I wanted to visit a few Seattle yarn shops and my friend needed to find a Billy Branch blues cd from 1982 so we hit the road Friday morning.

We managed to locate the Acorn Street shop (which is on 55th, not Acorn Street) and Weaving Works, both in the U District, where I drooled over the yarns and supplies. Weaving Works sells beautiful roving and top for spinning too, yum! I decided to skip the third shop on my list, Tricoter, because we were running out of time to spend in the city (and I've been told they cater to a more upscale clientele).

It's pretty much impossible for us to drive by University Village and not stop in the flagship Barnes & Noble store. Say what you want about the behemoth (I don't buy books at B&N myself, Village Books in Fairhaven gets my business) but the two-story Seattle Barnes & Noble is fun to browse through. They also have an amazing music wing that is well stocked with all styles of music (and you can listen to any cd by scanning the bar code) but alas they did not have the blues cd my friend was looking for.

We then went to Bud's Jazz Records in Pioneer Square but his blues section did not cough up the Billy Branch cd either. It was finally found at Tower Records near the Space Needle. The generous Tower cashier gave us SEVEN FREE sampler cds of blues/jazz music so we listened to some good music on the way home. :) My favorite track from the free stuff was Ella Fitzgerald singing "I've Got You Under My Skin."

This was a fun day trip.

Thai food for lunch

I can't recommend the restaurant because the pad thai was too sweet and I couldn't finish half of it. You know how something can taste great for the first 5 bites and then it suddenly turns on you? I was still full from the heavenly caramel frappucino and bagel we shared earlier so it wasn't disappointing. Plus they had several fish tanks, who can be grumpy surrounded by pretty fish?

• Giant Koi
• Fishies doing headstands for the camera
• Fish tank (to show the length, this is the largest tank I've seen outside an aquarium)
• Statue (front view)
• Statue (side view)

Pioneer Square

The Pergola in Pioneer Square looks brand new because they just finished rebuilding it after a delivery truck tore it down on accident. (It cost the delivery truck's insurance company over a million dollars to repair.) The copper will eventually form a patina again.

• Pergola (Where are all the people? This place is usually crowded.)
• Pergola roof
• Smith Tower
• Lion gargoyle
• Informational plaque on the lion's building
• Aesthetically Pleasing Building

This is the first photo of the Space Needle I've ever taken, how exciting! I actually went up to the top once, I think I was around 6 because I barely remember being there.

• View of the Space Needle from the Tower Records parking lot

Going Home

Lake Union, taken out the car window on I-5 heading North:

• Oooh, water and boats and buildings and blue sky

Also taken out the car window on I-5. Not sure where I snapped this photo, about halfway between Seattle and home I guess. Those white dots on the water are birds:

• Mountains and birds on the water