19__Alki Beach in February

West Seattle is closer than it seems. Within the city limits and a mere bridge away from downtown, it's incredible how this tiny distance seems like a complete regional shift from the northwest to the beaches of California.



As temperatures soared into the mid-60s, everyone was out in the sun. Rollerbladers in numbers I hadn't seen in my life, bicycles, joggers, volleyball - what a bizarre thing to find barely 15 minutes from your house - especially when you didn't know it existed.

Later we explored the neighborhood, a small strip with all the coastal restaurants, bars, and boutiques you'd expect, plus a wide variety of consignments, antiques, and furniture shops. Passing through the "antique mall" (3 floors of crap!) I found the best nostalgia toy I've ever seen. At first glance it's a 7-up bottle with a power cord. But wait...



It opens up to be a desk lamp! And still looks like a soda can. Yet too expensive to even bring home. The pictures will have to tell the tale. What design!



On the way home we stumbled across an incredible lookout back across the bay to the Seattle skyline. This photo at twilight does not do the experience justice. Take a look at a pro shot from this same vantage point (not taken from a camera phone).