What a Fieldtrip!

I need to do other things today than write a blog posting, but if I don't write this down now, it's likely I will forget something.

Yesterday was the big fieldtrip to Seattle with the students from Ste. Tulle, their teacher and their principal. If I tell you what we did, you are going to want to lie down and take a nap. {Times are approximate}

7:35 a.m. -Arrive at school to load in parent vehicles

7:45 -Drive to ferry dock; park cars.
8:30 -Walk on ferry.
9:20 - Walk from ferry dock along the Seattle waterfront to the Seattle Aquarium.
View the exhibits indoors and out, including touch tanks. See seals and otters playing. See diver feeding fish.

10:30 -Walk up the Pike Street Hillclimb to Pike Place Market.

Visit fish vendor, spice & tea shop, doughnut vendor. Sample jellies, honey, chocolate pasta, kumquats, etc. Look at local crafts.

Walk to the alley to see the "gum wall;" students chew & place their gum on wall.

The Gum Wall

Visit original Starbucks store. Buy souvenirs.

12:30 p.m. -Walk to Westlake Center. On the way, students walk through "interactive" fountain in Westlake Park. Ride escalator up to top floor of mall. Show students various food vendors. Choose what to eat for lunch; sit down and eat.

1: 30 -Board Monorail and ride through the Experience Music Project building (designed by Frank Gehry) to the Seattle Center.

The Monorail

EMP

Go to the Space Needle. Students ride elevator to top observation deck. Students return to base of Needle to shop for souvenirs.

{Two boys and one chaperone peel off for the REI Flagship store at this point}
2:45 -Board Monorail and ride back to Westlake Center. Disembark and cross the street to Nordstrom Flagship store. Meet Smileygirl and her husband for tour and sales/shopping lesson/game. Winning student is given a book on fashion. Students shop at Nordstrom. {Boys and chaperone rejoin the group.}
4:00 -Return to Westlake Center for more shopping.
4:30 -Depart Westlake Center to walk to North Face Store (students' request). Walk through Seattle Symphony Hall, introducing group to glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly.

Chandelier by Chihuly

Walk by Seattle Art Museum. Students take photos with Hammering Man.
5:00 -Arrive North Face Store. More shopping.
5:40 -Students and chaperones depart on foot through Pioneer Square to attend Seattle Mariners baseball game.
{At this point, I walk to the ferry terminal to go home; other parent chaperones take my place. I board the 6:20 ferry, arriving home at 7:30}
10:00 - Students and chaperones board ferry for Bainbridge Island.
10:50 p.m. -Zoe arrives at our house.

The students are touring the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, and taking a kayak lesson back in Poulsbo today. I'm getting re-organized here at home.