AROUND & ABOUT SEATTLE
 |
| Mt. Ranier |
The morning brought a beautiful vista of snowcapped mountains surrounding Seattle on the east. In the far distant, we could see the infamous Mt. Ranier holding court over the skyline. It was a gift to see such beauty on our last day in Seattle. With the rain at bay, A. Paul & I headed out to explore the more distant neighborhoods of Seattle. Our first drive was to Fremont across the Aurora Bridge.
 |
| Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge |
The Fremont district, self-declared as the "center of the universe", is one of Seattle's most eclectic neighborhoods. Up to 1891 when it was annexed to Seattle, Fremont operated as an independent city, which today continues to exert its own identity. The district is often called the "Artists Republic of Fremont" as it hosts numerous public art such as its iconic troll crouched beneath the Aurora Bridge and a controversial statue of Lenin in the heart of its downtown, salvaged in Slovokia by a local resident teaching at the time of the fall of the communist goverment. The Fremont Arts Council hosts several events through the year such as the Summer Solstice Parade and the Troll-a-ween when the Fremont troll mascot is dressed up for the occasion.
We continued our travel eastward to Bellevue, WA, one of the fastest growing cities in Washington. The highway bridge we crossed to Bellevue provided a magnificent view of a monochromatic sky over the water; it was simply stunning.
 |
| downtown Bellevue |
We pulled into Bellevue just in time to catch a bite to eat in downtown and enjoy Bellevues contemporary highrises. Centrally located in Bellevue, is the Bellevue Arts Museum,
www.bellevuearts.org/, emphasizing the arts of Northwest regional artists. Established in 1975, the BAM collections and events continue to expand in its newly built location (2000) in downtown Bellevue.
 |
| Frye Art Museum |
Back in the car, we headed southeast of Seattle downtown to visit the Frye Art Museum. The museum is based on the collection of German/Iowan descendants Charles & Emma Frye. The Fryes founding collection, the only collection viewable during our visit today, consists mostly of 19th-20thc European paintings. The collection is a somewhat young collection with a strong emphasis on rural, figurative & portrait works.
http://www.fryemuseum.org/
After viewing the works at the Frye, A. Paul and I continued southwest towards West Seattle and Alki Beach, a peninsula jutting out in the Puget Sound. Along the way, we passed the ports of Seattle, taking in all the activities and manmade structures of the port. Once at Alki, we were greeted by a cormorant posing for us atop a pylon, illuminated against a backdrop of the Seattle skyline.
We headed back to prepare for our night out at Dimitrou's Jazz Alley, where we had a delicious dinner accompanied by the sounds of the McCoy Tyner Jazz Quintet.
The McCoy Tyner Jazz Quintet featured McCoy Tyner (piano) Bill Frisell (guitar), Gary Bartz (saxophone), John Patitucci (bass), and Herlin Riley (drums). It was a wonderful way to say farwell to Seattle.
Tomorrow, we head out to Sun Valley, Idaho making an overnight stop along the way. We expect to be in Idaho by Sunday, barring any weather delays. Until then we hope you enjoy the images of the day.
We departed Seattle with clear skies and dense, cumulus clouds marking our path across Washington State and into Oregon. The drive was surreal with snow capped mountains, sunlit valleys, glimmering waterways, and colorful patchwork fields. We landed for the night in the historic mining town of Baker City, Oregon, once the largest city between Salt Lake and Portland. The small downtown still emulates its historic past in its old stone buildings. To our surprise, we passed a museum and art center as we entered the town, the latter in what was once a Carnegie Library built in the early 1900s. Tomorrow, we continue our drive over the surrounding mountain range to Sun Valley, Idaho. Until then we leave you with the magnificent drive of the day.
We continued our travel eastward to Bellevue, WA, one of the fastest growing cities in Washington. The highway bridge we crossed to Bellevue provided a magnificent view of a monochromatic sky over the water; it was simply stunning. 
After viewing the works at the Frye, A. Paul and I continued southwest towards West Seattle and Alki Beach, a peninsula jutting out in the Puget Sound. Along the way, we passed the ports of Seattle, taking in all the activities and manmade structures of the port. Once at Alki, we were greeted by a cormorant posing for us atop a pylon, illuminated against a backdrop of the Seattle skyline.
