Meet the tallest building in Seattle, the Columbia Center:

Connected by Ballard Locks, the water level of the freshwater lake is higher than the saltwater Puget Sound:

This guy yelled at me for standing by one of the dock cleats the boat was tied to, possibly saving my life:

More views from the Columbia Center…Opened in 1906, King Street Station still serves Amtrak and commuter train routes:

CenturyLink Field is home to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and is one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. Beyond it is Safeco Field, home of the MLB’s Seattle Mariners:

You’re not a real city unless you have one of these:

The ferry to Bainbridge Island, from above and aboard:

The Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Pioneer Square district:

The original Starbucks in Pike Place Market:

The Crumpet Shop has bottomless tea of several varieties:

One of the stands in Pike Place Market:

How to strike it rich in the Klondike, as told by the Museum of History & Industry:

The Museum of History & Industry sits on Lake Union and has a complete history of all things Seattle:

The water tower in Volunteer Park has one of the best free views of Seattle:

The Center for Wooden Boats has free rides on…wooden boats, on Sundays:

Washington Park Arboretum is fragrant and beautiful, even on a rainy day:

Volunteer Park Cafe has walls adorned in Obama photos, and tasty coffee & BLTs:

Dick’s Drive-In burgers are famous, but not as good as In-N-Out:

Opened in 2016, Perihelion Brewery has delicious brews, gourmet bar food, and decadent desserts, all made in-house and served by extremely friendly staff:

ETG is a tiny coffee shop in the Fremont district with beckoning ceiling and floor designs. And of course all fair-trade, organic, shop-roasted beans. Even the marshmallow in my mocha was homemade:

And the Museum of History & Industry reminds us that xenophobia in America is not new:

Lake Union in the setting sun:

Cafe Fonte is another place to get a killer breakfast and coffee:

For cheaper deliciousness, there’s Tacos Chukis, for mini-burritos and grilled pineapple-topped tacos:

For biscuits & gravy-gone-wild, there’s Biscuit Bitch, which now has three locations:

Finally, here are a few videos of my first visit to Seattle (mute them if you don’t like cheesy stock music):