Lucky cycle-visit & rain avoidance in November

[shootingstar]

I seriously wondered if we were nuts going to Seattle for a wee visit this past weekend. But we avoided the rain late Friday night after disembarking from Amtrak train downtown. Really cycling was tame: our folding bikes were to get us around to shopping (a few stores where I stocked up on some cycling gear that's not available in Canada at great prices, some books that would cost me to special order), farmers' market in University District, good seafood at restaurants, Pike Market and short jaunt through Olympic Art Sculpture Park. On the train back to Vancouver there was a pile of fans celebrating Sea Hawks' game win.

And I am stunned by the beautiful restoration of Seattle's Amtrak downtown King St. train station. Wow. Unlike so many train stations across North America..either purely functional or slightly run down.

[AppleTree]

Sounds like a great visit shootingstar, glad you were here during a break in the rain. That's not been easy lately, ha. You covered a lot of territory in a short amount of time it sounds like too. I'd like to visit that train station, from the news coverage it looks like they did a good job on the restoration. They uncovered a beautiful ceiling I think that had been covered for years by ugly tiles or some such. Everett station isn't quite as grand as that, but they have a new and really nice facility too, we were impressed... Vancouver...well, lets just say we were under-impressed by that one. I was surprised being such a large city they haven't invested much in restoring that beautiful old building that is there, it could be so much nicer than it is.

[shootingstar]

Vancouver BC.'s station is modern-restored and simply functional. A lot better than some other cities/towns.

Seattlers would be proud of their restored downtown Seattle Amtrak train station. Looks especially nice now with Christmas tree, wreaths ... gleaming white throughout with hand-embedded tiny tile wall finishes.

We actually got lost and ended going up some hills ..I guess it's part of the Queen Anne or Capitol Hill neighbourhoods. Not sure..... Vancouver BC has some neighbourhoods like that. North Vancouver across the Lion's Gate bridge is built on mountain-like slopes with wooded areas with decent hiking trails. (and mountain biking but not familiar with that).