The next morning it was up early to catch my plane and return home.