Seward Park

Now that we finally have 4 bicyclists in the family, we have been seeking out spots to ride that are fun for all of us. Last night it was Seward Park, which sticks out into Lake Washington just a few miles south of Seattle. The park has a wide path that makes a 3-mile loop around the perimeter, offering spectacular views on a clear night. We went around twice since it was such a nice evening.

Sam's Turn

Last month, we took Andrew golfing while Sam was at a sleepover. Today, Dad took Sam while Andrew was at camp. Sam's philosphy on the course is "Grip it and Rip it!" Playing with three adults - including a very talented one armed golfer - he had closest to the pin three times in nine holes on an executive course. Above, he follows through in the shadow of Mt. Rainier.

On the fashion front, he threw an athletic ensemble at the task. Mariners hat, Mariners shirt, and indoor soccer shoes. Not the flair his brother had, but just as authentic to his personality.

The coolest golfer ever

Sure, you've seen Fred Couples' fantastic golf swing, but have you ever seen him wear shark sunglasses, a Star Wars t-shirt, baggy Carolina blue gym shorts, and classic 80s Vans?

Sam was away at a friend's house, so the three of us went golfing on an "executive" course (like a par 3) in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. It was a great time. Then, at Andrew's insistence, we went to a pizza place that has breadsticks. Eating pizza and breadsticks with his rail-like frame...totally unfair!

Violins a hit before ballgame

Andrew's violin group played the national anthem at the AAA Tacoma Rainiers game last night. It was also his birthday party. And Mariner's GM Jack Zduriencik was sitting nearby watching prospects Michael Pineda (5 IP, 11 K, 0 BB) and Dustin Ackley. Great fun was had by all!

This is a good video of the short performance, with Andrew adjacent to the conductor for most of it.

Tetons

After a couple of days in Yellowstone, we traveled south through Grand Tetons National park. We didn't have much time to spend there, but were able to find a reasonable hike that allowed us to take in the mountain views across Jackson Lake. The Tetons are a spectacular sight, again hard to do justice to in photos.

Yellowstone

I'm taking advantage of Starbucks free wi-fi for a trip update. We've been gone a week now, and have had a truly amazing trip. It's difficult to do justice to Yellowstone National Park in photos, but here are a few favorites. We never could have imagined what we saw while visiting there.

Top to bottom:

the Old Faithful Geyser in mid-eruption, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a bison near a steaming hot spring, vista from the Artists Painted Pots area, Sam and Andrew near a waterfall.

Redondo Marine Center

We've been hearing for the last couple of years about the Marine Science Center down on the Redondo Waterfront (just a 10 minute drive from our house). It's a research aquarium run by Highline Community College, but it's open to the public on Saturdays, and it's free. We decided to check it out yesterday, and it was well worth it. It's a small aquarium, built out on a pier. There are no tropical fish, only local inhabitants from Puget Sound in natural surroundings. One of our tour guides said that people often bring in specimens that they catch from the next pier over. There are many types of fish, starfish, urchins, anemones and jellyfish. Apparently they had a young octopus for a while, but it outgrew it's tank so they released it back into the Sound. We spent a good 90 minutes learning about the inhabitants of Puget Sound, and made it back home in time to watch USA soccer.