Today I decided to get a very early start. The line at the first Starbucks always seemed long, so the solution was to get there just as it was opening. It wasn’t far from the hotel and near Pikes Place Market.
the view across from Starbucks inside the first Starbucks inside the first Starbucks
After visiting Starbucks I walked back to the hotel and flew the drone to get some photos and videos of Seattle during the daylight.
Next on the itinerary was to visit a Japanese Garden. It was too far to walk, so I took the public bus. I was sure not to buy the $2.75 ticket until the bus was in view (it is good for 2 hours).
the bus
Once I arrived at the garden it was quite nice except for a couple breaking the rules and having a professional photo session (must be faking a trip to Japan on Instagram because they were only using a phone). Eventually I snuck by the couple holding up everyone and was able to enjoy the garden at my own pace.
I took the bus back to the hotel (it was close, but not in front of the hotel, nothing seems to go to sea level) to drop off the drone before walking to the great wheel. Luckily the bus pass hadn’t expired, so the return trip was free. I took a few more photos along the walk back.
manhole cover
I walked to the great wheel and there was a tremendous queue for tickets. I was starting to get a little worried on time, it was nearly 1:00 PM and I wanted to leave for the airport shortly after 2:00 PM a I was unsure of how long the TSA lines would be. I made a quick decision to purchase the tickets on the app and walked on through to the line to get on the great wheel. I think I probably saved 15 minutes or more buy purchasing the tickets on my phone.
the new ugly building blocks the view of the Space Needle in some positions
I had a comfortable amount of time to return to the hotel and finish packing after the great wheel ride. It was pleasant and a nice view, although with the drone I was able to get similar pictures (without the glare from the windows) and at a higher altitude (wheel is only 175 feet tall).
The Lyft ride to the airport was pretty uneventful. The highways seemed very narrow compared to Houston, which made me feel good that I left well before rush hour started.
I had lunch/dinner at Pei Wei at the airport, it wasn’t great, but I needed to eat something because I wasn’t sure I would get any food on the airplane as I wasn’t upgraded just yet.
I waited patiently at the gate and finally got upgraded minutes before boarding. The flight was slightly delayed, but only by a few minutes.
boarding pass before the upgrade the gate in Seattle delayed! the printed pseudo ticket with my new seat assignment
I didn’t get a window seat, but the captain flew around Mt Rainier on my side. The passenger next to me was nice enough to let me get a couple of photos. It was quite spectacular.
The first class meal was yet another snack box. I was glad to have some food in the airport as this would just not be enough to survive.
Eventually I arrived in Austin and picked up my luggage. I got picked up by the shuttle bus to the parking and started to drive home at about 12:30 AM. I arrived around 3:15 AM as I was taking my time to conserve fuel.
