Our first full day in Seattle dawned with cloudless blue skies and temperatures in the mid twenties. After a hearty breakfast it was time for our final training session before the second set of fixtures against the Washington Loggers tomorrow. We were able to make use of the state of the art 4G pitches at the University of Washington. The boys looked really sharp and are looking forward to the matches tomorrow.
After lunch we headed to downtown Seattle where we had a Duck Tour which is a tour of the city both on land and on water. This tour was both informative and fun. Our captain “Tim Burr” was ably assisted by guide “Dot Silarious”. We were able to see at first hand some of the sights mentioned yesterday by Terry like Pike Place, Lake Union (home to 500 house boats) and the Space Needle. The houseboat that features in Sleepless to Seattle was pointed out but the fact seemed to go way over the boys’ heads! We all knew Starbucks originated in Seattle and there are over 100 Starbucks shops of which we counted well into double figures. Amazon and Microsoft are two big companies that were founded in the city and these headquarters were pointed out. The boys certainly got into the spirit of the tour with some great dancing by Scott Connolly and Matthew Dougherty. Michael Harper, Ka-Ho Yim and Nick Cleave took their turn at karaoke although Michael’s version of Hound Dog left a lot to be desired.
A short walk took us to the Space Needle which dominates the skyline of Seattle. The Space Needle is an observation and is iconic in Seattle. It was built in 1963. It is 605 ft (184 m) high, 138 ft (42 m) wide, and weighs 9550 tons. It has an observation deck at 520 ft (160 m) and the rotating SkyCity restaurant at 500 ft (150 m). The downtown Seattle skyline, as well as the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay and surrounding islands can be viewed from the top of the Needle. Photographs of the Seattle skyline often show the Space Needle prominently, above skyscrapers and Mount Rainier. A short elevator took us to the top and as it was such a clear day we were able to have fantastic views of all the above landmarks- definitely a ‘high’light of the day! Special shout out to two members of the group who have a fear of heights for braving the trip to the top.
The evening was spent in the centre of Seattle where the boys took the opportunity to do even more shopping! I’m pretty sure there are a few presents for loved ones back home in the bags that they carried back to the accommodation. An early night beckoned in preparation for the games tomorrow. Just like Monday, we hope to tweet live updates although the times aren’t great for back home. 2nd XV kick off at 1700 (0100 home time) with the 1st XV kicking off at 1830 (0230 home time). Why not follow the live updates and then grab a few hours sleep before the deciding Lions test!!
P.S In case anyone is concerned Mr McKillen is well on the road to recovery. Tour medic Mr Irvine prescribed him “Tighten Up” tablets.
After lunch we headed to downtown Seattle where we had a Duck Tour which is a tour of the city both on land and on water. This tour was both informative and fun. Our captain “Tim Burr” was ably assisted by guide “Dot Silarious”. We were able to see at first hand some of the sights mentioned yesterday by Terry like Pike Place, Lake Union (home to 500 house boats) and the Space Needle. The houseboat that features in Sleepless to Seattle was pointed out but the fact seemed to go way over the boys’ heads! We all knew Starbucks originated in Seattle and there are over 100 Starbucks shops of which we counted well into double figures. Amazon and Microsoft are two big companies that were founded in the city and these headquarters were pointed out. The boys certainly got into the spirit of the tour with some great dancing by Scott Connolly and Matthew Dougherty. Michael Harper, Ka-Ho Yim and Nick Cleave took their turn at karaoke although Michael’s version of Hound Dog left a lot to be desired.
A short walk took us to the Space Needle which dominates the skyline of Seattle. The Space Needle is an observation and is iconic in Seattle. It was built in 1963. It is 605 ft (184 m) high, 138 ft (42 m) wide, and weighs 9550 tons. It has an observation deck at 520 ft (160 m) and the rotating SkyCity restaurant at 500 ft (150 m). The downtown Seattle skyline, as well as the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay and surrounding islands can be viewed from the top of the Needle. Photographs of the Seattle skyline often show the Space Needle prominently, above skyscrapers and Mount Rainier. A short elevator took us to the top and as it was such a clear day we were able to have fantastic views of all the above landmarks- definitely a ‘high’light of the day! Special shout out to two members of the group who have a fear of heights for braving the trip to the top.
The evening was spent in the centre of Seattle where the boys took the opportunity to do even more shopping! I’m pretty sure there are a few presents for loved ones back home in the bags that they carried back to the accommodation. An early night beckoned in preparation for the games tomorrow. Just like Monday, we hope to tweet live updates although the times aren’t great for back home. 2nd XV kick off at 1700 (0100 home time) with the 1st XV kicking off at 1830 (0230 home time). Why not follow the live updates and then grab a few hours sleep before the deciding Lions test!!
P.S In case anyone is concerned Mr McKillen is well on the road to recovery. Tour medic Mr Irvine prescribed him “Tighten Up” tablets.
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