In that spirit, and in my continuing effort to get to know my new City/State, I did a bit of exploring in the sunshine this afternoon. I headed to West Seattle/Alki Beach. I was there with a friend a few years ago, but on a windy and drizzly day. I discovered that the sun makes all the difference!
As the wikipedia page says, Alki is reminiscent of a California beach town. A mix of bungalows and condos, small shops and cafes. I was reminded of Southern California, with people playing volleyball on the sandy beach, riding bicycles built for two, sitting and soaking up the sun. The only difference is there was just something in the smiles on people's faces and the look in their eyes -- even behind the sunglasses -- that told they knew it could very well be raining tomorrow! And a few other differences ...
Like the Olympic mountains to the west.
And the Space Needle to the east.
And this statue.
Yes, that is a mini-replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Apparently, Alki was the site of the first White settlement. According to another website:The Denny party, Seattle’s first white settlers, arrived on Alki Beach in 1851. They were helped through their first winter by a band of the Duwamish people, led by Chief Seattle. The settlers named the area New York-Alki. Alki is a native word meaning “by and by”, and the settlers chose it to reflect their hope that the new settlement would grow to achieve the size and importance of New York City. After one winter camped on the beach, most of the party moved across Elliot Bay, to the less exposed shores of Seattle’s current waterfront.The statue was put up in the 1950's by the boy scouts, presumably because of this early New York City connection. Who knew?
All in all, a beautiful day in the sun. I had a list of things I could/should have been doing, but I'm glad I chose to explore instead!
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