The trip to Seattle from Manila was about 16 hours , including a stop over at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan. It was my first time with ANA Airlines. I loved the plane and the service. The food, not so much. 🙂 The TV was smaller than Delta and Japan Airlines too. But they had good selection of new movies. I don’t sleep much on the plane so I look forward to watching movies. Plus, I have to mention this, Ana Airline’s pilot is good. The take off and landing was very smooth. Thank you.
We arrived in Seattle at 10am. The line at the immigration was long but when my time came, the interview was short. 🙂 I was asked the normal questions like how long will we be in the U.S. , where we are going, etc. And no, after several trips to America, I wasn’t asked anymore how I can afford to stay there. ha ha
From there, we picked up our luggage and proceeded to the bus station that would take us to the rental car offices. That sounded so easy right? But in a big airport such as Seattle’s, believe me, that’s difficult. You have to figure out where to go and how to go there. But don’t worry, there are signs everywhere. You just need to take a deep breath and read. 🙂 Remember you’re in America already, where the systems work , making the stress level of traveling from 10 to 1. ha ha
Ahh finally, we were delivered at National Rent A Car. I just have to mention this, I love National. Their employees are very professional. And their vehicles are newer and well maintained. That’s why, when I booked our rental car through traveljigsaw.com , I specifically told them to please prioritize National. Gee, we had a terrible experience with Dollar Rent A Car last year, so I wanted to make sure that we do not book with them again. Ever.
Incase you’re wondering why I book through http://www.traveljigsaw.com – sometimes they have promos. And when that happens, booking through them is a lot cheaper than booking through the dealer. Plus when we have problems with our booking, traveljigsaw is just one email away. And if it’s an emergency, like with our sad Dollar experience last year. They called us up. That matters a lot when you’re traveling.
So moving on, my booking said Jeep Grand Cherokee or similar. The “similar” refers to a Hyundai Sta. Fe. It does not compare. At all. So we chose the Jeep. Sometimes though, it’s not really your decision to make. We just got lucky, there was one in the parking space when we arrived. 🙂
With the help of the Jeep’s GPS, the trip to the hotel didn’t take long. I booked our room months ahead of time. So we do not have to worry where to go upon arrival in the US. I chose Homewood Suites by Hilton because of its location. It’s in Pike St. And when you’re in Seattle for a vacation, that’s the place to be. The price was just right considering the room’s huge space and the free breakfast and dinner. I know, I got a good deal when I booked it! If you’re thinking of visiting Seattle , you might want to check their website –
http://www.homewoodsuitesseattle.com/
Oh did I mention that their staff are awesome? 🙂
They have valet parking. So John just gave them key to our vehicle and they took care of it. Check-in wasn’t difficult either. I just gave them my passport and we’re done. We were given the keys and off we went to our room.
So this is gonna be our home for the next 5 days. We just waited for our luggage. And when those were delivered, we went to sleep. 🙂 Yep, grandma and grandpa need to rest. ha ha ha
Yes, this is why I am really hoping that someday, there’s a direct flight from Davao City to the U.S. It’s tiring, specially when you have a one night stop in Manila.
We woke up about 4:30 p.m. The 4 hour sleep did us a world of good! Glad to have a refreshed feeling after such a rigorous trip.
I mentioned earlier that our booking came with free breakfast and dinner right? By the time we went down, their pizza night has already started. So we ate first before going out for a walk. I found that so convenient. With dinner taken cared of, we can concentrate on checking out downtown Seattle. 🙂
First thing first though, look for an AT & T store and buy a US sim card. Why? Because roaming is expensive. Never, ever make a call or receive a call using your roaming line from the Philippines. I made that mistake years ago and I paid “dearly” for it. The US sim card has data. That being said, it’s free to call anyone in my country using skype , magic jack or facebook. For $60 dollars per month, I find that cheap.
AT & T is located at the corner of Pike St. and Broadway. It was about 10minutes walk from the hotel.
We bought a 2 month package for both the hubby and I. We wanted to be sure that we can call or text our family and friends while we are in the US. And I can call / fb my family and our staff back home. The technology these days are amazing. 🙂 Makes doing business worldwide so easy. Plus the mobile google map is a big help when we are on the road. We’ve had experiences before where the car gps seems to be lost. lol So it’s handy when you have data and you can check google map for confirmation. 🙂
From AT & T, we continued walking till we reached the end of the street, where Starbucks and the Farmer’s Market is located. 🙂
So here are some photos I took during our walk:
This Visitor Center is just a few meters away from our hotel along Pike St. It’s such a big help when you want information about the place. The maps and brochures are free. Since I collect those things , I’m so happy we found this visitor center. 🙂 Thank you!
At the Convention Center.
Along Pike Street. Love their Cheesecake! 🙂
The Farmer’s Market at 7:00pm. It’s like 5:30pm in the Philippines. 🙂
Bought this in Starbucks. Not for me. But for a friend who collects starbucks cups. 🙂
John gets tired of telling me to buy souvenir shirts wherever we go. But I feel like I do not need those. I like to collect maps, brochures and pictures of our travels. Plus in my line of business I seldom wear T-shirts. So they will just take more space in our closet. 🙂 That said space is reserved for the outlet malls stuff . Those I can wear for work. haha… Nice excuse to shop right? lol
So here’s my date. And according to him, my driver and luggage carrier. lol I can’t drive, you see. But I carry my luggage. Sounds so defensive huh? hahaha
Thank you John! Love you.
That’s the Seattle Great Wheel, behind him. 🙂
Lea C. Walker
http://www.davaoproperties.com
leawalkerblog 