November 2009

Wandering around, we were a little sad for the neighborhood.  The city really is marching towards chinatown and I'm not sure how much longer the land can stay as it is.  To make matters worse, many of the workers in Chinatown are older than average for retail and I suspect their core clients are going the same way.  Eventually the demographics will erode the neighborhood. 

Amenda has a photo of Snoqualmie falls on her fridge.  I did a bit of searching on the internet and found out it isn't that far from Seattle - about 25 miles East on I-90.  We drove out and found the Lodge no problem - lots of parking.  There are nice vantage points all fenced in and tourists everywhere snapping photos.  A few surprises - the falls have a large power plant next to them so you really want a view that minimizes the plant.  The falls are hidden from the sun well before sunset.  If you are looking for a "good" shot, you are in for some hiking and the hiking trails weren't obvious, but they are there.

Pike Place Public Market is a favorite market for me.  I have taken way more photos in this market than I have at Granville Island - the Vancouver equivilant.  There are a number of vendors selling photos in the market which gives you a little kick to do a better job yourself.

Compared to Granville Island, Pike Place is more of a tourist destination and less of a real shopping destination.  I sometimes feel bad for the vendors - lots of tourists taking photos, almost no customers.  Perhaps there are better times, but I can't say I've ever seen a crowd of people carrying groceries.