January 10, 2016
A Tale of Two Cities
Seattle
We naturally try to experience and absorb something of each place we visit on a tour. For Seattle we did go walking in the marsh. But today we had a slightly different experience, even if perhaps it was slightly imaginary. It began when I went to Target with Avi and Laurie, looking for a certain Lego set. Target is already an experience. It's a typical huge store, and done up entirely in red. In the toy department we were not finding the thing we came for, so we were looking at the similar items and weighing our options. This is where a young man standing nearby chipped in the suggestion that we check Top Ten Toys. It was a good thought, but we are up on these things and had already checked Top Ten.
Laurie and the young man then both drooled over one of the more expensive Lego sets, and finally we drifted apart, to other sections of the toy department. Soon, though, the young man found us. He was carrying something called a Perplexus.
This is a large plastic globe containing many channels and tracks at all angles, over which a stell ball can travel if you move the globe just right. It was an innovative toy, seemingly developed in Canada, or maybe Luxembourg. The thing is the young man knew all about it - the different models and how to play them. So what? So he said he had given them to his employees, to keep their minds sharp.
Employees? Here is where the experiencing of the region comes in. Seattle is the home of Microsoft. Relatively nearby San Francisco is the home of Apple. The whole area is part of a west coast culture of innovation. We did not probe hard for what kind of business this boy was involved in, but he sure was not a typical toy department customer. Naturally we bought the Perplexus. The photo shows it trying to perplex Dave. Dave, like a lot of people in this house has a Ph. D,, so it could be a good battle. Meanwhile we feel like we got a little exposure to some iconic aspect of the Pacific Northwest, so we are ready to move on to Kona!
Laurie sent us with some final guidelines: No driving in front of cars or trucks, no falling down, and no walking on fresh lava. Doesn't leave much scope for fun, does it!
Kona
Alaska Airlines has pretty much gone all the way in terms of offering the passengers nothing that is not extra cost. Well, not quite. They are yet to charge for carry on bags, and you do get a seat without extra charge. No option to stand for the 6 hour flight, though I am sure if it were possible they would go for it. Otherwise, there is no on board entertainment (unless you rent a tablet from them) and of course no free food. Ok, not quite. They came around just before landing with Mai Tais.
So our flight did nothing to boost our spirits. We found we were actually a bit glum for it. It was not really the slight hassle at security, the cramped seats, and the lack of food or entertainment. No, it was more like the final effects of too many months or weeks off the bikes. We were just not feeling tip top.
Maybe that's why the change was so noticeable the moment we stepped off the plane. First off it's not like you enter a gate into a terminal building. No, you descend some stairs from the tail of the plane, and .. you're there. The first thing that you notice is the soft, scented air. Then the laid back, hang loose vibe surrounds you. It is not possible to be grumpy through this.
Within a few steps, here was a lady with a sign "Aloha Stephen Miller" it read. This was Executive Shuttle, which we had booked from home. The shuttle was a 15 passenger van, just for us, and it was backed up right to the baggage carousel. The shuttle lady waited with us until our bikes quickly came around, and soon we were cruising into town. So easy!
At the Kona Seaside, they were also waiting for us. They spent some time puzzling over their computer, to find the right room for us. We ended on the ground floor looking out to the pool. Perfect.
The staff pointed out that we are here for three nights, something we had kind of forgotten. So tomorrow, after assembling the bikes and going to look for camping gaz and food supplies, we will roam around the Kona area. We will likely head up into the hills a bit, searching out coffee farms. Right now, aside from getting ready to collapse because it is 2 a.m. Seattle time, I am looking forward to breakfast at nearby Splashers restaurant. We remember it as being good. We'll see.
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