Seattle has nothing to do with the Land of Oz, though Dr. Oz is ubiquitous on the TV here.  I arrived by ferry, from Bainbridge, on Tuesday evening.  Meeting my friend, Ted, in Chinatown, I then went with him to a place called Mike’s Noodle House.  Brisket noodles hit the spot after the ferry ride and rather dicey drive up a 40-degree incline that leads from the Waterfront to Chinatown.

The view of Seattle’s stadia from Ted’s neighbourhood is awesome, even at dusk.

I digress, though.  It was Wednesday that was my main day to explore Seattle.  Ted and I started  at Lake Washington.

A short time later we stopped in Chinatown, and went to the Amitabha Buddhist temple, which is served by two nuns.  The nun who greeted us is from Burma (Myanmar).

We spent several minutes in prayer and reflection in that refreshing environment.  The nun graciously gave me several texts.  This is auspicious, as we Baha’is view Baha’ullah as the embodiment of the Buddha Amitabha (Future Buddha), Whose coming was foretold by Gautama Siddhartha.

We headed next to downtown, where I ensconced myself in the Library, whilst Ted tended to other business.  Along the way to the Library, there were some interesting sights, including China Gate, King Street Station, and the Smith Building.

No visit to Seattle is complete without a visit to a waterfall.  This park is just south of the Smith Building.

Upon finishing our individual business, we  headed towards Pike Place.  The intervening territory is inhabited by some curious beings.  Ted is the being on the right!

 Then, there is Maximus Minimus, the Barbecue Emperor.

Pike Place itself has a gazillion shops and eateries.  We chose  Athenian Seafood, with its harbor views, for lunch.  Of course, there were several stops for artisan cheese and other road food, afterward.  Below are three Pike Place scenes.

This last photo is a view of Puget Sound from Athenian Seafood.

Next up was the Waterfront, with its totem pole.

We spent about forty minutes at Vital Tea Leaf, at the north edge of the Waterfront.  Vinny graciously explained the tea preparation process and offered several varieties of tea.  I chose Puer, which helps with digestion.  The shop also has wood sculptures, which are one-of-a-kind.  Here are a dragon and a tiger, which represent my son and myself,  horoscope-wise, respectively.

Our last excursion was to Seattle Center, and the Space Needle.  I went alone to the Observation Deck.

There is a lovely outside garden, on the grounds of Space Needle.

Here are three views from the Observation Deck.

After descending from the spectacular height, I spent a little time looking at some aphorisms that are engraved into stones in Seattle Center’s plaza.

Here is a parting thought for this very special day’s post.

There are few places that outmatch the great cities of the Northwest- Seattle and Portland, each vibrant and forward-looking, in different but complementary ways.  I am grateful for having had time to get to know each of them better.

Now, it is time to head slowly back towards Arizona.  I will see Vancouver, God-willing, in 2015.  Spokane, too,will wait until another time, as my friend there has different plans for the weekend.  Next is Wenatchee, suffering and determined to get through the tests of fire.