Seattle, Vancouver Island, Willamette Valley, Portland the long way round

[TheRealTMA]

Just embarking on trip to Seattle, Vancouver Island and the Willamette Valley for Pinot Noir on EK F BNE via DXB.

EK lounge Brisbane. very nice buffet, duck pie, salmon cakes, chips!, nice steak, very nice entrées and desserts, excellent wines. And we haven't boarded yet.


Nice wines

Duck pie

Prawn, avocado and lobster salad.

Puts QF J lounge in BNE to shame.

 

[RB]

Looking forward to reading this. Had a great time when we went to Vancouver Island

 

[get me outta here]

Subscribed for the ride and looking forward to it.

 

[Denali]

We were in Seattle last month, had a great time so enjoy!

 

[TheRealTMA]

Good flight so far, nice food and wines, shower before landing in DXB.


DOM 2004 to start

Usual EK caviar

Buttery french Chardonnay

Very nice French red to go with the rack of lamb

 

[TheRealTMA]

To finish St Henri and the 'imitation' Hennessy Paridis ( none of the good stuff left apparently on most flights - must write to EK about that)



The office for 14 hrs

And a shower before landing and breakfast.

Tried the free 10MB Wifi for a while to catch up on emails but too slow to be of much use really. But sometimes it's nice to be off the net.

Only way to travel!

 

[kevinyhli]

Heading to YVR and SEA in 2 weeks time and would love to read more!

 

[TheRealTMA]

Since a lot of our travel includes food and especially wine, I've decided to post wine pics in the AFF wine lovers forum http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ine-lovers/nice-wines-i-have-drunk-53868.html

After nice 380 flight from BNE, arrived in DBX In good shape 30 mins early. Shower ( for some) and breakfast in lounge. They do nice poached eggs and if you ask they also do a nice 'veal bacon'.

777 to SEA was good flight. Only three in F but full J and E. 380 and 777 F suites are the same, essentially.

SEA immigration now have new kiosks for entry for those who have ESTAs and have been to US before so was very quick clearance. Amusing at customs where officer was terrified of the giant spiders we have in Australia that live under toilet seats, according to doco he'd seen recently.

Seattle was welcoming and sunny around 15C. We arrived at Grand Hyatt at around 2pm after 34 hrs from leaving home. But at the pointy end that's why we're AFFers.

Walk around town but not much to photograph downtown. Canapés in lounge and dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in hotel. Food service, nice wines and excellent steak, 20% tip, sigh.



Mrs therealtma waiting for food.

Flying over mountains north of Seattle.

Seattle

Hyatt water view

 

[TheRealTMA]

Hyatt lounge

Hyatt lobby

Ruth's Chris steakhouse

24oz Tbone and 8oz fillet.

 

[TheRealTMA]

A quiet day, some shopping, AT&T sim, Nordstrom's etc. wandered down to Pile Street Market early afternoon. Lunch at the Stealhead Diner of Alaskan clam chowder and 'lift your kilt' Scottish beer battered local fish and chips. Excellent.

Watched fish being thrown around at fishmongers to delight of the crowd.

Food prices at the market are very cheap on Oz terms. Good quality everything. Fabulous range of fresh seafood, oysters and such. Lovely tulips and other flowers.

Watched storm come come across the bay (Sound) then wandered back to hotel. Dinner at Urbane at Hyatt 8 on Olive. Not recommended. Average to poor food, service quite poor for US restaurants for example when server brought the mains ( or Entréé as they like to call them) there was no where to put the new plates since the old ones hadn't been cleaned away...

 

[TheRealTMA]

Pike Street Markets continued






Original Starbucks shop over the road but haven't included photos. Tourist queues out the door.

 

[Mattg]

I love the Pike Place Market!!

Can someone tell me how to deal with photos taken vertically when uploading on AFF. The forum software doesn't respect the EXIF orientation tags and rotating photo on iPad before up load doesn't seem to work either?

When posting imported photos from my iPad, I usually find that editing the photo in some way on my iPad solves the strange image rotation issue. E.g. I will rotate the image in my photos, then rotate it back to normal and it will then post correctly. As you've noticed, the issue is only with vertical photos.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I love the Pike Place Market!!



When posting imported photos from my iPad, I usually find that editing the photo in some way on my iPad solves the strange image rotation issue. E.g. I will rotate the image in my photos, then rotate it back to normal and it will then post correctly. As you've noticed, the issue is only with vertical photos.

Thank Mattg. I tried rotation but that doesn't work, maybe after editing it will if the embedded EXIF data is removed. I'll try for next batch! (Ed: yes the secret on iPad is to edit then rotate.)

 

[Sale]

Loving the photos of the Pike St Market thank you! We are staying a few days at the "Inn At The Market" next month before a cruise and it looks brilliant! Look forward to more

 

[TheRealTMA]

Loving the photos of the Pike St Market thank you! We are staying a few days at the "Inn At The Market" next month before a cruise and it looks brilliant! Look forward to more

A yes I saw the hotel opposite Stealhead diner. Looks an interesting place to stay. If you are into oysters, do go to Shuckers at the Fairmont up town for their 3-5 happy hour. IMHO some of the world's best oysters 5-8 different types, all fresh on ice and freshly shucked on demand. Never seen nor tasted anything like it in Oz. Fanny Bay oysters are one of my favourites. We just left after consuming a few dozen different ones and some nice Washington Chardonnay and Oregon Pinot Gris. Pics to follow as time permits.

 

[mimishat]

Those markets look amazing! Look forward to the rest of your TR

 

[TheRealTMA]

Wednesday slightly raining but after shopping went to Seattle Skyneedle ( been up the tower on last trip (fab views) so this tine just went back to see the extraordinary Chilhuly Glass museum again. Stunning. Then spent time in the park in the sun.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Sorry so impressed - more

And outside in the gardens...

Fabulous glass tree even had a nest of birds in it now raising their young.


Snooze in sun...

 

[Denali]

I loved Chihully that we went went back at night and I was very disappointed that except for $7000+K pieces, you couldn't buy any glass work in the gift store. You can buy soap and cactus plants but no glass so we went to Pioneer Place to see a glass blowing shop down there and bought a piece to take home.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Wednesday night went to dinner at Altura. One of best restaurants in Seattle. Out on Broadway E, Broadway.(bloody taxi driver didn't turn on meter and tried to charge us $25 for a $7 fare. Grr. Good reason to use Uber.)

Excellent Italian-inspired cooking with 5 course plus several extras tasting menu and excellent wine list.






Some of the wait staff