"Glass Art in the Northwest" - Day 6

On Friday, October 15th, we viewed a film made in 1962 about the construction of the Space Needle. We rode the monorail to the Seattle Center where we rode the elevator to the top of the Space Needle for a view of the city. Mount Rainier did not make an appearance unfortunately. I located and photographed the Seattle Sacred Heart Church which is a benchmark. I also photographed the labyrinth and the Experience Music Project (EMP).

Afterwards I wandered over to Starbucks where I had a slice of frosted lemon loaf. I walked to the International Fountain where I found the geocache “Under the Needle.” The water was shooting high in the air accompanied by music.

I rode the bus to Fremont. I ate lunch at Starbucks. I walked over to Groundspeak Headquarters arriving at 2:00PM. I left a Geocoin, was given an HQ tag, and purchased two Geocoins – “10 Years Geo Caching” and “Lackeys 2010.” I took my picture in the photo machine. I put one four photo strip on the wall above the reception desk and took the other.

I rode the bus back to Seattle Center, rode the monorail to Westlake Center and then walked to the Red Lion hotel. I picked up my checked suitcase. I walked down to 3rd where I caught a bus to 5th & Jackson.

I got my Business Class seat assignment and checked my suitcase. I boarded the train at 5:00. I had a seatmate, Ann who worked for Bank of America. I told her about Geocaching and Benchmarking and showed my trip photos on the digital camera screen. I got a bowl of Ivar’s Clam Chowder from the Bistro car. I arrived at the Vancouver Amtrak Station about 8:45. It was a fun trip but it was good to be home.

"Glass Art in the Northwest" - Day 5

On Thursday, October 14th, the Road Scholar group traveled 45 minutes south on I-5 by motor coach to spend the day in Tacoma. We visited the Chihuly exhibits at Union Station, the Tacoma Art Museum and the spectacular Chihuly Bridge of Glass and Museum of Glass.

While the group finished touring the Tacoma Art Museum, I walked a couple blocks to a stop where I rode the Tacoma Link light rail to the end of the line at S 9th. I photographed the old Tacoma City Hall. There was a NGS benchmark and a USGS benchmark. I walked back to the S 9th stop and rode light rail to Union Station stop. I walked across the Bridge of Glass where I joined the group at the Museum of Glass. We ate lunch in the Museum of Glass Café.

We saw the Glass Art Exhibits and watched artists blow glass in the hot shop. I watched a short film, The Making of Recycle, about a kid who designed glass art, the recycled robot, and then watched his design crafted in the Glass Hot Shop by professional artists. The Recycled Robot was displayed in the Kids Design Glass gallery, a uniquely MOG exhibition. The kid is given a Recycled Robot also. Tacoma’s Triniti Media filmmakers who created The Making of Recycle won a 2010 Telly Award.

We drove back to the Red Lion hotel about 3:30PM. We met in the hotel lobby about 5:45 to walk to the Pilchuck Glass School auction pieces on display at the The Westin Hotel. The Pilchuck Auction preview was open to the public. I was given a glass of champagne as I entered the room with the Auction Glass Art. There were more than 250 of the “hottest works in glass art by renowned masters and outstanding new talents from around the world.” I found about a half dozen pieces that I liked including a Chihuly, a Singletary and art glass by Mielle Riggie.

Back at the Red Lion hotel we photographed and then bubble wrapped the pieces that we had created at the Pratt Fine Arts Center earlier in the week. Someone won the large purple pumpkin in the drawing. We had dinner at Benihana a couple blocks south of the Red Lion hotel. We had frozen vanilla ice cream for dessert.

"Glass Art in the Northwest" - Day 4

On Wednesday, October 13th, we had a guided tour of the Pilchuck Glass Collection at City Center, the Dale Chihuly chandeliers at Benaroya Hall and The William Travers Gallery. We also visited the Vetri Gallery around the corner.

I walked down to the waterfront to locate and photograph several NGS and USGS benchmarks as well as five National Ocean Service benchmarks. Afterwards I located the Parking Garage with its bright red neon sign "To The Market" near the Pike Place Trolley shelter. I took the garage elevator up to the upper level, walked to the street, turned right for a bit, crossed the street and took the Pike Place elevator located to the left of the stairs to the upper level of Pike Place Market. I had lunch across the street at Starbucks on 1st & Pike.

I went back down to the waterfront reversing the route that I had come up. I found a geocache at a well known sculpture. I walked to Pioneer Square where I found two benchmarks near Prefontaine Park.

I took a bus to Union Street and walked to the Red Lion where I dropped off some things in my hotel room. I walked north a couple blocks and rode the monorail to Seattle Center. I had planned to find a geocache at the International Fountain but there were too many Geomuggles and the benchmark, a gilded cross atop the Sacred Heart Church steeple, was outside the Seattle Center. I wandered around until I came across the Seattle Repertory Theater. I ended up getting a Rush ticket at 7:00PM to “God of Carnage” by French playwright Yasmina Reza who snagged a Tony Award for the play in June 2009. I had a great seat – Section 3, Row D, Seat 3. The play was hilarious!

I rode the monorail to downtown and walked the couple blocks to the hotel. I ate a late dinner at the Elephant & Castle Pub with vanilla ice cream topped with a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

"Glass Art in the Northwest" - Day 3

On Tuesday, October 12th, we visited Olympic Color Rods that sells premiere glass colors and all essential glass blowing supplies to glassmakers from all over the country. We were unable to visit Dale Chihuly’s studio in Ballard after all however we visited two glass artists at their studios: Martin Blank and Preston Singletary. I saw Preston Singletary’s glass art a couple years ago at the William Traver Gallery here in Seattle. I was quite impressed with his blown and sandblasted glass bowls.

We had lunch at Racha. The coconut ice cream was delicious! Afterwards we traveled by yellow school bus to the Seattle Art Museum. This was my first visit to the new wing. We saw the Picasso exhibit which I had seen in Paris at the Musee Picasso a few years ago. Afterwards I wandered through the museum looking at the other exhibits. I found a comfortable chair in front of a video set and took a short nap. I stopped at the Seattle Public Library to check my e-mail. I purchased a book reading yellow duckie. We had dinner at the Red Lion hotel at 6:00. Afterwards we watched a video – “Chihuly and the Masters of Venice.”

"Glass Art in the Northwest" - Day 2

On Monday morning, October 11th we had a short talk about the history of Pike Place Market. We rode a yellow school bus to the Pratt Fine Arts Center to blow glass. We watched the glass blowers make a large purple pumpkin and then we each blew glass mostly making colorful bowls.

We traveled once again on the school bus to the waterfront where we had a delicious lunch at Fishermans Restaurant, Miners Landing at Pier 57. Afterwards we toured a bit of Pike Place Market. We saw the famous Pike Place Market neon sign and clock, Rachel, the life-size bronze pig, the flying fish at Pike Place Fish, an Italian grocery, DeLaurenti, Giant Squid, the Gum Wall, Giant Shoes exhibit, and the original Starbucks with its life-size pig “Pork and Beans” over the doorway. Then we had free time until dinner at the hotel. Patricia and I wandered around looking at the stalls of fresh produce, cut flowers, seafood and crafts and then wandered along Post Alley stopping briefly at a tea shop.

I had a glass of chardonnay wine at the Red Lion lounge at 5:30 where I sat with three other women until time for dinner. After dinner we watched some videos about Seattle. It was much quieter in our hotel room this evening!

"Glass Art in the Northwest" - Day 1

On Sunday, October 10th I traveled on Amtrak Business Class from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. I saw the red lights on the St. Johns Bridge spires when we crossed the Willamette River. We passed through a 1,200-feet tunnel as we left Kelso-Longview. A few miles past Centralia I saw acres of the mysterious Mima Mounds. I saw McNeil Island prison in the distance at Steilacoom. The train passed the tall, elegant Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridges. We traveled under the Bridge of Glass which connects the old Union Station with the Museum of Glass. About ten minutes before reaching Seattle, we passed Boeing field. I arrived at King Street Station about noon. The interior of King Street Station is being renovated and restored to its original beauty.

Seattle was settled in 1852. It was named after a friendly Duwamish Indian Chief, Se’e-aahl (1786-1866). Most of the town burned to the ground in 1889 and determined citizens rebuilt it. I arrived at noon, got my checked baggage and rode the outside elevator to 4th where I caught at bus north to Union Street. I checked into the Red Lion Hotel on 5th Avenue. I settled into my Room 908 facing Elliott Bay. I walked over to Pike Place Market where I purchased a Starbucks bear and ate lunch at Starbucks and purchased some colorful chrysanthemums for $5.00 at a stall in the market. Back at the hotel I got a vase for the flowers. My roommate, Patricia, arrived around 3:00PM from Victoria via the Clipper.

I picked up my Elderhostel/Road Scholar Registration Packet at 4:00PM on the 5th floor. The Reception was held at 5:00 and Welcome by Carol Barton at 5:30. We ate a salmon dinner with chocolate brownies for dessert at 6:00. We introduced ourselves and saw a video at 7:00PM on glassmaking techniques. Back in the room Patricia and I could hear the television sound coming from the next room. I finally fell asleep at 11:00 with the television still blaring. It woke me at 4:00AM. I got dressed and went to the lobby with a novel. I reported the noise and set in the lobby reading until breakfast at 6:30. Evidently it was an elderly woman with hearing loss who fell asleep with the television on. Argh!