Celebrating Sounders and Sun on a Seattle Saturday

We were off to the city by 11:00 sharp, but then Tom discovered that he had left his wallet home so I waited for him at the Link Light Rail station while he went hurriedly back home to get it. Fortunately it's less than two miles away.

Then we waited for the next train.  

 We were just in time for the March to the Match at noon.  As we reached the stadium I quickly hurried to the front to get a photo of the trophies.  On that trip to Philadelphia I helped win that 4th US Open Cup!

 "We are the blue, we are the green, we are the ECS and you can hear us scream!" (ECS = Emerald City Supporters.  We are two of them)

 It is National Hispanic Heritage Month, and we were playing a previously Mexican owned team, Chivas USA, so we had a Mariachi band!

 What a day! Green clad fans flocked to the stadium.

 We had lunch on our "view terrace". 

 The trophies were presented.

 Zach Scott was honored for playing in 300 Matches, all for the Seattle Sounders.  

 The sign says WIN.  We did!

 And as the stadium emptied, I looked at that solid blue sky and decided I was not ready to go home.

 My city beckoned. 

 We walked uptown, surrounded by Sounders fans and locals and tourists, and Mariners fans going the other way, to the baseball stadium next door the the soccer/football stadium. Most of us were playing, but Hammering Man always works.

We descended the University Street Hill Climb steps to the waterfront, where we found the gelato we were seeking.  We found a table at Waterfront Park where we chatted with a couple visiting from Alaska.

 We sat again by this fountain and enjoyed views of the city.

 We climbed back up the Pike Street stairs to The Market.

 It was packed so we kept popping in and out through the side doors.

 I really just wanted to see the flower stalls.  They are so beautiful this time of the year.

 You know there are tourists in town when it's this crowded in front of the original Starbucks. 

 Victor Steinbruck Park was packed with people enjoying the sun and the view.

 And look what I found peeking over the stadium. The mountain is out!

 So long, Seattle.  It's time to go to the train station and back home. 

 But we didn't stay there.  We went to the Red Robin in Des Moines for dinner, and then stopped by the marina to say goodbye to a perfect day.