Nobody told me this but Seattle is supposedly famous for it’s rainy/perpetually overcast weather. Today was no exception so we decided to take a trip to the Museum of Flight, located at the site of the original Boeing factory.
Amongst it’s aircraft on display are a British Airways Concorde, a 707 based Air Force One (the very one that Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn inon after John F. Kennedy was assassinated), and an SR-71 Blackbird.
The museum is situated right near the Boeing Field Airport and as such aircraft can be seen taking off and landing here. While I was ordering lunch my request was interrupted by a loud rush of noise. As I turned around I saw a US Navy jet racing down the runway and taking off.
After lunch we took a wander outside towards a growing crowd surrounding the fences separating the museum grounds from the runways. We could see, lined up on the runways, a group of Blue Angels F/A-18′s looking ready to go. Even from the distance we were at we could hear their jet engines idling. With perfect timing, just as we found a perfect spot to watch and get comfortable, they began to take off. Just as one group took off another came screaming down the runway with engines at full throttle.
They have quite an excellent exhibition on the early days of boeing including a glimpse into the original factory floor that made their beautifully constructed wooden aircraft.
We both rather had a lot of fun exploring this place. I’m quite a fan of the subject matter and the opportunity to be so close to those FA18′s take off, to feel the sound resonate through your body, was just the icing on the cake.
We left the museum around 5pm, having taken a look through all of the exhibits. By the time we got back to our hotel room we were getting hungry again and decided to make our second Man V Food trek for this leg of the trip. With my memory of the Seattle episode fresh in my mind I decided that we should go to Beth’s cafe, home of the 12 egg omelette.
I ended up ordering the 6 egg Southwestern Exposure; an omelette made with 6 eggs, beef brisket chili, salsa, sour cream, and cheddar cheese; and which comes with a side of toast and a generous amount of hash brown. I managed to nom my way though the lot, leaving the place quite (read: extremely) full. I have to admit for a moment I did consider the 12 egg monster but in retrospect I’m glad I didn’t.
Aside from the huge food servings and it’s appearance in Man V Food, Beth’s cafe is known for having it’s walls completely covered in art made by the patrons. Anybody who eats there is allowed to stick their artwork to the walls.
With Beth’s cafe and the Crab Pot down, that only leaves Red Mill burgers left on my Seattle Man v Food quest.
Update: Later that night I took this photo out of our hotel window. Using a stack of bags as my tripod, I managed to get the camera stable enough for a longer exposure.
