MV Dirona travel digest for Winter 2023


Show Winter 2023 travel log map Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise.

On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at //mvdirona.com/maps/LocationCurrent.html.


   

1/3/2023: ATL Skytrain
Riding the Skytrain between terminals at Atlanta airport on our way back to Seattle from Buenos Aires.
1/3/2023: Wyoming
A view to snow-covered Wyoming on our flight from Atlanta to Seattle.
1/3/2023: Boeing Field
Over 2 dozen Boeing 737s on the ground at Boeing field. The planes are painted in the livery of the purchasing airline, and include Southwest Airlines, Russian airline S7, and the Chinese companies Schenzen Airlines, 9 Air and China Airlines.
1/3/2023: Deep Dive
Deep Dive is a speakeasy underneath the Seattle Spheres. The ultra-popular venue usually requires reservations days in advance, but we occasionally stop in on our way home from dinner to see if we can get a table and were in luck tonight. We're not big cocktail drinkers, but really enjoy the ones here, and their snug and eclectically-decorated space.
1/4/2023: Olympics
The Olympic Mountains with a thick coat of snow.
1/5/2023: Maiz
The Mexican restaurant Maiz recently opened in the base of our apartment building, and we stopped in for dinner tonight. We loved the atmosphere, and their food and margaritas are delicious.
1/6/2023: 2120
Dinner outside at 2120 with a view to the Seattle Spheres. The restaurant has tried several generations of tents for outdoor seating and the current one is very effective. We were almost too warm sitting under the patio heater.
1/6/2023: Teku Tavern
An after-dinner drink at Teku Tavern. We love this 1950s-style seating area, and their excellent selection of local craft beer.
1/7/2023: Utility Hole
A deep utility hole outside our building was opened for work on the power lines.
1/7/2023: Old Stove Brewery
Lunch at Old Stove Brewery on the Seattle waterfront near Pike Place Market. The popular restaurant is almost impossibly busy in the summer, but not so early January.
1/7/2023: QR Code
Instead of a paper to scan for the menu, Old Stove has attractive wood QR codes.
1/7/2023: South Sound Series
Sailboat racers off Duwamish Head in the first race of the 2023 South Sound Series.
1/7/2023: Here Today
At the recently-opened Here Today Brewery and Kitchen near the Olympic Sculpture Park. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the beer, and are looking forward to returning when their patio is open in the summer.
1/8/2023: Helicopters
Four large helicopters returning back to Joint Base Lewis-McChord after passing over Seattle. The aircraft are quite loud and we can hear them coming a long way off. They were practicing for a fly over for the Seahawks game later in the day.
1/8/2023: Garage Floor
While we were away, the garage floor at street level in the 4th & Bell construction site was completed and another garage floor has been partially built above it.
1/8/2023: Seahawks
At Lumen Field on a rainy day to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the final game of the season.
1/8/2023: Overtime
In an closely-contested and exciting match, the game went into overtime. The Seahawks eventually beat the Chargers 19-16, sending us to the playoffs as a wild card.
1/9/2023: Storm Coming
A squall moved into the area today, bringing high winds and heavy hail. The water in Elliott Bay is streaked from the wind (click image for a larger view).
1/10/2023: Roxanne
Amazon's first package bundling machine, nicknamed "Roxanne", on display in lobby of the Amazon South Lake Union office building of the same name. The machine flashed a red light to signal an operating malfunction, a common occurrence as the line team was learning to use it. In response to the red fault light coming on, the team started singing the Police song Roxanne, whose opening lyrics are "Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light".
1/10/2023: Matterhorn
An image of the Matterhorn inside a Burberry display at the Seattle Nordstrom department store. We're still pretty excited to have seen the Matterhoen in person on last year's trip to Switzerland.
1/10/2023: Sunset
Spectacular sunset over Elliott Bay.
1/12/2023: Waikiki Beach
Looking down to Waikiki Beach from our room at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort. On a whim, we made a last-minute decision to go to Honolulu for the long weekend and arrived just past 11pm. We've not been back to Hawaii since we departed for Palmyra in 2013 on our trip around the world in Dirona.
1/12/2023: Diamond Head
We just landed a couple of hours ago and this is the view south towards Diamond Head from our hotel room.
1/12/2023: Mai Tai
Enjoying our first Hawaiian Mai Tai in a decade overlooking the beach at Duke's Waikiki Restaurant in our hotel.
1/13/2023: Cruise Ship
A cruise ship arriving into Honolulu just past 6am.
1/13/2023: Treasure Hunters
Treasure hunters working the beach before dawn looking for lost valuables.
1/13/2023: The Offic
Getting some work done on the balcony of our hotel room, with Diamond Head visible beyond.
1/13/2023: Surfers
Early-morning surfers in the waters off Waikiki Beach.
1/13/2023: Metal Detectorist
A metal detectorist heading home after searching the beach for lost valuables in the early morning before the crowds arrive.
1/13/2023: Cruise Boat
One of several day cruise boats moored at Waikiki Beach. The boats run right up onto the beach for passengers to embark and disembark. They have permanently-installed anchors up the beach.
1/13/2023: Foiling Surfboard
A powered foiling surfboard.
1/13/2023: International Market Place
The last time we were in Hawaii, in 2013, the International Market Place was still in its original form consisting of dozens of small stalls selling jewellery, clothing, and souvenirs. Later that year, the market was closed for a complete renovation and replaced with a three-story complex including restaurants and high-end stores.
1/13/2023: Banyan Tree
The huge banyan tree is the only thing preserved from the original Honolulu International Market Place.
1/13/2023: Aloha Beer
Enjoying a pint on the terrace at the Aloha Beer brewpub in Honolulu.
1/13/2023: Hibiscus
A lovely hibiscus growing on the well-tended and tranquil grounds of the Royal Hawaiian Resort.
1/13/2023: Waikiki Yacht Club
High on our list of things to do in Honolulu was to stop in at the Waikiki Yacht Club, where we lived for several months in 2012-2013 on Dirona prior to setting off on our trip around the world.
1/13/2023: Don and Sharry
A great evening at the Waikiki Yacht Club with Don and Sharry Stabbert of MV Starr. Prior to starting our trip around the world, Don and Sharry met with us to hear about our planned route and made suggestions on destinations. Their advice improved our trip greatly, and we really enjoyed our several-month stay at the Waikiki Yacht Club that they arranged. We’ve crossed paths with them many times since, most notably in Sweden during the Cruising Club of America Stockholm Archipelago Cruise. The Stabberts now live in Honolulu and it was wonderful to get together and catch up.
1/13/2023: Fireworks
Our walking route back to our hotel from the Waikiki Yacht Club took us past a great viewing point for the weekly Friday night fireworks. The show was spectacular.
1/13/2023: Fire Dancer
A fire dancer on Waikiki Beach.
1/13/2023: Beer
We got a giggle out of this Beer shirt on display at the Honolulu International Market Place.
1/14/2023: Spitfire
Spitfire looking very interested in something at Wagly Pet Campus in Bellevue, his home-away-from-home while we are traveling.
1/14/2023: Skybox Taproom
A delicious pizza lunch at Skybox Taproom in the Honolulu International Market Place while watching the Seattle Seahawks take on San Francicso 49ers in an NFC wildcard game. Sadly, we lost 23-41, ending our season. But just reaching the playoffs was impressive in what was a rebuilding year after longtime quarterback Russell Wilson was traded to Denver.
1/14/2023: StripSteak
An excellent dinner on the terrace at StripSteak in the renovated Honolulu International Market Place.
1/15/2023: Surfers
Early morning surfers, and an overnighting catamaran, off Waikiki Beach.
1/15/2023: Breakfast
Enjoying breakfast on the lanai of our room at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, with Diamond Head visible in the background.
1/15/2023: Starr
Don and Sharry Stabbert's 77ft (23 m) Northern Marine Starr anchored for the afternoon off Waikiki Beach.
1/15/2023: Sunset Drinks
Another item high on our list of things to do in Honolulu was to have sunset drinks at the Halekulani resort, a tradition for at least three generations of Hamiltons.
1/15/2023: Halekulani
It's been a nearly a decade to the day since our last Halekulani visit, and we're having a fabulous evening.
1/15/2023: Sunset
A spectacular sunset during our evening at the Halekulani resort in Waikiki.
1/16/2023: Dawn
A final dawn view to Diamond Head from our Waikiki hotel room before we depart for Seattle later this morning.
1/16/2023: Leonard's
A long queue at Leonard's Bakery, operating since 1952, as we head to the airport. Their incredibly popular specialty is malasadas, a delicious Portuguese fried donut that has become an island icon. We call them "sinkers" because we would load up on them before heading out to snorkel at Hanauma Bay, where we would run risk of sinking due to the all the donuts we ate. We absolutely love those donuts, but that line length exceeds our desire.
1/16/2023: Ke'ehi Boat Harbor
Pleasure craft at anchor and on the docks at Ke'ehi Boat Harbor, viewed shortly after our plane took off from Honolulu.
1/16/2023: Kewalo Basin
Kewalo Basin, left, with Ala Wai Harbor barely visible at far right. Ala Wai Harbor is home to the Waikiki Yacht Club, where we lived for several months aboard Dirona in 2012-2013 (click image for a larger view).
1/16/2023: Oahu
The southwest coast of Oahu, with Waikiki Beach at left and the volcanic craters of Diamond Head at lower right and Hanauma Bay at upper right.
1/16/2023: Diamond Head
View into the inside of Diamond Head. The crater was home to the first military reservation in Hawaii, Fort Ruger, established in 1906. Over the years, seven tunnels were constructed through the sides of the mountain to reach the interior. Today most military activity has ceased at Diamond Head, except for a National Guard emergency operations center and a Hawaii State Civil Defense Headquarters.
1/16/2023: Hanauma Bay
The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve at right is one of the best snorkeling destination on Oahu, and is very popular.
1/16/2023: Elliott Bay Marina
View to Elliott Bay Marina, bottom center, and across Magnolia towards Ballard at top as our flight from Honolulu arrives into the Seattle area.
1/19/2023: Holiday Lights
Holiday light display at the Amazon South Lake Union Campus.
1/20/2023: The Eagle
The Eagle by American artist Alexander Calder, with the sun setting over Elliott Bay in the background, viewed as we walked out to dinner at nearby AQUA. The work is one of 18 permanent exhibits in the award-winning nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park along the Seattle waterfront.
1/20/2023: Father and Son
The fountain and sculpture Father and Son by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois at the southwest corner of the Olympic Sculpture Park.
1/20/2023: Echo
The monumental sculpture Echo by Spanish visual artist Jaume Plensa in the Olympic Sculpture Park stands over 46ft (14 m) tall. We saw another of Plensa's work, Anna, at the Pilane Sculpture park on the west coast of Sweden.
1/20/2023: AQUA
Looking out to Elliott Bay from our table at AQUA seafood restaurant. It was our first time there and we had an excellent evening.
1/20/2023: Evening
The sculpture Echo lit up at night, with the Seattle Space Needle visible in the distance.
1/23/2023: Sunset
Elliott Bay painted orange under a spectacular sunset.
1/23/2023: Waxing Crescent
A waxing crescent moon a couple of days after a New Moon.
1/26/2023: I-5
Traffic on I-5 as James walks back to work from a medical appointment. I-5 is perpetually under construction.
1/26/2023: Maiz
We quite enjoy Maiz, the new Mexican restaurant that opened in our building, and come here often. Their margaritas are particularly good, and the painted tiles and figurines make the setting unique and appealing.
1/28/2023: Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken warm up during the pre-game show, which ends with a large Kraken tail lowering onto the ice.
1/28/2023: Flag
Fans supporting a huge Kraken flag between periods. In an exciting game, the Kraken beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2.
1/28/2023: Lake Union
Lights reflecting into Lake Union on a calm evening.
1/29/2023: Brrrr
It's a chilly 31°F (-0.5° C) this morning in Seattle.
1/29/2023: Olympic Mountains
Small boats in Elliott Bay with the snow-covered Olympic Mountains in the background.
1/30/2023: 27 Degrees
The temperature is well below freezing this morning at 27°F (-2.7° C). That's about 10°F (5.4°C) below average for this time of year.
1/30/2023: Water Fountain
Some well-intentioned administrator got the great idea of "reducing disease spread" by padlocking every drinking fountain in the Polyclinic Madison building to prevent the fountains from being used. We're suspicious that the upside of being well-hydrated might exceed the risk of disease transfer through drinking fountains. And, if it really is better to shut off all drinking fountains in the medical facility, shutting off the water might be cheaper than a padlock on each.
1/31/2023: Topmost Garage Floor
The forms are in place for the topmost garage floor at the 4th & Bell construction site, ready for a layer of concrete.
2/2/2023: US Mail Chute
A US Mail chute in the downtown Seattle Polyclinic building. US Mail chutes have been popular in multi-floor buildings since the late 1800s, but were superseded by modern building mailrooms that can handle larger volumes of mail. By 1997, the National Fire Protection Association banned their construction in new buildings because they provide a conduit for fires to spread between floors. Their other downside is that letters can get stuck in them, and sometimes not be discovered for decades.
2/4/2023: Seattle Boat Show
Looking across the display floor at the annual Seattle Boat Show at the Lumen Field Event Center.
2/4/2023: Dirona Around the World
James presenting during our Seattle Boat Show seminar. Read more ...
2/4/2023: Life Proof Boats
After our Seattle Boat Show seminar, we spent some time touring the floor, particularly this Life Proof Boats 35 Full Cabin. It's a totally different design point from Dirona, but at a top speed of 54 mph (87 kph) would allow us to quickly reach local destinations such as the San Juan or Gulf islands. Exploring different design points is fun, and this one has some appeal for us.
2/4/2023: Bow Thruster
An innovative fold-out bow thruster on a Beneteau sailboat on display at the Seattle Boat Show.
2/4/2023: The Library
Stopping for a drink on our way home from the Boat Show at the cozy Library bar in the Alexis hotel. We stayed in the hotel on one of our return visits to Seattle and really enjoyed the Library.
2/5/2023: Lai Rai
Lunch at recently-opened Lai Rai before walking down to Bell Harbor for the afloat portion of the Seattle Boat Show. They brought us a complementary tray of three delicious desserts after our order was slightly delayed.
2/5/2023: Seattle Boat Show
Our old home port, Bell Harbor Marina, is hosting the afloat portion of the Seattle Boat Show.
2/5/2023: Hampton 63
On the flybridge of a Hampton 63 at the Seattle Boat Show. It's not really our style of boat, but we quite liked the design with the galley at pilot house level.
2/5/2023: Ranger 43CB
The latest and largest Ranger Tug in the fleet, a 43CB , at the Seattle Boat Show.
2/5/2023: Utility Room
We've always been impressed with the creative space-utilization of the Ranger Tugs. The designers pack a lot into a small space. On this 43CB at the Seattle Boat Show, the dinette lifts away hydraulically to reveal a utility room underneath containing a full-sized washer and dryer.
2/5/2023: Model Car
Remote-controlled cars are becoming increasingly capable. This one we saw in a downtown parking lot is capable of something close to 20 miles an hour (32 kph) with a high-performance suspension and aggressive, low-inflation tires supporting impressive handling even on rough or wet surfaces.
2/6/2023: Lobby Closed
The lobby of our apartment building is closed this morning while the overhead glass panels are replaced.
2/8/2023: Shinya Shokudo
Jennifer enjoying a Sake tasting flight at Shinya Shokudo. James has a Kyoto Matcha IPA that is very green in color, but quite tasty. We continue find new restaurants to try in Belltown and really enjoyed the grilled skewer dishes at Shinya Shokudo, particularly the blistered shishito peppers.
2/8/2023: Fire Station 2
Boots ready to go for a quick launch at Seattle Fire Station 2, viewed as we walked home from dinner at Shinya Shokudo.
2/9/2023: Stitches
Jennifer managed to nearly slice off the end of her thumb while cooking and just got stitches at Virginia Mason. At least we know our knife sharpener is working well.
2/10/2023: Maiz
Another great evening at Maiz at street level in our apartment building.
2/11/2023: Hill Top Ale House
Lunch at our favorite table at Hill Top Ale House in Queen Anne. The beer and ambiance are excellent, we love the street view from this table, and they have a blistered shishito pepper dish that is delicious.
2/11/2023: Flight of Gulls
Looking across the the sculpture Flight of Gulls to the Seattle Space Needle as we walk home through Seattle Center from Queen Anne. The sculpture is part of the larger Fountain of Creation created by American sculptor Everett Dupen for the 1962 World's Fair.
2/11/2023: International Fountain
The 125-jet International Fountain, built for the 1962 World's Fair, is a perennial favorite at Seattle Center and always attracts a crowd. Children never tire of trying to outwit the jets by getting in close, then running away squealing and laughing when water suddenly sprays towards them.
2/11/2023: Teku Tavern
A drink at our favorite table in Teku Tavern southwest of Seattle Center.
2/14/2023: Butcher's Table
A Valentine's Day dinner at The Butcher's Table. Pictured with us is Jason Sanneman, the Assistant General Manager and Wine Director. We enjoy chatting about food and wine with Jason when he drops by.
2/15/2023: Brrr
The Seattle temperature remains cold, at just below freezing this morning.
2/15/2023: Above Garage
The floor above garage level at the 4th and Bell construction site is going into place.
2/15/2023: Taqueria Cantina
Delicious tacos and margaritas for dinner at Taqueria Cantina in Belltown.
2/16/2023: Brick Mural
A decorative brick mural depicting Seattle past and present on the Lumen telecom building in Belltown.
2/16/2023: Musicians
A metal sculpture of musicians covering a large air intake at a Belltown building near 2nd and Lenora.
2/17/2023: Bedside Lights
We've been looking for some bedside lights for the guest bedroom for ages and found some we liked today
2/17/2023: Foundation
The foundation of the apartment building being constructed north of our apartment is taking shape.
2/18/2023: Seattle RV Show
We've never attended the Seattle RV Show before, and decided to check it out this weekend. We're not really in the market for an RV, but it's fun to look and get ideas.
2/18/2023: Thor Aria
This Thor Aria Class A motorhome has a huge interior with multiple slide-outs on each side. It was nicely done, but we'd not likely want something so large. Were we to get an RV, we'd probably want something small and nimble such as a Winnebago Revel.
2/18/2023: Wildwood Grand Lodge
We definitely don't want to tow, but this Wildwood Grand Lodge trailer caught our attention in being so huge. The massive trailer is 43 ft (13.1 m) long and is 13.25 ft (4 m) high, with a raised sleeping loft inside.
2/18/2023: Locus Wines
We stopped in at Locus Wines for a drink on our way home from the RV show. We'd not been here before and quite enjoyed the wine and the window seat.
2/18/2023: Kraken vs Detroit
Two of the many TV cameras filming the action as the Seattle Kraken take on the Detroit Red Wings. In an exciting game, that we weren't predicted to win, the Kraken beat Detroit 4-2.
2/20/2023: Storm Coming
The winds are picking up in Seattle as a big North Pacific storm heads our way.
2/20/2023: Goodtime III
The Argosy tour boat Goodtime III rolling heavily in tight seas as the storm passes through Seattle.
2/21/2023: Decommissioned ATM
A decommissioned ATM sitting open at our local Walgreen's store.
2/21/2023: Booster Shot
Getting our third COVID booster shot. We've mostly gone with Pfizer, but opted for Moderna this time. The larger dose hopefully will provide us better protection, but it really knocked out Jennifer. She spent much of the following day with a fever over 102°F (39° C), occasionally spiking up to 104°F (40 °C).
2/21/2023: Mantra Thai
Dinner at Mantra Thai after our booster shot. This is yet another restaurant that we've not yet tried, and we quite enjoyed it.
2/22/2023: Snow
A rare snowfall in the Seattle suburb of Belleuve, with our Honda Passport parked at Meydenbauer Dental. James was there for an early-morning appointment and was the first in the parking lot.
2/23/2023: Bushwick Tea
We're sampling various herbal teas as a coffee alternative. This Ginger Turmeric flavor from artisan tea maker Bushwick looks and tastes wonderful, but we didn't like the staining aspect of the turmeric.
2/23/2023: Kraken Store
The Kraken store at Climate Pledge Arena always is busy during a home game, with a line-up out the door.
2/24/2023: Olympic Mountains
The snow-covered Olympic Mountains lit pink in the morning sun.
2/24/2023: Record Low
The temperature is 24°F (-4.4 °C) now, but earlier this morning we hit a recrod record low of 22°F (-5.5 °C) for Feb 24th in Seattle.
2/24/2023: Tonbi
The fountain Tonbi, by Seattle artist George Tsutakawa, on the Amazon campus. The flow is frozen in today's unusually low temperature.
2/24/2023: Second Frozen Fountain
Another frozen fountain, this one near the Amazon Dawson building in South Lake Union.
2/24/2023: Amazon Prime
A broken-down Amazon delivery van. The drivers are moving all the packages from the disabled van to the new one for delivery before the disabled vechile is towed off for service.
2/24/2023: Spitfire
Spitfire doing what he does most, sleeping in his bed.
2/25/2023: 4th & Bell
We find modern construction techniques quite interesting. Here you can see the central elevator shaft with forms that are jacked up one floor at a time. In the middle of the tower attached to the jack-up form is a hydraulically-actuated cement pump that is able to reach the entire surrounding building floor. Cement trucks on the street pour into a cement pump that comes out from the articulating green arm. The workers set the forms over the course of several days, install the rebar, pump cement over the entire floor, then jack up the central form and pours the walls for another floor of the elevator shaft. This process is repeated as the building builds upwards.
2/25/2023: Sound Off!
Musicians on stage during the sound check for tonight's Sound Off! concert at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the Experience Music Project). Sound Off! is a mentoring program for young musicians that includes an opportunity to perform live in the museum's state-of-the-art facility.
2/25/2023: If VI Was IX
The tornado-shaped sculpture If VI Was IX: Roots and Branches by German artist Trimpin at the Museum of Pop Culture. The towering sculpture is made up entirely of musical instruments, mostly guitars. Many of the guitars are self-playing and the sculpture actually plays music.
2/25/2023: AQUA
A great dinner at AQUA with longtime Hamilton family friend Mike Dilley, who is visiting from Eugene, Oregon.
2/26/2023: Snow
The gardens between our two apartment buildings, 33 floors below us, dusted with snow.
2/26/2023: Klondike Gold Rush Museum
At the Klondike Gold Rush Museum in downtown Seattle. The city was the gateway to the gold fields in the late 1800s, and this had a huge effect on Seattle's economy and growth. The city became a major transportation huge and the population increased more than five-fold between 1890 and 1910, from 42,837 to 237,194.
2/26/2023: Routes to the Klondike
The Klondike Gold Map showing the various routes to the Klondike during the late 1800s. The most common route was the land and water route via Skagway or Dyea. Secondary routes included the all-water route via St. Michael and an all-land route through northwest Canada via Fort St. John.
2/26/2023: One Year's Supplies
Canadian police required that anyone heading to the gold fields carry a year's worth of supplies. This is a recommended list from one Seattle supplier, including 150 lbs (68 kg) of bacon and 400 lbs (181 kg) of flour. The total kit weighed over a ton and a prospector would need to take about thirty round trips on foot through the passes to transport all the goods.
2/26/2023: Lunch
An excellent lunch with Mike Dilley at Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar near the Klondike Gold Rush Museum.
2/27/2023: Door Repair
The door to our storage room has become increasingly difficult to open due to slight settling of the building. Our condo maintenance team fixed the problem by shaving a little off the bottom of the door and replacing the strike plate.
2/27/2023: Squall
A squall passing through Elliott Bay, bringing dark skies and strong winds.
2/28/2023: USS Chosin
The guided missile server USS Chosin underway through Elliott Bay with tug assist. The ship is departing Vigor shipyard for its home port of Everett following a successful three-year modernization project.
2/28/2023: Victoria Clipper
The Victoria Clipper arriving into Pier 69 in preparation for the start of the 2023 season in a week or so. The high-speed ferry runs between Seattle and Victoria Canada in the spring through fall.