We flew to Seattle a couple of days before our cruise so we could enjoy the city. Our flight went from San Antonio to Los Angeles, then to Seattle. We stayed at a boutique hotel called The Sound. It was located about halfway between the waterfront/Pike Place Market and the Space Needle area. When we arrived in town, we took the light rail to the stop closest to our hotel, then made our way the remaining four or five blocks with all of our luggage. We napped for most of the afternoon and had dinner at the hotel.
The next day we first went down to Pike Place Market. It was mid morning, and the entire market was very active. There were several artists selling glasswork, prints, and textiles. Diana visited with several of them. The weather was pleasant and sunny. We had lunch at a small restaurant in the market that had great views (and slow service).
Next we walked toward the Space Needle so we could visit Chihuly Garden and Glass which is right next door. The displays at the glass museum were fantastic and on such a grand scale. We watched a short glass blowing demonstration in the courtyard. One artist crafted a glass vase while another narrated the entire process. It was a lot of fun to watch the entire piece created in about half an hour.