Seattle was incredible! We stayed at the Executive Pacific Hotel downtown, maybe four or five blocks from the shore and within walking distance of Pike Place Market and the monorail. It was also across the street from the beautiful new Central Library and a block from a Specialty’s bakery – a local chain featuring cookies that just melt in your mouth.

We saw the Space Needle, hit Pike Place Market, and took two tours. The first was the famous Underground Tour through some of the city’s underground passageways. After the big fire that destroyed most of their downtown in the late 1800s, the city built up about 8′ leaving the old sidewalks and storefronts as an underground network of storage and a place for activities they didn’t want going on in broad daylight. The other tour was the SubSeattle (subculture) Tour, run by the same company. We were the only people on it, and our tour guide confessed there hadn’t been much interest. Still, we found it quite enjoyable. It stopped at Kurt Cobain’s old house, and the park next door where people leave messages on a bench as an impromptu memorial. I never got into Nirvana, but I was still moved by fans who made this pilgrimage to scrawl personal notes, song lyrics, and “Fuck Obama”.

The city was a lot cleaner than Chicago, probably because it’s a younger town. It had a coastal vibe, much like San Francisco – beautiful views, hills, friendly people, and a vibrant nightlife. But, there’s one big difference: housing prices. We found we could get a 2 bdrm, 1.5 bath condo in the university district for a little more than we paid for our home in the Chicago suburbs. It’s all theoretical at this point, though. Amy needs to finish school first.

Speaking of school, Amy got an A in chemistry and a B in physics. Be sure to congratulate her. She worked hard!

Shortly before we left Chicago, Amy mentioned being interested in Cory Doctorow’s new book, Little Brother. D’oh! He ha just finished up the Chicago stops on his signing tour a few days before. But, as luck would have it, his last Seattle appearance was the Tuesday we flew into town. I think I got some good husband points for finding that out.