hippie1427

we visited over the past weekend, mostly because it is attached to the sfm. However, the sky opera was dedicated to Michael Jackson, and was playing his videos, displaying a jacket and glove of his, and letting you write your thoughts on huge sheets of paper. While I haven’t been interested in Michael Jackson since I was about 9, he was certainly a part of my childhood. We also visited the hendrix exhibit, and checked out some posters from the print shop in nashville (where I practically live, and which adorn the nashville airport I flew to seattle from)

While the price will deter me from a return trip up the elevators, This is undoubtedly a do it once attraction. It simply wouldn’t be right to visit seattle, and not go up in the needle, any more than you can go to St. Louis without visiting the arch. Besides, you can watch sea planes fly in while you are up there.

but when I went to visit Pike’s Place, saw the starbucks in a primo spot, saw how the number of letters perfectly fit the number of windows at the top, I thought, this is probably the first one, and behold, indeed it was. So we bought a coffee. Sure, why not!

7 hour epic Lost world adventure, where you abseil down into this incredible cave system, and swim, climb and crawl your way out. Beyond amazing. And since I was wearing a thick wetsuit which held a lot of water while I was climbing and walking, I was unbelievably sore all over for the next 2 days. Some level of fitness is required.

we wanted to do just the halfday, but since it was full, we did the full day, and boy am I glad. We got to squeeze through blue ice tunnels and crevices that I don’t think we could have reached on the half day.

For me, the drive in was actuallly the best part. It was early morning and the clouds filled the valleys. The mountain tops were impossible to see, shrouded in mist. Coming through the tunnel, the valley below was just peaks pointing up through the clouds. By the time we reached port, the clouds had cleared for a beautiful sunny cruise, but at this point, I think was just overwhelmed by the beauty of everything that the cruise didn’t seem nearly as impressive as it might have if it had not been preceded by that drive. Still, going right up to a waterfall and getting wet in it was very fun, as was seeing some of the native wildlife at the underwater observatory.

Go punting in the park. It is too expensive perhaps at $20 per person for 30 minutes, but the park is beautiful and it is a fun, unique, if touristy experience.

what more do you want?

I went swimming with the adorable hector’s dolphin in and just outside of the harbor. At one point I was twising in circles with 2 dolphins spinning around me. It was beyond fun and amazing for wild animals to be so playfully interested in humans.

this is a beautiful country, and amazingly varied for its size. As an american I felt more at home here than I expected. Though many aspects are distinctly European (or English at least). The rain forest are amazing, the ocean waters are blue, and there are mountains looming everywhere. While there is no interstate system aside from a small section around auckland and wellington, there are plenty of pit stops to accomadate those driving, including pull outs to sleep at and cafes sprinkled even in fairly remote areas. And sheep. Millions and millions of sheep. Do not miss this place.