October is the height of fresh hop beer season in the Pacific Northwest. We didn’t plan a fresh hop tasting tour to Ballard this year, but ended up doing a small one with a tasting flight of fresh hop beers at Fremont Brewing in Ballard after a late Friday afternoon appointment nearby.

While Ballard remains the center of fresh hop beer in Seattle, this year downtown-based Cloudburst Brewing introduced their much-anticipated Yakima Caviar fresh hop IPA. We marked our calendars for the October 11 release date, and were among the first to sample this excellent beer. Later in the month, we ended up walking past their Ballard tasting room by chance, so stopped in for another pint and some to take home.

This month also is the end of the Alaska cruise ship season in Seattle. Ship arrivals had dwindled by late September, and the Norwegian Sun‘s October 30th departure for Orlando, Florida via the Panama Canal was the last cruise ship departure from the Port of Seattle for the 2023 season. We’ll miss seeing them in port.

James has been super busy at work, and October was only one of two months this year (the other was February) that we didn’t once leave the city. But we were far from bored. We attended Seahawks football and Kraken hockey games, dressed up for an Oktoberfest event, and had several dinners with old friends. Partway through October, we joined our apartment building’s Fall Crawl where Jennifer tried her first shot drink with a concoction called an Inception Bomb, and at the end of the month she got a year older (unrelated :-) ).

Below are highlights from October 4th through 31st, 2023. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a map with our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

 

10/4/2023

 

Tethered Position: 47°36.97’N, -122°20.90’W A worker tethered on for safety. while at the edge one of the higher floors at the Belltown 36 apartment building under construction at 4th & Bell to our west.

 

10/5/2023

 

Fog Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W A fog bank filling Puget Sound this morning, with the Olympic Mountains visible above.

 

10/6/2023

 

Fremont Brewing Position: 47°38.94’N, -122°20.66’W We had an appointment in Ballard late Friday afternoon, so stopped in at the Fremont Brewing Urban Beer garden. We’ve not been here before and were quite impressed with the space. We weren’t the only ones to feel that way. The place was pretty full when we got there, and more people were arriving constantly.

 

Fresh Hop Tasting Flight Position: 47°38.94’N, -122°20.65’W Fresh hop beer season is back! Here we have a tasting flight of Fremont Brewing’s five fresh hop IPAs.

 

Fresh Hop To Go Position: 47°38.94’N, -122°20.66’W We enjoyed Fremont’s Head Full of Fresh Hops so much that we got a four-pack to bring home with us.

 

10/7/2023

 

Mountaineering Boots Position: 47°37.24’N, -122°19.84’W Checking out the mountaineering boots at Feathered Friends in Seattle. We’ll be making a trip to the South Pole this holiday season, and needed crampon-compatible boots for some day climbs during the trip.

 

Oktoberfest Position: 47°41.46’N, -122°19.58’W We attended a dinner tonight to raise money for Home Together, a charity to house families relocating to Seattle for cancer treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The evening had an Oktoberfest theme, so we decided to go all out and dress the part.

 

10/8/2023

 

Cat Food Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W As Spitfire has aged, he’s often become reluctant to eat, so we have a large selection of foods on hand to keep him eating.

 

10/9/2023

 

Furnace Filter Cleaning Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W Time for the annual cleaning of the furnace filters in our apartment complex.

 

10/10/2023

 

Rain City Showcase Position: 47°37.31’N, -122°21.26’W At Climate Pledge Arena for the the Rain City Showcase, a preseason NBA basketball game with the LA Clippers taking on the Utah Jazz. The NBA are likely to return to Seattle soon, and we can’t wait.

 

10/11/2023

 

Yakima Caviar Position: 47°36.69’N, -122°20.71’W Sampling the lauded, and delicious, Fresh Hop Yakima Caviar IPA at Cloudburst Brewing in Belltown.

 

10/14/2023

 

Crane Operator Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W The crane operator climbing to his station at the Belltown 36 apartment building to our west. The crane has been in place for over a year, but we’ve not spotted the operator coming or going until today.

 

Empty Shelves Position: 47°36.96’N, -122°20.91’W Strangely empty shelves at the Belltown Bartell Drugs store. The next day their parent company, Rite-Aid, declared bankruptcy. We’ve been noticing core Seattle pharmacies from all major chains have increasingly thinly-stocked shelves. We expect we’re going to see more store closings.

 

Inception Bomb Position: 47°37.24’N, -122°20.37’W Jennifer having an Inception Bomb at Thomas Street Warehouse on the last stop of our apartment complex’s annual Fall Crawl. An Inception Bomb is a shot within a bomb, within a bomb (a bomb is a shot glass of one beverage inside another larger glass of a different beverage). As the first shot glass is removed and consumed, the next glass falls into the larger one, creating the bomb, and the final glass falls into the pitcher. Jennifer has never done a shot before, but the complexity of this caught her interest and she decided to give it a try.

 

10/15/2023

 

Luna Position: 47°40.06’N, -122°23.58’W The pristine and spacious engine room on Nordhavn 71 Luna. Owners Bill and Ronnie Grady invited us to Ballard for a tour of the recently-delivered vessel. The boat is absolutely amazing from all perspectives.

 

Stabbert Marine & Industrial Position: 47°40.09’N, -122°23.41’W While walking along the Ballard waterfront, we passed a sign for Stabbert Marine & Industrial. We’ve known owners Don and Sharry Stabbert for years as owners of the 75ft Northern Marine trawler Starr. We really appreciated their advice during our around-the-world cruise.

 

Cloudburst Brewing Ballard Position: 47°40.08’N, -122°23.19’W Having another taste of the delicious Fresh Hop Yakima Caviar IPA, this time at Cloudburst Brewing’s Ballard location.

 

10/17/2023

 

Gloves Off Position: 47°37.33’N, -122°21.25’W Fights in NHL games are a lot less common than they used to be, but the gloves came off several times as the Seattle Kraken took on the Colorado Avalanche in our season home opener.

 

10/19/2023

 

Garage Door Replacement Position: 47°37.01’N, -122°20.56’W The garage door in our apartment complex is being replaced over a three-day period, during which no vehicles can enter or leave.

 

10/21/2023

 

Mountaineering Boots Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W We need crampon-compatible boots for some day climbs during our trip to the South Pole this Christmas. We’ve been shopping for a while, and settled on La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX that we just picked up from REI.

 

Concrete Form Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W The crane operator transferring a large concrete form at the Belltown 36 apartment building under construction to our west.

 

Space Needle Position: 47°37.20’N, -122°20.96’W The Space Needle looks dramatic lit up at dusk.

 

Game On Position: 47°37.31’N, -122°21.25’W The puck drop as the Seattle Kraken take on the New York Rangers in our third home game of the season. We lost 4-1, but it was an exciting match and we had a great evening.

 

10/22/2023

 

Coal Position: 47°35.67’N, -122°19.83’W A train of coal heading east, certainly for shipment to China, viewed from Lumen Field before a Seattle Seahawks NFL game. It’s king of sad that we’re reducing our energy dependence on coal while shipping it somewhere else. Sharing an atmosphere, coal burned in China is not a whole lot better than coal burned in the United States.

 

Mixed Allegiance Position: 47°35.71’N, -122°19.89’W A fan of both the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks showing his mixed allegiance by wearing both team’s caps. We’ve not yet seen anything, however, that tops Sean Boyle’s mixed allegiance Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings jersey and cap.

 

10/24/2023

 

Honey-Don’t Handyman Position: 47°36.96’N, -122°20.48’W We got a giggle out of this handyman truck parked near our building. Their logo is “We do, what your honey don’t!”

 

Spitfire Helping Position: 47°36.99’N, -122°20.58’W Spitfire helping Jennifer change the sheets on the bed. He’s about as helpful here as he is at the helm on Dirona, but at least he didn’t fall asleep.

 

10/25/2023

 

Zoox Position: 47°36.96’N, -122°20.58’W A Zoox test car in downtown Seattle sporting the new white and multicolored livery and carrying more subtle camera arrangements than we’ve seen in the past.

 

10/26/2023

 

Concrete Pour Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W A long delivery arm bringing bringing concrete to the 29th floor of the Belltown 36 apartment building.

 

Workers Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W The concrete pour on the 19th floor of the Belltown 36 apartment building started early this morning and was finished before noon. Moving that fast requires a lot of workers, although judging from the picture it takes ever more supervisors :).

 

Cement Pump Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W A prodigious amount of power is required to lift a 29-floor-high 4-inch cylinder of concrete. That’s well over 300 feet.

 

10/27/2023

 

Olympic Mountains Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W The Olympic Mountains with the first dusting of snow for the 2023 winter season.

 

10/28/2023

 

Norwegian Bliss Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W The Norwegian Bliss moored at Pier 66 after its last sailing of the 2023 Alaska cruise season. The ship will be heading to Mexico tomorrow to cruise there until early January. Then it will transit the Panama Canal for Miami and the Caribbean.

 

Belltown 36 Position: 47°36.91’N, -122°20.67’W Looking way up from street level to the 30 floors of the Belltown 36 apartment building under construction to the west of our apartment complex.

 

Empty Shelves Position: 47°36.80’N, -122°20.49’W More surprisingly empty pharmacy shelves, this one at the Belltown CVS. It’s a signal that more pharmacy closures may be coming in the metro Seattle area.

 

First Light Position: 47°36.78’N, -122°20.44’W First Light is a 45-story apartment building under construction at 3rd and Virginia. With so many new apartment buildings under construction or just completed, it will be interesting to see their pricing and occupancy rates.

 

Asean Street Food Hall Position: 47°36.71’N, -122°20.25’W We often get delicious Singapore Noodles at the Asean Street Food Hall in Westlake Center, Seattle.

 

Robotic Deep Fryer Position: 47°36.73’N, -122°20.25’W Robotic deep fryer machines at CaliBurger in Westlake Center, Seattle. Associates put prepared potatoes into baskets, then robots lower the basket into an open location in the deep fat fryer and at the right time remove the final product for serving.

 

Hector Bag Position: 47°36.73’N, -122°20.19’W Thom Browne’s dachshund Hector has been immortalized in several of the designer’s dog-shaped handbags. This wool-cashmere Hector bag in plaid on display at Nordstrom can be had for a mere $2,490.

 

Duane & Michelle Position: 47°36.87’N, -122°20.25’W An excellent evening in great company at Barolo in Seattle with Duane Rodgers and Michelle Walker. We first met them in Melbourne in 2015, and have spent time with them all over the world, including Florida in 2017, and Amsterdam in 2020. We’ve not seen them since then and it was great to catch up and spend time together.

 

10/29/2023

 

Norwegian Encore Position: 47°37.01’N, -122°20.73’W The Norwegian Encore moored at pier 66 after its last sailing, and the penultimate Seattle cruise ship arrival, of the 2023 Alaska cruise season. Tomorrow the Encore will be departing on a near sold-out 21-day cruise through the Panama Canal from Seattle to Miami, and will spend the rest of the winter cruising the Caribbean before returning back to Seattle next spring for the 2024 Alaska cruise season. We enjoyed a Caribbean cruise on the Encore over Thanksgiving last year.

 

35 F Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W Brrr. It’s a chilly 35°F (1.7°C) this morning. Winter has arrived with a bang.

 

Full Moon Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W A fabulous full moon setting over Seattle this morning.

 

Jerry Cantrell Position: 47°35.71’N, -122°19.85’W Jerry Cantrell, Alice in Chains’ lead guitarist, playing an excellent rendition of the US anthem before the start of the Seattle Seahawks game against the Cleveland Browns. In an exciting and closely-matched contest, the Seahawks came from behind and scored a game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds left in the game, beating the Browns 24-20.

 

10/30/2023

 

Norwegian Sun Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W The Norwegian Sun en route from Seattle to Orlando, Florida via the Panama Canal. This is the last cruise ship departure from the Port of Seattle for the 2023 season. We’ll miss seeing them in port.

 

Hallowe’en at the Spheres Position: 47°36.95’N, -122°20.42’W Hallowe’en decorations at the Amazon Spheres.

 

Seattle Fire Department Position: 47°36.95’N, -122°20.41’W The Seattle Fire Department deployed three large fire trucks, including their ladder track, to the Via 6 apartment complex on 6th Ave between Blanchard and Lenora. We passed them as we walked out for dinner, but we couldn’t see anything obvious amiss.

 

Willmott’s Ghost Position: 47°36.93’N, -122°20.38’W It’s amazing that we’ve never eaten at Willmott’s Ghost in the Amazon Spheres, given the restaurant is right next door to James’ office and we’ve walked past hundreds of times. We were both under the impression that it was mainly a lunch restaurant, but they have a great dinner menu focusing on Italian cuisine. We had an excellent meal, loved the atmosphere, and definitely will return.

 

10/31/2023

 

Port of Seattle Position: 47°36.92’N, -122°20.66’W The Port of Seattle shrouded in fog this morning.

 

Skyscraper Alley Position: 47°37.11’N, -122°20.19’W Denny Way has become known as Seattle’s “Skyscraper Alley” due to the number of highrises that have recently been constructed, with more to come. On the left is the distinctive wavy-shaped 42-story REN at Fairview and Denny. At right is the 44-story Ivey on Boren.

 

Imperfect Foods Position: 47°37.17’N, -122°20.14’W Imperfect Foods grocery delivery seeks to avoid food waste by supplying high-quality products that would otherwise go to waste because they are misshapen or just surplus.

 

Seattle Times Position: 47°37.18’N, -122°20.10’W A new office building is replacing the old Seattle Times building at Fairview and John. The heritage building was constructed in 1931 by the Times founding family, the Blethens, and declared a city historical landmark in 1996. The business name is visible in a portion of the preserved structure.

 

Fall at SLU Position: 47°37.04’N, -122°20.40’W Fall decorations at the Amazon South Lake Union (SLU) campus.

 

Happy Birthday Jennifer Position: 47°37.03’N, -122°20.30’W Celebrating Jennifer’s birthday at one of our favorite Seattle restaurants, Butcher’s Table.

 

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map. And a map of our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.