Attendees: Mari Kae Ennis-Applegate, Terry Applegate, Shirley Martin McGrath, Bill McGrath, Denise Martin, Susan Cole, Susan Tower Racine, John Martin.
Group 46 held its seventh- yes, its seventh -reunion May 21-25, 2018 in Seattle, WA.
Throughout our reunion, conversations revolved around changes in our lives, thoughts of those who could not join us, reflections about the importance of the Peace Corps – Colombia, about human nature and the world, continued involvement in the changes we want to see, cherishing of positive steps by others- from graying heads like us to young people – to make the world a better place.
We gathered for dinner amid warm greetings on Monday night at Athena Grill, then continued Tuesday morning in the Seattle Central Library with our Talking Stick session– a planned opportunity to share. Afterwards, library staff member Jeff Christensen gave us a behind the scenes tour of the library itself- an architectural marvel by architects Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus. Afterwards we adjourned for a late lunch at Tulio’s Ristorante. The magnificent 360 degree view from nearby Columbia Tower’s 72nd floor completed our day- Seattle, Puget Sound and, yes, even snow-capped Mts. Rainier and Baker were visible!
Wednesday brought a beautiful day for a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island and a short bus ride to the lush botanical Bloedel Preserve Gardens, with ponds and the Bloedel Mansion along the 2 mile walking loop. Another bus ride took us to the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial where we had the good fortune to tag along with a tour led by a Japanese American docent who had lived through the wrenching Bainbridge Island experience. She talked about the families taken from the Island to the camps as well as the building of the Memorial with its Wall bearing the names of every person relocated. Our group, somewhat subdued, ate lunch in Winslow before the ferry ride back across Puget Sound.
Thursday most of the group met in Seattle Center at Chihuly Garden and Glass to see the wonderful glass creations of Dale Chihuly. Then a walk down to the water front led us through Olympic Sculpture Park, on to lunch in Pike’s Place Market and then Pioneer Square Historic District, the Pilchuck Gallery, and Glass House Studio (glassblowers at work there!). That evening we met a final time at Chandler’s Crab House on Lake Union for our goodbye dinner- all talked about the next reunion with Cartagena in 2020 as the top idea!
Some members of the group also met with other RPCV friends to sightsee and explore. Seattle is a very interesting city! Must see places include the Museum of Glass and Bridge of Glass in Tacoma, Seattle Museum of Art, Seattle Center’s many venues, beautiful mosaics near Pike’s Place Market, the Museum of Flight, Mt. Rainier National Park and many others. So much to do, so little time!