Grunge and Ocean Air

Eat, drink read: Seattle getaway offers refreshing change of place

Our latest favorite city to lust after? Seattle. It's a long plane ride away to the so-called Emerald City, but the northwest jewel offers a refreshing getaway for Texans looking for a change of pace and place. Here are a few of our picks for a quick weekend of touring a city full of foodie, environmental and literary values.

Drink with a view
Walking around the sometimes bitingly cold and windy Puget Sound makes us thankful for Texas weather. But we’ll admit: in terms of scenic views, the vast beauty of Seattle’s waterfront puts our flat topography to shame. There’s something striking about water that appears never-ending, but it’s especially true when you’re used to being surrounded by a whole lot of land.

Take it all in over a drink from the warm and cozy comforts of the Edgewater Hotel’s bar (2411 Alaskan Way). Fireplaces, and a long bar with even longer panoramic windows, make this a perfect spot to sip and see it all — from the iconic Ferris Wheel to the Olympic Mountains, and all the water in between.

Take in Seattle's bustling literary scene
A native of Seattle told us he’s pretty sure the gray skies are responsible for making Seattle such a booze-loving, book-loving town (overcast and chilly is ideal hangover weather) and the perfect climate for curling up with a good read. Here are some of our favorites for local liquor and literature.

The anarchist, anti-authoritarian vibe of Left Bank Books (92 Pike Street) takes you straight out of the consumerism of Pike Place Market and into a rebellious readers paradise. A great selection of local zines and hand-picked independent titles line the old wooden floors, shelves and a creaking staircase, which delivers you right at a cozy wooden window seat with views of the entrance to the bustling Pike Place Market.

Sidenote: Don’t skip Pike Place Market. It might be an obvious attraction, but sometimes things are touristy for good reason. Fresh produce, flying fish and steaming, delicious chowder are all displayed against the beautiful blue-gray backdrop of the water. Talk about fresh and local, huh?

Located directly in the center of the bustling Pike Place Market, the relative quietness of Lamplight Books (1514 Pike Place #14) draws you in for a welcome reprieve. Inside, the vintage typewriter display, carefully chosen titles and overflowing bins of worn paperbacks keep you interested.

Elliot Bay Book Company (1521 Tenth Avenue) is Seattle's BookPeople, but with fresh, coastal air. This haven of books is full of clean lines, open space and plenty of outward-facing books for ultimate browsing pleasure. Open until 11 pm, it’s a perfect place to duck into before a hearty happy hour in the hip Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Fruit of the sea, naturally
While you’re in Capitol Hill — actually, while you’re everywhere in town — take advantage of not being landlocked and enjoy some fresh seafood.

Taylor Shellfish Melrose Market (1521 Melrose Avenue) is a no-fuss, bare-bones spot of the wholesaler fish supplier Taylor Shellfish Farms. You pick out which oysters you want shucked from watery tanks that sit in the middle of the shop before hunkering down at casual round tables and stools with a carefully selected beer and a Dungeness crab leg from the fresh tanks. The service is just as down to earth.

The meal will probably just be the beginning of your oyster hankering, so go ahead and make plans to visit The Walrus and the Carpenter (4743 Ballard Avenue NW), too. Located in the old fisherman (now hip) town of Ballard, this joint serves up some of the best damn oysters you’ve had in your life.

If you insist on going anywhere other than an oyster bar, Sitka & Spruce (1531 Melrose Ave) in Capitol Hill is a major hit in the foodie crowd and perfect for a fancier, sit-down dinner.

Boozin' like the locals
If the wait’s too long or you don’t want to commit to a full meal, have a well-made cocktail and excellent charcuterie at bar ferd'nand (1531 Melrose Avenue) instead. Owned by the same folks behind Sitka & Spruce, bar ferd'nand is a lovely open-space bar housed under the same market building of S & S.

When you’re over all the fancy cocktails head to Shorty’s (2222 2nd Avenue) — a great, dirty, grungy pinball bar with crowded booths and lots of regulars in chef pants and construction boots. Order an Olympia Beer in a can — an “Oly” — and fit right in with the locals.

Elliott Bay Book Company

Photo by Sofia Sokolove

Elliott Bay Book Company

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Airport News

Both Houston airports would be affected by air traffic slowdown

Photo by David Syphers on Unsplash

Flights at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston will run travelers about $392 on average.

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to reduce air traffic by 10 percent across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown.

The affected airports covering more than two dozen states include the busiest ones across the U.S. — including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston, and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected.

CBS News has a list of all the airports affected and that list includes both DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field. Other airports in Texas that would be affected include both airports in Houston — Houston Hobby and George Bush Houston Intercontinental.

The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown and have been increasingly calling off work.

Controllers already have missed one full paycheck and are scheduled to again receive nothing next week as as the shutdown drags on.

The FAA has been delaying flights at times when airports or its other facilities are short on controllers.

Passengers should start to be notified about cancellations Thursday. Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on customers, some of whom will see weekend travel plans disrupted with little notice.

United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes like 737s. United, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines said they would offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly -- even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable. Frontier Airlines recommended that travelers buy backup tickets with another airline to avoid being stranded.

Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began October 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.

Major airlines, aviation unions, and the broader travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest on record.

Staffing can run short both in regional control centers that manage multiple airports and in individual airport towers, but they don’t always lead to flight disruptions. Throughout October, flight delays caused by staffing problems had been largely isolated and temporary.

But the past weekend brought some of the worst staffing issues since the start of the shutdown.

From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.

During weekends from January 1 to September 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centers and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.

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