Day 16: Seattle All Day

Space needle

Breakfast in the rotating Space Needle... Molly may be the happiest person ever

Downtown Seattle from the Space Needle

I was told there were no pictures of me on the blog and I must take a "selfy"... Trust me I did not do this willingly.

As you can see, we have been brushing our teeth well on the trip!

Lean on me...

Walking through Pike's Market in Pike's Place 

Famous corner of Pike's Market

The first Starbucks (hint, I've heard the coffee tastes the same at all Starbucks)

On our Seattle tour, we stopped under a bridge to see where the town had created a Troll. Go figure!

Know your Troll!

Fearless leader at The Locks

At the Locks, we ventured unto the unknown as we saw how Seattle spends $150 per salmon to track them, create systems for them to go between fresh and salt water, and preserve their natural habitats.

Locks from outside look

I tried to get all the chaperones today. Amber was fascinated with feeding seagulls. It provide excitement for not only the bird, Amber, and others like me watching!

Our day started with one of, if not the, best breakfast of the trip. Combine that with perhaps the best view of any city we have seen and we get a marvelous morning. Breakfast at the Space Needle was awesome!

After breakfast we ventured to Pike's Place. We saw iconic landmarks of Seattle with the original Starbucks and the fish company that throws fish upon a purchase. The Crew saw free time with lunch on their own and sites to see. Ironically, said with a hint of sarcasm, a lot of the girls went shopping. I'm still pulling my hair out trying to figure out why 7 or 8 boys walked 7 miles to get 2 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Why do all that when you are in the farthest continental city in the US from home when you can get that any day?  At least they were able to get their exercise in.

The afternoon saw us on a 3 hour tour of the city. We had a walk-on tour guide that not only gave us a bus tour of the city but allowed us to explore some interesting places by foot. We went to parks, The Locks, and saw a troll under a bridge. He explained the population of Seattle, the make-up of neighborhoods, what types of people live in Seattle, and what the city plans were for the immediate future. 

The Crew ate dinner at the waterfront and we journeyed back to the hotel by walking. For some reason The Crew were super excited and showed energy like no other time. Perhaps it was the ice cream. Perhaps it was the excitement of the day. Perhaps it was the race up the hill. Or perhaps it was kids being kids! A good night's rest was needed for our venture to Gold Beach, Oregon. Eating, singing karaoke, and dancing will be in our near future. Signing off GWT!

Day 15: Seattle

EMP Museum statue of guitars

Rock on

Hit me with your best shot... Liza

Real-life rock band 

In the studios doing work

The making of rock band GWT... Live performance

The most unique museum I have ever been to

A ticket to the live performance of a few Crew Members 

Pictures before dinner (at 8pm pacific time)

Boys went on one side, girls mostly on another 

Do you see the ducks in the background?

Ok, I know taking pictures of food is somewhat frowned upon but a picture is worth a thousand words?!?!  Ivar's Salmon House 

Throw your hands up 

Group picture on the dock of Ivar's Salmon House 

Birdman Andrew 

We awoke early in Polson Montana and started our 8 hour journey to Seattle. Along the way we ate McDonalds for breakfast and on our own for lunch. Upon arriving in Seattle, we checked in to our hotel and lugged our heavy bags up to our room. The day had just started for us.

We quickly walked half a mile to the EMP Museum (Experienced Music Project). As you can see from the pictures above, The Crew was able to not only see many exhibits but to make their own music. 

After our time at EMP ended, The Crew headed back to the hotel to change and go to dinner at Ivar's Salmon House. Before we ate, we took pictures by the lake. And of course, after we ate we had to take more pictures. Overalls a great day on our 33 day trip. West Coast we are here to stay... for a few days. Signing off GWT!

Day 14: White-Water Rafting in Polson, Montana

They don't know it is going to be cold...

Show those pearly whites...

Onward we march

Up the creek with a paddle

Friends in it to win it

Find your boat

Remember crew, we must paddle at the same time

We ready... Minus actually being in the water

Let's go for a little swim

Pose for the camera

Represent your boat 

Life jackets do a good job of keeping us upright 

If I say I'm not cold long enough, perhaps I won't be cold...

Let's just push someone off the boat

Sunbathing 

Hey raft guide 

I need a little help getting in the boat

I'm not sure how I feel... Should I smile or show my real feelings at the time... How about both?

Raft group picture

Coming in to dock

Loading up

Photos of the rafting trip can be purchased at by the following information:

First I want to mention that if you ever find a picture on the blog that you would like a copy of, please let me (Jeffrey) know and I will send them to you. I take a good number of pictures and only put a select few on the blog. After the trip is over, we will probably compile the photos and make a CD or DVD for the trip.  However I do not mind personally sending you a photo via email or text.

We left the ranch early; when I say early I mean early! Our third hearty breakfast was graciously provided by the ranch. They also prepared our bagged lunch, in which we stacked on the bottom of the bus. And we were off to Polson, Montana. The weather the last few days has not been ideal but we have managed sufficiently. 

We stopped for lunch just outside of our hotel at Flathead Lake at Boetcher Park. The Crew was able to eat their sandwich and marvel at the beauty of the lake. We loaded up the bus and checked into our hotel. The Crew was given instructions on how to dress and what to expect for rafting. The anticipation and the unknown were the biggest players in the game we were about to play. 

We climbed aboard the Clarence mobile with our water shoes, swim trunks/suits, and with an insurmountable excitement. When arriving at Kerr Damn, the place we would put in, we broke up in groups and started our journey. I will let the pictures tell some of the story. It is worth noting that only one raft had people go over. Ironically, the raft was composed of 4 guys, 4 girls, and the tour guide... There were only 4 guys left on the raft after going through buffalo rapid!  I obviously didn't take pictures when I was going through the rapids myself.

We journeyed back to the hotel and all took showers for both cleanliness and warmth. The Crew left the hotel to go to the rafting company's store to buy gear and look at their pictures going through buffalo rapid. Leaving there we traveled a few miles for dinner:  East Shore Smoke House. The food and especially the beef brisket was quite yummy I most say. The owner built a fire after dinner and The Crew socialized about their day. We left for the hotel and The Crew took a few minutes to take in the sunset over the mountains that surrounded Flathead Lake. What a beautiful site to cap off a wonderful day. Tomorrow we finally hit the West Coast as we travel to Seattle. Signing off GWT!