A Totally Unnecessary Ferry Ride

The weather has been beautiful here, and with Epona running, Silverstar is not likely to be sitting around at home blogging. So, apologies for the drive-by blogging lately, but I’m out riding around.

Just in case you get lost.

I hadn’t been able to get to the waterfront lately, and I love going there. There is a sculpture park there, as well as the Aquarium and lots of funky shops. There is even an indoor carousel. So I set off the other day for the waterfront. First stop, lunch at my favorite fish bar. Where else can you get a fish taco with mango salsa for $5? But folks, if you are going to charge $2 for a soda, I’m going to drink your cup, and then fill my sports bottle for the road. Ah, fine dining.

Then on to the waterfront. Just cruising today, gawking around. I see on the

Christopher Columbus

Aquarium that this weekend is Salmon Homecoming. The Native Americans will be at waterfront park for their ceremonies, and will be cooking salmon. More fine dining. And the money goes to support cultural events and an Indian Head Start. So I don’t feel so guilty with my fine dining. I will be there, oh yes.

Waterfront Park is a strange place for the gathering, in that it boasts the absolute worst statue of Christopher Columbus ever made. And I’m surprised the Indians haven’t blown the damened thing up. I would, if given a chance, just on artistic grounds. But it is a good place to look out on the Sound.

Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe

No trip to the waterfront would be complete without a trip through Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe. It’s a good place to see shrunken heads, whale penises, and two-headed calfs. As well as buy some tourist crap. But I’ve no need of that. So this time, I pass it by.

And eventually we arrive at the ferry terminal. And suddenly my wanderlust kicks

Ferry map

in. I want adventure. I want to go on a cruise. So I pull out my disabled discount pass, and purchase a ticket for Bainbridge Island. For $3.35. OK, I’m a cheap date. What can I say.

What’s on Bainbridge Island? I don’t know, except for lots of mansions and Chief Seattle’s grave. But I’m going there anyway. I’ve been there before, and remember a nice parking lot at the ferry terminal, so I’ll see what I see.

The Wenatchee

So Friday and I board the Wenatchee for Bainbridge Island. And of course, Friday gets lots of attention. She loves it. And I take pictures of the Seattle skyline as we are leaving. Washington state has the largest state fleet of ferries. Most of them  are car ferries, and some of them are 80 years old now, with all the problems of the

The Kitsap (same size as the Wenatchee)

elderly. A couple have been taken out of service recently, and we are looking to build more. Service on some runs was cut to make up for the boats out of service. But Bremerton Vashon Island, and Bainbridge Island are bedroom communities for Seattle, so you get plenty of boats on the commuter runs. Bremerton is home of a Navy base, and kind of industrial. The Vashon Island landing is out in the middle of nowhere, and is at a different dock down south. So, the logical choice for an outing is Bainbridge Island. There is a small town within walking distance of the ferry there.

Seattle Skyline (going)

At Bainbride Island, we motor into Winslow, the town near the ferry dock. It’s a tourist town, with a lot of cute little shops. I’m cruising around, just looking for what I can see, and I happen upon a shop called Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. Come on, you just have to go into a shop like that don’t you? But it’s 5:50 PM. And they close at 6 PM. Nuts. Except on Thursday, when they are open until eight. Yay!

And so in we go. Now, I loves me some yarn. I drool over yarn. I crochet, and

Yarn (drool)

occasionally knit, so I loves me some yarn. It used to be you could save money doing your own knitting and crocheting, nowadays it’s a rich persons amusement. But I like to look at the yarn anyway. I like to feel the different textures, glow in the different colors, and look at some of the articles that folks have made that are always on display at yarn shops. It’s probably a good thing I’m poor, I don’t have a closet to store it in like some knitting addicts I know. They were nice to me, and I found a pattern for a sweater I would like to make, so I bought it. However, the $80 for the yarn was not in my budget. And that was the cheapest yarn they had. I will have to go where I can buy the big skeins of crappy acrylic yarn to make my sweater with.

Space Needle at Sunset

And then it was time to take the ferry back home. We were just in time to watch the sunset over the waterfront on the way back. Gorgeous. And that’s the story of my

Sunset from Waterfront Park

totally unnecessary ferry ride.