Marc's Public Blog - Trips to other locations


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This is a collection of my blog entries related to short or long trips I went on.
I have some master pages for some specific locations/trips:

paris over many years | UK over many years | Belgium over many years | Holland over many years | Vegas over many years | Australia over many years | Canada over many years | Japan over multiple trips | Italy in 2011 | France in 2013 | Indonesia in 2013 | Japan in 2013 | Japan in 2014 | Taiwan in 2014 | Indonesia in 2014 | New Zealand in 2015 | Japan in 2015 | Costa Rica in 2015 | Singapore in 2016 | South Korea in 2016 | Japan in 2016 | Germany in 2016 | Tasmania 2017 | Japan in winter 2017 | Great Britain in 2017 | Australia Flying Safari 2017 | Philippines 2018 | Spain in 2018 | Alaska in 2019 | England in 2021 | UAE in 2021 | Poland in 2023 | Portugal in 2023 | Thailand in 2023 | Japan Snow 2024 |

Table of Content for trips:

More pages: December 2023 June 2023 April 2023 December 2022 December 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 June 2018 May 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 June 2012 April 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 May 2010 January 2010 September 2009 August 2009 June 2009 January 2009 December 2008 August 2008 February 2008 January 2008 October 2007 July 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 August 2006 July 2006 April 2006 March 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 April 2005 December 2004 October 2004 July 2004 June 2004 January 2004 January 2003 January 2001 August 1997



2015/08/17 Seattle Museum of Communication and Living Computer Museum
π 2015-08-17 01:01 in Ntrips, Sciencemuseums, Trips
As soon as we landed in Seattle, we went directly to the Museum of Communication, which is only open a mere 5 hours per week (10:00 to 15:00 on sundays). Yes, it's not easy to get to, but it's well worth it: it's an old telco facility that was turned into a nonprofit museum where volunteers who used to work there, give you tours and explain the old technology that used to run our phone systems.

The mechanical switches and relays that route a phone call digit by digit were quite impressive to see, including manual switchboards where an operator would patch in your call with a physical banana plug. Here's a quick video summary:

Our great personal tour guide:





they used microwave links for point to point connections to other COs
they used microwave links for point to point connections to other COs





an old AT&T video phone that worked over phone lines (with a slow bad picture due to line limitations)
an old AT&T video phone that worked over phone lines (with a slow bad picture due to line limitations)







check out the thousand+ amp switch with heavy copper
check out the thousand+ amp switch with heavy copper


later semi electronic phone switches used boards like these, but they are impossible to fix or replace
later semi electronic phone switches used boards like these, but they are impossible to fix or replace

it's fun to hand connect a thousand+ phone lines by hand in a conduit
it's fun to hand connect a thousand+ phone lines by hand in a conduit

before
before


after
after

Next, we went to the living computer museum, which also was quite good and gets credit for having many computers online you can interact with:





a 68k based Sun3, sweet (although it was slow)
a 68k based Sun3, sweet (although it was slow)







the CDC 6600 was the first supercomputer before the Cray1
the CDC 6600 was the first supercomputer before the Cray1




we had a Amstrad PC1512 at home
we had a Amstrad PC1512 at home

and an Amstrad CPC-464 too
and an Amstrad CPC-464 too

we also had an Atari STF and later STE
we also had an Atari STF and later STE

Dongeon Master, I remember spending so many hours with this game
Dongeon Master, I remember spending so many hours with this game

Both museums were quite interesting and worth the visit.

2015/08/17 Visiting Seattle
π 2015-08-17 01:01 in Ntrips, Trips
: -

After a too brief visit of Seattle while going to San Juan Islands in 2010, I used the opportunity of presenting at Linuxcon to spend more of time to visit Seattle this time.

We had a day before the conference, and used it to go see two great museums: Seattle Museum of Communication and Living Computer Museum which are on their own page. We then just had enough time to do Ride the Ducks, because Jennifer never had so far:






Monday night after the conference, we had a party by the Chihuly glass blowing museum by the space needle:










Wednesday night, our party was at the EMP. I decided to go there with the monorail, and as luck would have it, it was the same exact monorail driver I got 5 years prior. EMP had lots of random-ish expos, those on science fiction, horror movies, and indie video games were quite good:











On Thursday, after the conference was over, we started with a seaplane flight (on its own page), and then went to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to check out what they do. While we didn't agree with everything, overall they do good work and the foundation does a good job explaining what they do and why:


We then went to the science museum (which was ok, but not fantastic), and then the sculpture park before going up the space needle to watch sunset:











On Friday, we started with a VIP early food tour of Pikes Place Market. It was enjoyable, but overpriced in my opinion. The guide was very good though:










mmmh, ok :)
mmmh, ok :)


Next, we went to an underground tour which shows of the streets of Seattle at the level they used to be at before the city was rebuilt on top:



the underground streets got light using those
the underground streets got light using those


We then took a quick stroll through town to get to Columbia Center to have other high up views:










Next, we went to the Aquarium, which wasn't the best ever, but still worth a visit.

the underground bus system is nice
the underground bus system is nice




The pygmy cuttlefish they had were both cute and fun to play with (I kept them interested and occupied with pictures through the glass). Have look at the video, those things are super intelligent, they chck you out, change colors, and raise their tentacles when they're ready to pounce. It got even more funny when I showed them a picture of a small crab on my phone:




On the way out, we walked a bit and went back to Columbia Center for sunset:







On saturday, we went to the Boeing Museum of Flight, which was definitely worth a full day (on its own page)
On the way out, we drove a bit for some views, and went for a yummy dinner:



at least it doesn't say 'pubic market' :)
at least it doesn't say 'pubic market' :)

Sunday, Jennifer got invited to go crabbing a bit up north, so we took a long drive by deception pass:






We then went to meet the friends that Jennifer made a few days earlier and who invited her to come ccrabbing with them. We got so many crabs that we had to put some back in the water (over quota).
Watch Jennifer in action:



After crabbing, we had a look at the nearby parks:






Monday, we got up early and did the long-ish drive to Mt Rainer for 8H of hiking (on its own page).

Tuesday was our last day, so we first went to the Boeing Factory tour which is well worth doing, but no pictures inside the factory, just the visitor center:




new customer planes
new customer planes


We then came back south to Visit Google for lunch (on its own page), and then went to see the locks and a couple of parks before it was time to go back to the airport:










We just had enough time to stop by Kerry Park for a nice elevated viewpoint, before driving back to the airport for our flight home. That was a good visit of Seattle, I feel like we got a good overview :)


Seattle was a nice city, good that we had the time to see most of it.

See more images for Visiting Seattle

More pages: December 2023 June 2023 April 2023 December 2022 December 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 June 2018 May 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 June 2012 April 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 May 2010 January 2010 September 2009 August 2009 June 2009 January 2009 December 2008 August 2008 February 2008 January 2008 October 2007 July 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 August 2006 July 2006 April 2006 March 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 April 2005 December 2004 October 2004 July 2004 June 2004 January 2004 January 2003 January 2001 August 1997

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