United to Seattle

On Tuesday morning, I “flew” from Fort Collins to Seattle. Why the quotes? United Airlines has recently started service between Fort Collins and Denver, but the mode of transportation is not a plane, but a motorcoach. 

The Fort Collins airport is less than ten minutes from our home, making the trip so much more convenient. Yes, it does cost an additional $40 each way, but Tim did not have to drive me to the Denver airport. At the present time, I could not go through security in Fort Collins, but that will soon be changing. Avoiding security lines in Denver will be an even bigger bonus.

The ride to Denver and the flight to Seattle were uneventful. I even had an empty seat next to mine. We landed early, and I walked to SeaTac’s light rail station and caught the train that would take me downtown.

It was raining when I got off, but the walk to the hotel was a short one, and I checked into the Embassy Suites. I had selected that hotel since it is across the street from the King Street Station, where I would board the Coast Starlight the next morning. I was pleasantly surprised when the hotel upgraded me to a corner suite, and I had a nice view of the bay and downtown.

The View from My Hotel Window

I quickly dropped my bags and headed out to explore King Street Station, knowing that I wouldn’t have much time in the morning. What a beautiful train station. The building had been restored several years ago, and the space is gorgeous. The Amtrak personnel I spoke with seemed to be proud of the station and were willing to talk about it with me, even suggesting I visit the mezzanine where I was able to get a closer view of the architectural details.

King Street Station

King Street Station

Waiting Room, King Street Station

Architectural Detail, King Street Station

Although I had been warned about the homeless population around the station, I only saw a few tents on the sidewalk. Since I was arriving late in the afternoon, I had previously decided not to try and explore the city. Walking around most cities by myself after dark doesn’t seem like a great idea anymore.