Thursday... Arrive in Seattle

We finally made it to Seattle. We took a day to attend to various maintenance issues that have gone unchecked for the 3 weeks we have been on the road. We took time for pizza for lunch after which I left Debbie at the nail salon while I searched for a barber shop on my cell phone. I passed up several expensive sounding salons for Rudy's barber shop 8 blocks away. Even this was more upscale than what I am accustomed to, and I felt much like the 'High Plains Drifter' as he rode into the town of Lago in search of a bathhouse for a badly needed haircut and shave. As I waited for one of the 6 chairs to open, I picked up a local paper... it was touting various alternative lifestyles, I tried another... same stuff. As I looked around I got one of those feelings I may be in the wrong place and began studying each stylist wondering which one would would call my name, hoping all the while that it would not be the one closest to the window with two tone mohawk and a piercing that must have been painful to receive. It was much like that feeling you might get after selecting your seat on a plane, wondering which two people walking down the isle might be the ones to sit on either side taking up their space and 1/2 of yours as well.

The rest of my afternoon was spent trying to locate the dealership and make an appointment an oil change, and finding the parking garage where I would leave the bike for 8 days. Mapping software and my phone gave me strange advice and left me riding in circles in this maze of one way streets. Calls to the dealership took me into voice mail hell and though I did get an appointment for Friday I am not convinced I will make it. The parking garage is only a mile from the hotel but I only found it with the help of a valet attendant nearby who gave me what I hope is good advice regarding where to park and how to get to the ship, what to do with bags etc.

For dinner we walked to the waterfront about a mile away, then walked almost another mile checking out different menus along the way.  We finally decided on a spot that had outdoor dining and although it was a bit cool, it was actually a pleasant day by Seattle standards and the view was great.  We debated about catching a cab back to the hotel as much of the return trip was uphill, but we decided to walk off the sourdough bread we had with dinner and made it back with no problem.