Zelebrate in a ZeaPlane

This day showed how nice it is to have friends around.

Best Neighbor - and friend - called and asked if I was interested in getting up in a SeaPlane for a ride over Seattle and Puget Sound for my birthday. When offered like that, a fun event and great company, it's hard to say no!

No idea how many hundred times I've flown in to Seattle, many times coming in straight over our house, across Lake Washington, and then a nice descent just east of downtown. The views are spectacular. Just as they are when taking off to the SouthEast and passing along the SW flanks of Mt Rainier.

How different can it be from a SeaPlane? Turns out a lot!

We met at Kenmore Air's "terminal" at the SW corner of Lake Union. I've been here many times when out in the boat, amazed that the SeaPlane pilots always manage to find a strip to land on or take off from as they come and go (they've got a hectic schedule during the summer). This on one of the busier lakes in the nation, massive number of powerboats, kayaks, yachts, sailboats, ships, and all other traffic on Lake Union. Today, it was our turn to find out, sort of from "above", if we could take off in the midst of it all.

As we waited for our flight, we managed to sneak over to Starbucks for a little "wake me up", it was after all only late morning.

The Seaplane was fairly large, 9 passenger seats, and then one for the "co-pilot" (in this case Tanner). Pilot puttered out a little bit to the east, past the little sail race, and pulled the throttle. For being a single engine propeller plane, it was still fairly quiet onboard, ever under full throttle. Not as much of a "tin can" feeling as the smaller private single engine planes I've flown before. Up on a plane and shortly thereafter, up in the air. As I seen so many times from below, pilot took us to the NW above the ship canal and Fremont/Ballard. Pretty view over Queen Anne Hill, and even better over Discovery Park and Magnolia. A long loop down over Elliot Bay, rubbing shoulders with the high-rises in downtown and then over Seattle and out over Lake Washington. Flying by "home", can see it "down there" even though I was on the wrong side of the plane. Across the lake again and on out over Northgate (the mall is massive!) and a new loop over Ballard and Wallingford. A couple of really nice views over the zoo, back out over Lake Washington again and then looping around over the SR-520 bridge to prepare for descent and landing on Lake Union.

Even though the ride was pretty short (~30 minutes) it really gave a great sampling of "everything Seattle"; all the major neighborhoods, the views - only better, the lakes and the sound. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is not afraid of heights!

Back on the "ground" and ashore, time for lunch. John decided to drag us up on Capitol Hill for a brew and a bite to eat. Very good fish&chips and ever better OktoberFest brew.

During our "fun" daytime activities, wife was home studying for her test. She was "allowed" to join us for the evening though. John&Jan had planned dinner at one of their favorite watering holes, "Purple Cafe" in Woodinville. As soon as I see goat cheese, polenta, and meat on the menu (not necessarily eaten together), I know I will not leave a place hungry! Not the case tonight either.

As always, an evening with good friends, good chat, good food and some good wine, things can not go wrong!

Thanks John&Jan for a wonderful b-day (and wife of course for breakfast in bed and presents).