Travel in Seattle & San Francisco -- Seattle part

from 2nd to 12th August 2001

On June 2001, we received sudden news from sister who teaches Japanese culture to high school students.
She said "I married in U.S on 4th August, so come here".
I heard she wanted to marry with U.S gentleman on next March in Tokyo.
Then, we decided to go to Seattle in this summer.
It is a high-season for the airplane ticket.
The ticket per one person was more than $1200. Boo.
As Ichiro who is Mariners' right fielder from Japan is very popular, we thought we had wanted to watch a baseball game after wedding ceremony.

2nd August
At first, we heard the 4th will be ceremony, 3rd might be busy.
We thought 2nd was best to arrive at Seattle.
However, a rehearsal was held.
It is used to make a rehearsal and small party for family and friend before wedding.
We had never known that facts. We had to bring more two suits-case.

In the rehearsal, I had to escort my mother.
Japanese doesn't absolutely escort my mother.
But I was sitting and listening cerebrating words after escorting.
Then, this is a church.
At the wedding day, anybody couldn't record them.
In fact, the wedding was recorded by professional cameraman.

It is a beautiful church. It isn't big, but there were full of good atmosphere.
My sisters' would be a first wedding couple in this church.

After rehearsal, we had dinner at a gorgeous restaurant about four hours.
The night view was good. The dishes are the most delicious.
Especially, this meal was excellent.
American eats good meal like this dish, therefore they are taller than Japanese.

Then, the party was finished. Our first day was over.
The party was held after moving, it was longer day.
We might act over twenty hours since waking up on 2nd.

3rd August.
We continuously slept till noon.
But I couldn't have a deep sleep by jet rag.

A typical traveler should go to the Space Needle Tower.
This picture is a Space Needle taken from the ship.

When we climbed to the top, it was cloudy.
Then, we saw to Groom's parents and went eating dinner in a small and famous Italian restaurant.

4th August.
The wedding day.
At 9:00, pictures were begun taking, so ladies had to dress up from the early morning.
We brought two Japanese Wafuku and suites.
We woke up at 6:00, and a lot of pictures were taken from 9:00.
My taking picture was nothing, because we could not take them during ceremony.
At the party, pictures are taken by me would be uploaded in another private page.

After party, we took a Sushi-party at one house of the groom's family.
Sushi master who is friend in Japan made a lot of sushi.
He made them from frizzed fish, but they were delicious. Specialist was great.

5th August.
Groom's brother, Peter and his wife, Donna guided us around Seattle.
I became a brother with him, but I cannot believe it now.

At first, they guided us Locks.
It was a gate between sea and lake.
Because the difference between sea and lake are six meter, the surface is adjusted for ships.

This gate has been worked for a hundred years.
A lot of water is poured from the lake.


There is creek for salmon near the gate.
The creek is shown from the glass like aquarium.


This is a monster, Trolley, who lives under the bridge.
It is sculptured with a real car by an artist.
And it is exactly located under the high-way bridge. Good Joke.

6th August
We drove a national park, Mt.Rainer near Seattle.
It is a symbol mountain as same as Mt.Fuji in Tokyo.
After two and half hour driving, we reached mountain.
We paid $10 as a tax to enter the National Park.
The park is very beautiful.

We drove this Escape through this tour.

We rent it to carry heavier bags.
It is a brother of Explorer.
And Tire was made by Firestone. < It is OK? Hertz?

We went back to Seattle, and ate Japanese dinner at a famous Japanese restaurant, Nishino.
It was very delicious, Kazuhiro Sasaki, a reliever in Mariners, likes that restaurant.
We ate a traditional Japanese food.

7th August
My parents went playing golf, so my wife and I act individually.
We went sightseeing the Boeing tour in the north of Seattle.
I checked a map drawn from the homepages.
After an hour driving, we entered the Boeing factory directly from the high-way.
Because the photograph was restricted inside the factory buildings, it was a tour center and plane around the factory.

It is $5 per one person.
The Boeing building was the biggest volume in the world.
I'm interested in constructing the big airplane.

We found the tour-ship around the sightseeing desk in the Boeing tour center.
So, we went back to Seattle, and ride on the ship under the finest weather during staying.
Good weather is an important for travel.

After riding off the ship, we walked around a Pike Market Place.
There are many shops selling fish, flowers, sculptures, and so on.

There are many pig objects around the street.
This ski style pigs is very quite.

Moreover, there are footprint.

We went to Safeco field, which is a home ballpark as Mariners at 7:00 PM.


We watched Mariners baseball game.
It was an Elvis night planned by television.
Some had come the ballpark with Elvis fashion.


We watched at the second floor near the infield.
Ichiro, who is a right fielder and one of the most famous Japanese in the U.S, hit two-base.


At last, he got only one hit, but he took four ball during the extra inning.
And Sasaki didn't appear. We brought his cheering goods in Japan.
The game was won after fourteen innings about 23:30.

It was long, but the result was good.
It was too late to write a news paper Settle Times published tomorrow morning.
It is cool and dry.

8th August
We moved to San Francisco from Seattle by airplane.
There are a lot of beautiful nature.
It is cool in summer and a little snow in winter. It may be comfortable.

My Seattle trip was over.
It is continued San Francisco page.