Crossing The Line
On the way back to the United States, we stopped at a park that is shared between US and Canada. In between the Washington and British Columbia border is a park that symbolizes the peace between the United States and Canada along western North America; the path of the two highways I-5 and BC-99 have never closed, and Peace Arch Park symbolizes that connection between US and Canada.
Since the park is considered an international park, tourists are allowed to cross the border as long as they stay within the boundaries of the park. For the first time in my life, I could say that I was in two countries at once – or I could call myself an AmeriCanadian?
Setting Fire to the Rain
On July 4th, we had another intern cookout, back at Idylwood Park. Clearly we were doing something right; there was no place to park, and practically the whole town showed up to spend some time outside. All of us were discussing the best places to watch fireworks; South Lake Union, Kirkland, and Gas Works Park were the best options.
According to my co-workers, the week of the 4th tends has a history of being sunny the entire week, with the exception of July 4th. This year was no different, but in Seattle, nothing stops because of a little rain. Our group started making the drive towards Gas Works Park, on the west side of town. If you thought traffic was bad during rush hour in Seattle, think again for the Fourth. Nearly every street was blocked, so parking was near-impossible. Luckily, I stumbled across an empty spot along the road, and applied my parallel parking skills for the first time outside of a driving test. No dents or bumps – all ends well.
Hint: In the future, if you plan on going to Gasworks to see fireworks and don’t mind the walk, the best place to park is curbside about a mile north of the park.
We made our way down the hill towards the park, and we saw a migration of people from all directions head into the park. During the day, Gasworks is very peaceful, and is built of several large hills that provide the best view of the Seattle Skyline. On the Fourth, there was a band playing prior to the fireworks show, and like any festival, there were plenty of food options. Our group was more focused on finding a spot to see the fireworks, so we shuffled through the crowd, and picked a spot on the hill to camp.
After the band performed the National Anthem, out of nowhere, a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk flew over us. Draped underneath was an American Flag. My friend stated “you can’t get more patriotic than that!”
The fireworks show lasted for about fifteen minutes, and lit up South Lake Union. Afterwards, it was a rush to the car to get out of traffic. Happy Birthday America!