Everyone knows that chocolate comes from cacao. That’s like saying steak comes from cattle. How exactly?

Theo (the name refers to the cacao tree) is a small chocolate factory in the Fremont neighborhood. The tour was educational and entertaining. The cocoa beans first go through a fermentation process, in their own pulp, after harvest. This critical process changes the color of the beans and makes them more chocolate in flavor. When sacks of beans arrive at the factory, they go through a pretty standard cleaning, sorting, and roasting process. Then the beans are smashed open to separate the husks and nibs (the inside of the cacao beans). Finally, there is the process of grinding down the nibs and mixing them with sugar and other ingredients to make chocolate.

The best part of the tour is after the ending. The retail store allows sampling and we duly tasted pretty much every flavor. I concluded that Orange Dark Chocolate is my favorite. With many repetitions and serious experiment, I also concluded that 80% chocolate is probably my upper limit and 70% is my most comfortable range. Milk chocolate (typically 25%) masks too much chocolate flavor and becomes plain candy.

Of course Theo makes ganache and of course we also sampled them (duh). I couldn’t resist the Single Malt Scotch Ganache and bought the box of with four different scotches. Theo also makes very unusual flavors like spicy chile (that I don’t like). There is Chipotle Spice sipping chocolate that needs to be mixed with warm milk that I do like. The flavor is quite “adult” in the sense of having a bit of spicy heat and a strong spice aroma. The drink, that Kids made according to the recipe, was thick, strongly chocolate, and flavorful.

Of course I ignored the calories count. Silly.

Before spring of 2013, make this fall into a small detour of a full agenda, instead of a destination. All the trails are under construction and closed. You can only view the fall from the top. I imagined it would have been a wonderful light hike down to the river and the fall would have been even prettier. But I would have to wait for at least a year and half to find out.

The Salish Lodge is right on the rim. It seems like a lovely hotel with a decent restaurant. I bet the view from the dining hall and rooms would be spectacular. This can be a very nice weekend escape for Seattleites, but too light a site for out-of-towners.

Mount Si and Snoqualmie Pass, a ski resort, are only several miles away on the same highway I-90. Both are interesting hiking/skiing destinations. North Bend will be the best rest stop. There are more choice restaurants and a factory outlet nearby. There is really no need to stop by the city of Snoqualmie, even for its Railroad Museum.

Two years in a row since I arrived, Myrtle Beach hosted Seattle Hempfest: a celebration for Marijuana or “the world’s largest marijuana decriminalization gathering.” This year, the envelope was, again, pushed a bit further. Jonathan Martin of Seattle Times reported:

Squeezed between a Ben & Jerry’s cart and a booth selling rolling papers, two naturopathic doctors worked briskly through a line of patients. … The ads offered authorization to use medical marijuana for one year for $150 if the patient had medical records; $200 with no medical records.

The state law (RCW 69.51A.005) that legalize medical marijuana said,

Qualifying patients with terminal or debilitating illnesses shall not be found guilty of a crime under state law for their possession and limited use of marijuana;
Persons who act as designated providers to such patients shall also not be found guilty of a crime under state law for assisting with the medical use of marijuana

Further, the law explains that “pain unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications” qualifies: headache, stress, muscle pain, arthritics, back pain, mood swing, menopause, or just about anything. The challenge is to find a willing provider. That problem, the market sure has solved.

Since this substance is illegal federally, doctors cannot prescribe it, they can only recommend. That means medical professional are not regulated with any laws at all. The state laws protect them and no federal laws were broken either. The laws actually prevent medical professional to actually apply Marijuana medicinally, since that will be illegal under federal laws. So, medical Marijuana’s real serious purpose is recreational. Of those 100,000 or so who attended Hempfest. The majority probably agreed.

This is just silly.

The Denny Party, the original settlers of Seattle, chose Alki first. After one winter, they decided to go inland to avoid the fierce pounding of winter storms. Where they settled later became Seattle. On clear days, Seattleites flock to this beach, really the only one nearby. They would soak up the sun, laze around, watch ferries and cruise ships, and enjoy the grandeur view of the snow-capped Olympic Range. That’s why there won’t be any parking spaces left on the streets.

Jogging or walking dogs are excellent activities. When you are bored at the beach, there are so many restaurants and bars to spend hours with friends. If it is just a quick bite, the Sunfish fish and chips is a wonderful Greek-run establishment. For fancier eating, Salty’s requires reservation and is the only restaurant with a view to Seattle downtown across the water.

I have been a loyal fan for Grey’s Anatomy since they aired 8 (?) years ago. This medical drama is set in Seattle. Like the boat house in Sleepless in Seattle, I wondered if the famed Seattle Grace Hospital, where the doctors and interns practiced, really exist. It turns out the boat house exists on the shore of Lake Union. I never found it and really wasn’t that interested.

Seattle Grace Hospital is really the Fisher Plaza, so I heard. Since this office building is within walking distance, I decided to find the famed entrance where actors making their dramatic exits at the end of many episodes.

I stood there, supposed to be THE place. Squint my eyes, tilted my head, tried very hard to imagine the modern cinematic technologies.

Nope. Meredith or Christina did not come out.

This really make me wonder about TV and movie technologies. How much do we see is computer graphics? Would Roman Holiday be filmed in, gosh, New York City, if done today?

Oh well, found it, picture taken, check.

The boats congregated into a roughly square formation in the middle of the lake. The gathering started very early in the morning and quickened after noon. At about 4pm, there are about 400 boats; I can imagine people hopping from one boat to another. Only smaller ones and water police could move around. From a distance, they behaved like an audience at an outdoor theater. The stage, probably several hundred feet in front of the square, is the barge that has waited for a couple of days by now. I can feel the excitement building in the air. Something spectacular is going on in this Lake Union.

Across the lake is the Gas Works Park. Everyday, it sits pretty displaying lush green grass. Today, around 10am, people started to blanket the grass. At about 2pm, with a powerful binocular, I saw a page from the Where is Waldo book, people everywhere. Scanning the shores of the lake found the same theme repeats. What’s with Seattle people willing to wait more than 12 hours for a firework show that starts at 10pm?

And I just perched at this high-rise balcony with a smirk. Man! I am going to sell tickets next year for this vantage point for July 4th fireworks at Lake Union.

My most unforgettable fireworks will have to be the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The opening of Giant’s foot steps redefined fireworks for the rest of the world. That show was meant to be watched on the TV screen through an air-borne camera. Beijing Olympic fireworks were also very directional: there are patterns that were not symmetrical, like simple pictures. Then again, I cannot really expect the City of Seattle to compete with the Country of China that intended to impress the world.

A couple of years early, I was in ShangHai during the Chinese New Year. At midnight, we stepped into the 10th-floor balcony and were assaulted by a city seemingly at war. Everywhere we looked, there were countless fireworks lighting up the sky. Conversations would be futile. I discovered that fireworks were generally designed to explode at about the height of 10th floor. Yes, they were literally in my face. The brightness was blinding and the sound was loud. We were mesmerized for a good half an hour and escaped back into the house to calm ourselves down.

Several minutes after 10pm, the sky above Lake Union lit up for about 20 minutes. First time, I watched fireworks over water and the play between reflection and sky was truly nice. Those on the boats would have a closer-up view. But I also cannot imagine the long wait even for this great show.

John McGraw stands at the busy intersection of 5th, Steward, and Westlake. He always faces the trolley station, officially Seattle Street Car. No doubt riders and tourist would walk up and study the inscription on the pedestal on which he stands. They would learns that this is the statue of the second governor of Washington State in late 1890s. In addition to side with Chinese against vigilantes who tried to deport them, he also advocated for the construction of Ballard Locks that connects Lake Washington to the Pacific Ocean.

Officially Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, this complex engineering project started operating in 1917. For 94 years, it allows ships to go out to the ocean for business and come back for clam protection. It has a fish ladder on the side to allow salmon to swim up back to spawn. The time to watch salmon will be from July to October, September at the peak. The lock engineers designed the attraction water &dmash; swift flow mixed with seawater against the fish — so that salmon will find the ladder. The fish gradually turn red when they are in the freshwater. Once up the streams, they lay thousands of eggs and died soon after. Seals and other predators learned to feast here; there are so many fish that it seems you can walk across the water.

Watching the boats going in and out the locks are fun too. Once in the locks, water rises or falls so quickly. Then the gates open and everything is fine. It is the elevators for boats.

Lockspot Cafe is an old fish and chips place right outside the entrance. Not bad if you are in the mood for Locks memories. Otherwise, venture into Ballard for more refined restaurants.

If there is a center of Seattle City, it is probably Westlake park, a triangular park at the corner of 4th Ave and Pine St. On a good day, the artificial waterfall will churn loudly. Somehow, there are always a group of people sitting on various ledges with their dogs. There are also always young enthusiastic people with a clipboard trying to get you to take a survey. Of course, there are street artists doing street artistic things to get you to throw a couple of dollars into their collective instrument. I like the bronze live statue guy. He painted himself as a rusting bronze statue, green and brown even with a bit bird dropping. There is this guy who startles you with a burst of “SHOOSHINE.” I never saw anyone doing shoe shining with him.

This is the favorite place for people to protest. There is a standard “The End is Now” sign; always an extreme religious one “You will GO TO HELL if you don’t love Jesus;” the nice silver-haired lady doing a modest sign of “Abolish Nuclear Weapons;” of course, today is the anti-war protest in the wake of the US’s declaration of hostility against Libya.

Funny that walkers-by paid little attention to the protesters. Cops chatting with each others, chess players concentrating on their games, shoppers checking out their stuff, and eaters enjoying their foods. It is just a nice day, let’s enjoy whatever we come here to do. If protesting is your thing, don’t let me inconvenience you.

This is a good place for urban exploration: hang out, eat, have a cup of Joe, or even do some shopping. It is always better to do this with a companion.

The art is in chopsticking. Pick it up gently and slowly. the friction of chopsticks will do the works; you need to provide the patience. The dumpling will sag like a small water balloon and you will crane it to the vinegar saucer for a light dip, don’t put it down, hoist it to the spoon gently down. You are half-way there. Now pick up several ginger threads that should have been soaking in the vinegar nicely and place them on top of the dumpling. Raise the spoon up to your mouth and bite just a small opening carefully. The steam rushes to your nostrils and you pour the hot juice into your mouth and savor for a while. Then, throw the whole thing into your mouth and enjoy the mixture of dumpling shell, the subtly flavorful filling, and the nice play with the vinegar and ginger. Repeat this process as fast as you can, since they are so good when hot.

I have been a fan of Din Tai Feng for over 35 years by now. Its original restaurant in Taipei started as a literally hole-in-the-wall (still is) dumpling maker amongst hundreds of them in that city. Over the decades, it has become an international sensation. When I moved to Beijing in 2005, I was delighted to find its new branch not 10-minute’s walk away. The family soon was conversing with the serving staff on first-name basis.

You must order the XiaoLongBao 小龍包 dumpling. I recommend the traditional (not soupy) one. have known the menu by heart and can usually order without referring to it. My favorites are their noodle and fried rice. Their sesame filled bao 芝麻大包 is of course must-order whenever.

First-timers usually don’t quite understand Din Tai Feng. It does not appear to warrant the wait and the price. That’s OK. The power of Din Tai Feng is in its universal appeal and subtlety. No one dish would stand out after the meal. After a while, there will be a craving gradually brewed. Then one day, you found yourself waiting patiently at the door and would stubbornly not consider any other alternatives.

Yes, I finally succumbed and came to its newest Bellevue restaurant. Yes, I walked away satisfied. I am good, for several weeks at least.

Pioneer Square is a must-visit for Seattle tourists. This historic downtown that is full of character and charm. The best way is to wander around on foot: check out stores and people, grab a bite or coffee occasionally. Try to schedule 10am to 3pm so that you can do a lazy lunch.

Begin at the corner of 1st Ave and Jackson and go east (away from the water) and check out the stores/galleries on Jackson. Proceed to 2nd Ave and check out Klondike Gold Rush Museum. This place is actually in a historical building and is a National Museum. Admission is free and it is worth about 20 minutes (but not more). Turn left at 2nd and find Waterfall Park at Main and 2nd. This is actually the birthplace of UPS. When you exit the Waterfall park, keep going on Main and you will find the Occidental Park. Those big totems are Seattle classics. The other side of Main has many interesting stores too.

This is probably time for break. If you are in the mood of coffee, go to Cafe Umbria near Jackson. If you want a snack, do Grand Central Cafe (behind an arch steel door). If you fancy something different, go New Orleans Creole. Il Terrazzo is a high-end Italian restaurant that you won’t regret the money.

After the meal, stroll to the corner of 1st and Yesler. There is no one location designated to be Pioneer Square. But if there was one, this will be it. Don’t miss the the steel terrace and street lights. They are antiques. There are also Chief Seattle’s bust and another totem. If you are in the mood, take the Seattle Underground Tour, a bit pricy but also entertaining.

Now go west and check out Seattle’s waterfront along Alaskan Way. There are many eateries. Elliott’s Oyster Bar will be a sure winner.