Ballard & Edmonds, WA

On Saturday, a sunny but very windy and cold day, I had the pleasure of meeting up with fellow blogger Sylvia from over the hill. Sylvia showed me around her beautiful neighborhood in Ballard, a community in northwestern Seattle originally founded by Scandinavian fishermen, and shared some of her favorite photo haunts with me. The sun was out, but boy oh boy did the winds ever blow! I've never seen the Puget Sound so blustery before...

Shilshole Bay Marina from the lookout along Seaview Avenue...

The choppy waters of the Puget Sound and snowcapped Olympic Peninsula...

A windsurfer taking advantage of the day...

The views from Golden Gardens Park...

Back at the Marina...

A statue of Leif Erikson...

Most boats remained safe in their berths...

After Sylvia and I said our goodbyes, I headed over to Edmonds, a charming waterfront community just north of Seattle founded in 1884...

A mural on one of the buildings in town...

The Edmonds fountain/gazebo...

Colorful downtown scenes...

Along the waterfront...

The Kingston Ferry slip...

The ferry making its approach...

Some local artwork and Mt. Baker off in the distance...

The Puget Sound area is spectacular even on a cold windy winter day. (And thanks Sylvia for sharing your favorite spots with me!)

Seattle, WA

It hailed pellets the size of raisins as I headed south from Anacortes down I-5 toward Seattle, but once I walked out of the parking garage near Pike Place Market, the cloudy gray layers parted ways to reveal beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine. I had several hours to wile away until I had to head over to Gig Harbor to meet up with a special friend, so I decided to take a peek into the public market and walk around its surrounding neighborhood. The streets were crowded and the narrow alleyways inside were packed with other tourists, who like me were savoring the colorful sights and sounds. Welcome to Seattle's waterfront area...

The very first Starbuck's coffee shop...

That's bubble gum on the side of the building...

I then headed over to Alki Beach Park from where you can get fabulous views

of the Seattle skyline and harbor area...

Old faithful has made this trip up to the PNW about 12 times...

How many more does it have yet to make?