Just north of Seattle is the Boeing Factory, where this morning Dana secured us an exclusive tour. It was an MBA student's dream! Aside from the Guinness Book of Records certified largest factory in the world, the planes were put together on assembly lines following vastly different theoretical principles. Hannah explained it all to me and I didn't have a clue what she was talking about with her big business words! I'm so proud of her.
Unfortunately you're not allowed to take pictures in the factory itself (boo!), but there were plenty of photo opportunities during our afternoon activity of pirate spotting. What is it with pirates around here? Anyway, it's the annual SeaFair festival and as part of that (in a tradition 60 years old) a bunch of pirates come ashore and "steal" the keys to the city off King Neptune.
We enjoyed the build up of various sailboats flying the skull and crossbones shooting at each other, but when it came time for the pirates to make landfall there were...difficulties. Sadly the US Army landing craft couldn't actually land in the shallow water and so twenty or so pirates, dressed in hundreds of dollars of period costume, had to walk the proverbial plank and swim.
While the keys were being stolen by Davy Jones most of us on the beach watched two overweight pirates 30 feet offshore attempting to dive for a mobile phone that had been lost in the venture. Shiver me timbers!
You could take photos in the (not-so-interesting) museum.
Keeping it British.
Hannah flies coach...
...while Amir and Dana pick out their seats in first class.
I wonder what happens if I push this big red button...?
Whatever. Drill, baby, drill.
Back across the bay to Seattle.
Arrr.
A motley crew.
Waiting for the arrival.
Here they are! Oh, wait, no one thought to check how deep the sea was.
No matter, over we go!
Coming to claim the key (slightly damp).
Then on the way back to the car we amazingly saw an American Bald Eagle. It's absolutely true! Unfortunately my brown splodge doesn't do it justice, so here's an artist's impression blow-up (and while I may have given you cause to doubt me in the past, this one's for real!)
