USA West Coast Roadtrip - Day 2

Freshly rested, we get up around 8:00 AM. The time difference doesn't cause us any problems – apparently, it's easier to get used to it when you travel into the future rather than the past. We look for a café to have a (unfortunately bad) breakfast. After that, we walk back to the harbor and buy ferry tickets for the crossing to Bainbridge Island – a neighborhood of Seattle where many small shops with handicrafts can be found. However, after our arrival, we don’t follow the crowds but take a small hiking path along the island's coastline. Tsunami warning signs are everywhere – these will accompany us throughout our entire trip along the Pacific coast. After a short trek, we finally reach the main shopping street of Bainbridge, but we’re not so interested in the shops with glassblowing, wood carvings, and small cafés. We can't take anything home anyway, as our backpacks are already full. The trip to the island was worth it – the ferry ride alone is wonderful. The return journey is delayed because the ferry arrives late. The Seattle skyline gets closer and is truly impressive. Upon arriving at the harbor, we first grab some food at a burger restaurant and sit in the sun. The selection for vegetarians in the USA is extremely limited, and it's hard to find somewhat healthy drinks. The Seattle Aquarium is also located at the harbor – we visit it afterwards. There's an old section with seals, sea otters, a few sad oyster catchers, and the underwater world of Puget Sound (the strait where Seattle is located). The new part of the aquarium is much more colorful, showcasing fish and corals from the Indian Ocean. The keeping of animals in such aquariums can be debated, as the space for the animals is very restricted. Andreas has bought a ticket for a Seattle Sounders soccer game for the evening. So we slowly walk to the Lumen Field stadium, which is also located at the harbor. Apparently, you’re not allowed to bring backpacks or bags into the stadium, or they must be transparent. Therefore, Andreas hands me his backpack. I now stroll through downtown Seattle and discover interesting small shops and squares. At the founding site of Seattle, I find old totem poles from the Indian tribe that originally resided here and a bust of Chief Seattle – after whom the city is named. In a large shopping center, I buy something to drink for Andreas (2 Fantas) and myself (orange juice), and later a few cookies from Subway. Around 8:00 PM, I arrive at the hotel and head straight to bed. Luckily, Andreas manages to make the way back from the stadium alone.