Tag: Olympic Peninsula

The Kinetic Sculpture Parade

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I didn’t travel to Port Townsend this weekend for a parade, in fact, I don’t like parades. I went to PT (Port Townsend for people living on the Olympic Peninsula) for a slice of pizza at Waterfront Pizza. Traveling 20 miles for a slice of pizza might seem a bit odd, but good pizza is not easily found in these parts, and there is always something to be seen in PT on the weekend: a super farmer’s market, movies at the Rose Theater, used books at William James, The Writer’s Workshop, and coffee in the Underground. So when my wife and I set out for PT we didn’t have a plan in mind other than grabbing a couple slices and wandering around the downtown. The drive to PT is beautiful, if you live in another part of the world, stay there. You can come to visit, but let’s keep my part of the world the way it is. The striking blue harbors, the colorful deciduous trees, and the evergreen covered mountainsides are just a few of the visual highlights of a trip to PT.

When we arrived in PT I knew something weird was going on, or something typically PT, I saw a man pedaling a canoe down the road. That’s right pedaling, not paddling.

A kinetic sculpture is a human-powered machine that can move on both land and water. I don’t know who invented the parade or if there are more kinetic sculpture parades in the world, all I know is that there is one in PT and I saw it this weekend.

My vantage point looking south on Water Street.

Not a beauty, but it worked.

There were about 10 people in this one.

I was a little worried about this little kid. That sculpture does not look like a floater.

Road Warrior fans will remember this one: Humongous.

The fluffy animals attached to the front were not injured in the process of taking these pictures.

The crew did not go bare buns, but it was warm enough if they had decided to let it all hang out.

The canoe with wheels. The US Navy might want to consider this mode of transportation for the Seals.

The first sign of the apocalypse: The aporkalypse breaks down during the parade.

Like a car show, but with old hippies.

The crowd waits for the sculptures to dance in the water. We decided this was the perfect time to get our slice of pizza. We did hear sirens later, so hopefully no one was hurt. The pizza was good.

The farmers market in the Uptown area of PT.

Two slices of pizza and a pie? Yep, blackberry and it was delicious. I did have to park at least two blocks away, so I got my exercise for the day done also.

PT on a Fall weekend is a pretty good place to visit and the Olympic Peninsula is a great place to live, but only move here if you fit in with the PT town motto: We’re all here, because we’re not all here.

Seattle and Sunshine

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There is a common perception that it rains a great deal in Seattle. Does it rain in Seattle? Yes. Does it rain as much as people think it does? No, but if you were to visit Seattle for a week there is a pretty good chance you would get wet at some point.

When I travel and people ask me, “Where are you from?” I always answer, “Seattle.” It simplifies my life. I can’t tell most people I am from Washington, because everyone always assumes that I am speaking of Washington DC. If I say I live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, I get a lot of blank looks, so I just cut the chitter-chatter and say I am from Seattle. It isn’t like I am forming life-long friendships so a little white lie isn’t going to hurt.

Last summer I was in City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco and an older couple approached me for directions. I don’t know if I looked like I knew where Chinatown was but I noticed they had one of those unfortunate accents that can only be described as a drawl. I asked where they were from and they said, “Tennessee,” rather more proudly than anyone should. (Okay, I have never been to the American South and I know people don’t run around eating possum every night, but I need to keep my preconceived notions about the groin of the Bible Belt.) The folks from Tennessee folks asked where I lived and when I told them Seattle, their first reaction was to comment on how much it rains there. I got a bit defensive and wanted to say, “At least our hillbillies wear shirts,” but instead I explained that it doesn’t rain that much in Seattle and that our sunshine is epic. I also told them I can go a whole year without turning on air conditioning in my house. My comments had the desired effect; living in a place that is beautiful and temperate should be envied.

Summers in the Pacific Northwest are nearly unmatched in the quality of life: Long days, mild temperatures, and sunshine.

This weekend we had a taste of the upcoming summer and no city loves its sunshine like Seattle.

Sunshine brings the pale hoards into the light and on to the city's green spaces.

A picture of tourists taking pictures of the original Starbucks.

North overlooking the Puget Sound.

Is Seattle a great city to visit? Yep. Is it going to rain when you visit? There is about a 70% chance during the winter and a 20% during the summer. If you are afraid of the rain then I suggest you go someplace like Las Vegas where you can stay inside the whole time, but if you love the outdoors and all the beauty of the ocean and mountains Seattle is best city in the world.

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