Alternative transport includes walking

My family had to go to Washington State this summer and we had to do it on as much of a budget as we could. We had to go because my best friend, Cozette, and her family will be moving to Minnesota next year. She is my big draw to visit.

The budget is obvious because plane tickets for a family of four was enough to make our brains hurt. One way we saved money was by not renting a car.

This sounded fabulous until the first night we arrived at Sea-Tac Airport. We wanted to spend 2 nights in Seattle before travelling to the Olympia area where we’d be staying with my bestie and her family. They were meeting us in Seattle, but not until the next day.

My reasonable husband said we should spend the first night near Sea-Tac since we didn’t have transportation, but I decided we should be in Seattle so we could wake up and begin exploring immediately. Besides, Sea-Tac has that light rail system that takes you right into Seattle!

Carting all of our belongings through a parking garage to the light rail terminal was tedious at best, but when my daughter wasn’t able to roll her own luggage anymore due to the sudden dysfunction of her arms, it was intolerable.

It became clear where luggage got its name; because you have to lug it around! I felt like Quasimodo going up the Cathedral steps only I was on flat ground.

Once we got to the light rail station at Sea-Tac, we realized that, having followed the signs pointing the way, we had gone almost in a complete circle from the point at which we had entered the garage. Why? Because the gap in between was the point where the cars drove in. Had we known, we would’ve risked it for the short-cut.

Riding the rail was fun mostly because it was free. That’s right, we somehow escaped being charged. I’m not sure how we managed that one.

When we hit Seattle, we had to change over to the monorail that would take us to the Space Needle.

Keep in mind during this entire journey, my children were burning my insides with a level of annoyance so great and powerful, I think they must have been taking private lessons in their free time. I kept promising myself things I would do to them if they kept whining. Maybe I was just being a bit short tempered, but my husband was a real trooper.

We rode the monorail and got off at the final and only stop. The kids were excited and happy. Now we just had to walk to the hotel.

There was a cab. “Honey. Let’s take the cab! It will be so cheap to hop in and take it! It has to be close!” I plead with my hubby, perhaps sounding a little whiny myself.

“Okay, honey. Hey! We are going to the Travelodge!”

The cab driver laughed. “Why would you get in just to get out again? It is just behind that building over there!”

My world collapsed because I saw that “over there” was like a block and a half. I was wearing flip flops because I’m from Florida and I never learn.

We trudged down the sidewalk with me bringing up the rear, almost in tears. The sidewalk was bumpy and a vagrant looked somewhat interested in our things, but we made it.

Never again, I thought. Mark my words: I will listen to him next time. I swear!