Walk a (Yelp) Mile in Dorothy's (Lamour's) Shoes (Day 2)

Today's "Barb" (for Allan): "You know, the hearing is the third thing to go."

Advice from the pourer at a winery, echoed immediately by the not-yet-intoxicated woman next to us: "Don't dilute the alcohol!"

Today's likely recurring line: "That's just a mile, we can walk it." (explanation later)

To begin: Karen selected the current hotel, where we are staying for two nights.  Karen is doing penance for this choice.  If it is a 4-star hotel, it is on a 9-star scale.  It fails the "Steve test" for hotels in these ways: plastic glasses in room; small towels; thin towels; smelly room; small bed (it can't really be a queen).  And, to confound us all, they actually have keys.  Yes! a metal thing that goes in a lock!!!  Yikes!

Their continental breakfast this morning was exquisite.  Karen ate elsewhere. :)

Kitsch photo du jour:

I do not know why the town of Georgetown has a giant cowboy hat and boots in their public park.  I am sure I don't want to know.  Let the myth making beginning.

The day was spent with the requisite trip to the top of the Space Thingy. For those of you who have missed it, there's an ad campaign, seen first at the airport, that runs: "Save your money for the Space Thingy and take the light rail into town."

Here's the cliche photo du jour:

The football and baseball stadiums are out there, center right.  Mt. Rainier, however, hasn't bothered to show up for the picture -- too damned early, Michael says.

After a quick stop at the tattoo artist, Karen chickened out on getting matching tattoos, and lunch, off we went to the north-northwest to Woodlinville and some wineries.

We hit Columbia, the oldest in the area, first.  The architecture was beautiful in their new facility, and Barb bought a bottle of Gerwurstraminer, but it the service was poor and the rest of the wine just so-so.

Across the street at Chateau Ste. Michelle, there was a huge throng.  Again, service was iffy.  They had a whole Riesling flight, which Michael & Barb tasted.  The 2013 Cross Creek was approved by all & went to dinner.

Then, Karen having made a friend who sent us to Brian Carter, which was too full, then to Novelty, where Barb bought two more bottles.  Karen was judicious & bought no wine before its time.

Dinner was at Miller's Guild,  a chop house.  Picture of said "chop" on grill:

Dessert was lemon chess pie. The highlight, IMHO.  If you've never had chess pie -- we'd never seen it on a restaurant menu -- it's pretty much flavor (sometimes chocolate), butter, eggs, and sugar.  Enter visual:

After dinner we decided, being in a city with a film selection, we'd see Words with Pictures.  Yelp said it was 1.0 miles from the restaurant.  Discussion of walking.  Nature of hills.  Midnight when getting out.  Etc.  Determined we had a car for a reason.  Wise move. :)  After missing the tricky ramp to get across a viaduct, we drove what seemed to be 10 miles to arrive.  "Glad we didn't walk" was heard  repeatedly.  And "glad we didn't walk." And, of course, "that was just a mile." [ironically, OC] :) There was a line to get in.  !!!  Turns out they were there to see Palestine Stereo.  I bought two tickets for that just to be with the in crowd.

We agreed the movie was around the B- review Michael had read, with a certain trite quality.  And a brief discussion of Clive Owen being dishy.

Today's highlight may be listening and singing to "Road to Morocco."  Attempt to copy link to it...enjoy -- we are looking forward to meeting Dorothy Lamour.  Road to Morocco