I hate to be redundant, but Friday was ANOTHER beautiful day in Seattle.  One of the locals I spoke to said "don't think about moving here . . . it's not usually like this in the winter."  Temps were in the mid 50s and the sun was shining brightly. It was take off to Vancouver day, but I had a couple of last minute things on my list that I hoped to enjoy before leaving Seattle. 
 
A friend recommended the Underground Tour.  I initially thought it meant it was something not mainstream or not in the open.  And essentially this was true of this tour . . but not only was it not mainstream, it was literally underground.The Underground Tour is worthy of its own blog, and I'll be sure to write about it later.  It truly provided an interesting aspect of Seattle's history. 
 
I also made a quick stop at the Seattle Space Needle.  Built for the 1962 World's Fair, it provided outstanding views of the city of Seattle.  Sitting atop the more than 500-foot tall structure is the revolving SkyCity restaurant.
 
After a quick bite to eat, I started my drive north to Vancouver.   It was a pleasant drive inspite of a few aggravations with the traffic. I don't mind traffic delays, and sort of expected them while still near the city, but about 20 miles north, the traffic came to just about a standstill.  In spite of being public transportation friendly, heavy traffic continues to be an issue for Seattle and its surrounding communities. 
 
The border crossing  was uneventful.  Don't forget that a passport or passport ID card is required to cross the border into Canada.  In spite of having nothing to hide, I'm always nervous when answering the border guards questions.  I try to be nonchalant, but tend to stumble over my answers.  I did expect the lines at the border to be longer, but even though (as usual) I got into the line that moved the slowest, I was through the border crossing and traveling in British Columbia within just a few minutes.  (Another useful fact -- BC has a law prohibiting the use of hand held cell phones while driving.) 
 
I haven't had the opportunity to debrief my cousin Chris about his Olympic journey -- he's out having dinner with some of the Olympic VIPs.  But his wife, Susan and son, Tyler, were enthusiastic about their experiences to date.  Lots of entertainment and displays in the downtown Vancouver area . . .  that's next.