Trip Dates: August 5-7, 2026
Watching a major league baseball game is a great way to spend a day or evening; add a train trip and you’ve got yourself a good time. Unfortunately , the train part fell apart but we still had a great time in Seattle. A couple of days before we were scheduled to start our the Centennial Mills building just north of Union Station caught on fire. The fire was put out but the building and the water tower on the top of the building was at risk of collapsing on trains passing along the base. So Amtrak cancelled all trains between Portland and Seattle. No way were we going to spend time on the bus they offered; so we drove.
We booked tickets to two games: a Wednesday night game and a Thursday day game. We stay at a hotel on the south end of the Seattle Waterfront Park which is a one mile walk to the game at T-Mobile Park. There is a fun festival air as you pass by the football stadium with music, plenty of food trucks, and souvenirs. The worst part of the experience is 40,000+ people have to pass through 3 gates to gain entry; meaning long lines.
We had seats in row 5 down the third base line; just a bit farther past the infield than we had in last year’s trip. After settling into our seats and enjoying hot dogs and beer I grabbed a picture of the unwashed right fields bleachers.
Our youngest son and family joined us and Jurgen and Cornelius were having a good time.
The Mainers held on for 4-2 victory thanks in large part to left fielder Randy Arozarena. He prevented one – and maybe two runs. First he fired a laser to the third base man to tag out a player at third trying to take an extra base. He later stole a home run with a grab above the left field wall. Then he started a two out rally in the sixth with a screaming double. Two batters later Julio Rodriguez hammered a three run home run which would prove enough for the win.
Andrew, Henriët and the boys headed up to Pike Market Place the next morning. We woke up a bit later and then headed up the hill to catch up with them.
We had lunch on the waterfront then went back to the hotel for a brief rest before heading out for afternoon fun. Henriët and Carla went out touristing while the guys went to the day game. My older sister is up in the North West from Texas for her youngest son’s wedding at the end of the month. She rode up to Seattle with us and stayed with her older son who lives in Seattle. When he and his kids found out we were going to a game they bought tickets in our same section. The people in front of them didn’t show up so we got to sit with them and visit. Luckily we got a shot of the two of us. I don’t get to see either of my sisters very often but we’ll all be together for the wedding fun at the end of the month.
We were going to have dinner with the whole group but life got in the way. After a bit of rest we headed back down to the awesome Seattle waterfront for dinner and touristing.
The kids wanted to ride The Seattle Great Wheel at Pier 57 (Miner’s Landing). I try to keep away from heights so stayed on solid ground to witness, them.
There they are up near the top.
It looks tilted here and did IRL as well. But I don’t think it is; maybe is just that it isn’t parallel to the pier.
It’s been a bad summer for wildfires in Oregon. For a while most of the smoke blew east to cover Boise and surrounding area with a think blanket (sorry eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho). Interstate 84 was closed between Baker City and Ontario, Oregon for a few days. Earlier in the week the wind shifted and we got our share of smoke. The only good thing is the sunsets are pretty. Although the smoke obscured the Olympic mountains west of Seattle, the sun silhouetted one of the Olympic peaks as it dipped beyond the horizon.
On the way back down the waterfront we passed a sculpture that had got my eye earlier. “Family” by the Puyallup artist Qwalsius-Shaun Peterson is made from cedar. According to this article they “represent a mother, father, and child… and remind us that the Seattle waterfront is located on Coast Salsih homelands.”
The artist is quoted as saying
The intent of this work is to look beyond what differences there may be. They are not totems they are not welcome figures. They are a sculpture form not many have witness of. They are here now and an extension of my understand where form can new what the observer needs to see. Figures looking over the water.
Qwalsius-Shaun Peterson in Art Beat Seattle
Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream shop is on the waterfront close to where the ferries dock and across Highway 99 from our hotel. We stopped here twice for ice cream. Sure it was late; and the line, as usual, was long; but we wanted ice cream. I highly recommend the place.
After breakfast Friday morning we hit the road and headed back home. This was a wonderful quick getaway.
