The Empire Builder literally skirts the shoreline, tracing the tide down the vast expanse of water. Across the sound, the clouds begin to break enough to make out the mountains beyond. At Shilshole Bay the train gives way to the blue green waters of the North Pacific and the small shelter of the Marina. Years ago I sailed out of here several times when teaching at the EYTV video workshop. Throughout the trip it has been a lot of fun seeing these familiar places from a new vantage point.

Just crossing the Lake Union canal now through the village of Ballard. This was long the home to a small fishing fleet made up mainly of scandic immigrants. Today, like many things tied to the land and the sea, the fleet is all but gone, eaten up by huge corporations.

After sliding across the canal the train passes the grain terminals at the north end of Elliot Bay. Here the sound spreads wide and deep forming one of the finest ports in the world. It was this bay, and the nearby freshwater Lakes Union and Washington, that brought James Hill's Great Northern railway to the small town of Seattle.

The Empire Builder nears the end of its run along the Seattle waterfront. Running slowly along the piers and moored ships the train glides into the station. Ten thirty in the morning, and just a little bit behind schedule.

My first stop is the Wall Street Inn, a bed and breakfast in the Belltown neighborhood. Just north of downtown Seattle, the Wall Street was formerly a hotel for merchant mariners. Today it is fully renovated, cozy and comfortable. My only complaint is the nonsmoking policy. Breakfast is still laid out as I check in, and my room is already made up for me. I grab a cup of coffee and get the computer set up for an upload. A ton of e-mail waits for my reply, mainly from my friends here trying to figure out a plan to get together.

My first friend to visit is Mary. She picks me up at the Inn and we head out for lunch. Just outside the Ballard neighborhood we arrive at the Seattle Fisherman's Terminal. Here the Seattle fleet is based, and it is also the home to vessels from ports north who come here to winter. More than 600 ships call this dock their home, and it is really a working harbor - no yuppie yachts here.

Also here is the Chinook's restaurant. We get a table looking out the big picture windows onto the docks. Mary and I start catching up, and I start picking her mind for advice on a documentary project I am thinking about. Mary works as a freelance producer specializing in documentary subjects. She just wrapped work on an HDTV doc on the history of Mt. Rainier.

Time for the entree, and I am trying something new - adler planked salmon. This is a Northwest specialty, a fillet baked on a wooden plank. A fabulous smoking flavor is the result, and I am perfectly happy with a good lunch.

Mary has the afternoon off, and after lunch we go sightseeing Benthere.com style! The destination: The Center of the Universe... which just happens to be down the road in the neighborhood of Freemont.

Freemont is a cool place. The self proclaimed center of the universe is home to some great coffee shops, an eclectic mix of retail shops, one rocket, one statue of Lenin from the Czech republic, and one Volkswagen eating troll.

I didn't like their attitude, so we move on to get some grub. A few blocks away we come to a Cajun joint. Catfish, crabs, red beans and rice, and hushpuppies for dinner - all of them up to par for Cajun cooking. As we get down to the end of dinner, a blues band takes to the stage right next to our table.

We check them out for their first set and have a few drinks. An OK enough band, a nice mix of original songs and blues classics. Then on to the next stop, a bar called Habana's. There we meet up with another friend of mine, Trevor. Trevor has a friend playing in a band here tonight, but not the one playing when we walk in. That band was a pretty cool mix of rap with a laid back jazz background. I couldn't understand most of the lyrics, but their had a good sound.

Then Trevor's friend and the band get set up and start their show. A cool mix of samples and live guitar, cello (Trevor's friend) and vocals. I guess it would have been in the trance genre, but it had more drive and energy than most trance music I've heard. If I had a girlfriend, I think I would like to get laid to this band.

Saturday 11 December 1999 - Ok, I think I probably crammed to many things into the last couple of days. I sleep in until about 0930 this morning, then grab some breakfast in the lobby. I go back to my room to figure out what to do today, only to go back to bed and crash for a while.

Finally on my feet again around noon, I decided to head down to the Pike Place Market. This great public market is one of the big reasons why I wouldn't mind living in Seattle. Like the sign here says, "Meet the Producer," all the food here is fresh and fabulous, from fruit of the fields to fruit of the seas.

This time I find a few things I hadn't noticed before, like Cafe Maxmillian. Tucked away behind and above one of the bigger fish stands, the French bistro has some great views of Elliot Bay and the mountains beyond. And they have a great menu as well. I make a lunch of a small salad and an acceptable escargot in lemon dill sauce. Finished off with a great glass of wine, this place will likely become a regular stop on my regular visits to Seattle.

Back to the market, and a little bit of shopping. I start by picking up some postcards, then drop by my belt guy to see if he has anything new. He doesn't, and I make another loop around the market to pick up a few other things that caught my eye. I now have to totally repack my bags to accommodate everything, but I do have my Christmas shopping done!

A leisurely walk back to the Wall Street Inn, and yet another nap. Up again in the mid afternoon, and running out of steam. I grab a cup of coffee, and start working on the web site. I feel a little guilty that I've been falling behind so much on this project, but I've been having fun. While there are still a few things that I could have done this afternoon, the day turned into the stereotypical Seattle day of dark overcast gloom. Yuck!

So, here I am cranking out the last words from this trip. Up early tomorrow to catch my planes back to Washington. Thanks for coming by and tracking my trip across the country. It's been a wonderful time, with lot of fun adventures and new people. I'm sorry that the updates were not as frequent as I had hoped, and that I haven't really gotten into the history behind James Hill and the Empire Builder. Be well, and safe travels!