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| Seattle Art Museum |
haven't had time to visit there with you, Pioneer Square, epi-center of Seattle's early development is really a great place to begin learning about the development of this city. It has tons of stuff to see and do so, when you're here - don't forget to go there!! As we mentioned the other day, Smith 
Tower sits at the Southeast corner of the area and six blocks or so to the North, at the corner of 1st Avenue and University is the S.A.M. It's kinda hard to miss because of the gigantic moving sculpture that stands right outside the door. As if to underscore the emphasis on things dramatic, the lobby of the museum contains a multi-part sculpture (?) that consists of six Ford 
automobiles displayed as though tumbling through the air from a starting point at the north end of the lobby. The cars have all kinds of dazzling lighting emanating from them and it is quite a display!! While the museum is chock-full of art of every genre and period we will leave most of it for you to discover on your own. What we 
will do in the limited time we have left is show you some of the Native American art that can be found in an extensive and stunning exhibit. Having 
visited Tillicum Village and seen where one aspect of the renaissance in the art of our indigenous people gained momentum we were delighted to see so much - old and new - displayed so effectively. Let me take a 
moment to do a commercial!! We have had the great good fortune to visit some of the most beautiful collections of Native American art in the world and we wanted to encourage you to go see one or more whenever you have the chance. Of course the Museum of Native American History in Washington is a "must" but others we have seen all over our country are fantastic. I apologize for shortchanging the discussion of these wonderful pieces but I want to get to 
one other place before we close. We're going to head over to Fishermen's Terminal before we leave for today and I think you'll enjoy it 
so that's why I'm hurrying a bit. But - please do take the time to visit the S.A.M. when you're here. It is an excellent facility with great staff and world-class art to see. Plan to spend a lot more time than we did today though. As we left the Northern Leader after our last visit we wanted to spend as much of our remaining time with some of the family folks as we could
so we decided to go out to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants over at Fishermen's Terminal on Salmon Bay. After a wonderful meal Kimberly took us on a tour of the area and what we saw was marvelous. 
The terminal is home to a mammoth freshwater mooring site for both fishing vessels and pleasure craft. (In fact, some of the ships you see on TV's "The Deadliest Catch" call this home!!) It lies just North of Seattle and just South of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and is 
bordered by 115th Ave. NW on the Eastern side. There are countless shops, restaurants and business offices throughout the more than 225,000 square feet of 
business space. In fact, the Alaskan Leader Seafood offices are also nearby. The marina can accomodate up to 600 boats/ships up to 250 feet in length and its capacity makes it a highly desirable location for ship repair facilities of all kinds. As fascinating and dazzling as the activities around the terminal are, the two that stand out most are the Fishermen's Memorial and the locks between Lake Washington/Lake Union and Puget Sound. The Fishermen's Memorial 
is a somber but distinguished site that memorializes the more than 500 men and women who have been lost at sea in fishing related incidents since the beginning of the 20th century - including the entire crew of the Arctic Rose that sank on April 2, 2001 making it 
the worst maritime disaster in fifty years. The memorial and the association that keeps track of the information related to the incidents is amazing and it is really an emotional experience looking at the names and reading about the tragedies. But - it does underscore the fact that life at sea has always been one of the most hazardous occupational environments you could 
find and that the men and women who go to sea exemplify bravery at its finest. A little to the north and west of the memorial is a remarkable facility and the ingenuity that lies behind it is quite amazing. It 
is the site of the H. M. Chittenden Locks - or, as they are more commonly known, the Ballard Locks. They perform several crucial functions including maintaining the levels of Lake Union and Lake Washington at the level of the mean low tide in Puget Sound and preventing salt water from entering the lakes. Ultimately, though, their function is to enable ships and boats to 
pass between Puget Sound and the lakes - and the moorings at 
Fishermen's Terminal. Watching the ships and boats traversing the locks is truly fascinating. There were scores of people visiting the locks and watching the boats moving up and down and the mammoth, intricate gates opening and closing. Interestingly, the area around the locks is actually an attractive park with flower-lined paths for walking, ample seating for folks who want to stop and rest for a 
while and interesting activities going on wherever you look. If you are interested in getting to know a bit more about Seattle, the fishing industry, life in a major seaport - or - just more about the wonderful Northwest of our country, this is a great activity to include on your visit. Overall, this has been one very fantastic trip. Time spent with family, opportunities to be part of a historic celebration, new experiences of all kinds ... what more could you ask. But - as we have said so often, all good things must come to an end .... well, make that 'a pause' ... we've got a whole lot more to see and do before any kind of 'end.' And, while we're doing and seeing all that stuff we want to make sure you are right along with us. So, while we will close out this trip here, we will be back soon - so, be ready!!! See ya.
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