Friday Explorations!

So having been in Seattle for a little more than two months now, I finally made it up close for a to the Seattle Space Needle. I was volunteering for the Life Science Research Weekend down at the Pacific Science Center which is just adjacent to the Needle itself. So my trip began with a ride down Aurora and I exited at Denny Way. Lo and behold, I found myself face to face with this fine beauty!

What is this Elephant's story?

It was quite interesting and I guess I'll have to explore more into the lore of this pink elephant, but on with the exploration! Unfortunately I hadn't thought to bring my camera with me for this visit, so I ended up taking everything on my phone. Next up? I meandered my way underneath the "vast" heights of the Space Needle. I guess the name was appropriate at the time, since they didn't expect the CN tower to burst onto the scene a decade later :D

Not quite the CN tower, but 1/3 the height is not a bad effort...

If you live in Seattle, have kids, and want a nice weekend afternoon, definitely check out the Pacific Science Center. Some fun times could be had there although I'm not sure of the price. The Life Sciences Research Weekend is part of an annual event that exposes the public to science research groups from around the Seattle area. It was definitely a fun morning representing the UW Department of Genome Sciences! Our exhibit was on Genetic Diversity being the Spice of Life.

 

Yes the chairs really are that big.

Here there be dinosaurs!... Yar...

The adventures don't end there! I also visited Bob's Corn Maze Friday night.

Two things to note: it was my first time in a corn maze, and it was the last weekend of the season. Let me just say that at the end of the season, when the rains have been coming down for a week, a corn maze retains it's shape but it's base is not longer stable dirt, but gooey, dripping, life-sucking, shoe-swallowing mud. Meanwhile you're trying to navigate this crazy maze (which comes with a map!) while trying not to slip or sink into the mire surrounding you. Still, it was an adventure!

Looks like this maze consumed yet another sole... probably not its first nor its last.

The maze entrance and exit are directly across from each other so you pretty much come out where you went in. Overall, we managed to actually make it out in a decent time except that we exited from the entrance without realizing it. It goes without saying that the condition of the maze allows for some mistaken shortcuts to be taken in the dark.

Pumpkin-tossing at the end of the night's trek.

One last thing: there's a pit stop in the middle for you to rest and relax at a nice bonfire. I spoke with some of the workers there and they gave an overview of the entire process. Basically, Bob (yes there's a real Bob), will plan the maze for a couple of months. In the spring, he stakes out the entire field into a grid system, spray paints the maze and then plants the corn. After a bit of growth, they trim down the fields and keep the paths cleared. They'll maintain it a few more times, before they open late September or early October. Eventually when they close the maze, it all gets turned into mulch as it's made of field corn, which may be fit for some types of human consumption but not worth processing I guess. They do make $12 a head on the maze anyways!

One last thing: they have a general store open all year long. I bought some delicious pickled beets, a jar of raspberry jam (to pair with my peanut butter and toast!) and a mysterious item called garlic ketchup.

Next year I'll go back to check out the maze, at the BEGINNING of the season :D