The day began with a tour of the Husebys’ backyard garden. This year’s crop includes rosemary, mint, strawberrys, tyme, chives, oregano and tomatoes. We noticed clumps of white foam on some the plants. It looked like foamy spit balls. With a little online research I found out this is caused by an infestation of spittle bugs. The remedy is relatively easy, and the bugs are largely harmless.
We then headed out toward downtown to the world famous Pike Place Market. We devoured Chinese Hom Baos, curry beef flavored. A Hom Bao is a pastry sandwich with the center of a roll filled with oozy goodness.
Curry beef Hom Bao from Seattle's public market.
A short stroll through the market and along the shoreline concluded with our arrival at the Seattle Aquarium.
The Seattle Aquarium sits right on Puget Sound and Elliott Bay. One of the first things that captured our attention was the feeling tank exhibit. There are two large, short, shallow, open-topped aquariums filled with starfish, coral, rocks and other creatures visitors can touch.
The feel tank at the Seattle Aquarium.
It was surprising to touch what I’m going to call a light purple fingery coral thing because when I made the slightest contact with my finger to one of it’s tentacles it sort of latched onto my fingertip with a barb before quickly retracting in less than a second. The first time you do it, it’s a little shock. But it is harmless, and it was really interesting.
They look soft and smooth, but they're not.
Another creature that was captivating visitors in the same large area as the feel tanks was an octopus in a large cylinder tank. The octopus was very active swimming around, spreading out and curling together again.
An octopus has three hearts in its head.
The Seattle Aquarium has an underwater dome submerged in Puget Sound, so we saw Puget Sound fish in their own habitat, including a large sturgeon fish.
Puget Sound fish in the Seattle Aquarium's fish dome. Two fish enter; one fish leave.
We saw salmon in various stages of their life cycles, playful sea otters, one big seal and scores of other aquatic creatures. There was even Meat Coral, which looks like a pile of ground beef.
Fat seal.
Meat Coral, it's what's for dinner.
The Seattle Aquarium, Puget Sound and me.
After the aquarium we went back to the market and indulged in fish and chips at Jack’s Fish Spot. They were spectacular.
Fish and chips from Jack's Fish Spot.
Then we were off to game one of the Mariners and Cubs series. Safeco Field has an industrial looking retractable roof, and train lines run under the roof to the side of the stadium.
Home of the Mariners.
Our seats were behind home plate, and gave us an excellent view of the game. The Cubs lost 2-0 in a fast-paced game. When Milton Bradley of the Mariners went to bat, loud boos throughout the park recalled his trade from Chicago last year, and his ill-received comments about Chicago.
Cubs and Marines, game one.
After the game we scarfed down two sausages a piece. The street vendors offer two-for-one deals after games. Mmmm.
Our final stop of the evening was Elysion Brewery near the stadium. Here we had cask IPA beers. Cask means they are naturally carbonated by hand, and match the way beer was originally produced.
Cask IPA. Not Miller Lite.
For the day we saw fish, we ate fish, and we watched baseball. Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday.
Copyright 2010
To Seattle From Chicago 