Here are some pics and videos from the victory parade that the kids and I attended yesterday. It was estimated that nearly 700,000 people attended. That number is hard to imagine but let me tell you what that meant for us:
I tried to catch the 8:45 ferry from Bremerton to Seattle. My plan was to park in the garage right next to the ferry and walk on. However, once I got within a mile of the ferry, all traffic was backed-up and many people in Seahawks attire were walking AWAY from the ferry. I was puzzled until my friend called and told me that they were turning away walk-on passengers as they already had enough to fill up the next THREE ferries (8:45, 9:45, and 11:10 - parade was supposed to start at 11:00). I knew from listening to the radio that traffic was backed up around Seattle in every direction for hours. So, I headed for Bainbridge knowing that their ferries were significantly larger than Bremerton and ran more often with a shorter trip. However, traffic getting onto Bainbridge Island was backed up for over 10 miles all the way into Poulsbo. But, I wasn't going to give up until I knew for sure that we couldn't make it. Once onto the island, traffic sped up a bit and I took backroads all the way into the downtown. My friend called again and said that she had called the ferry and they told her they were full for walk-ons for the next ferry but that we could drive-on as apparently no one was attempting that. I thought it was crazy (wasn't it supposed to be gridlocked in Seattle?) but since I knew it was our only hope of ever getting there on time, I took it and made it onto the 10:25 Bainbridge ferry with only minutes to spare (remember that I had left Bremerton at 8:45 - normally only a 45 minute drive). Once in Seattle I realized that with 4th avenue completely blocked, the streets down by the ferry were clear of traffic and I easily found a parking garage that was only 3 blocks from the parade. We got up to 4th Avenue and Spring St at about 11:15.
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| I held this boy up for hours and my arms are burning today! |
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| Jamie was SO happy! |
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| It was below freezing. |
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| The players rode in the back of Duck vehicles and military trucks. |
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| Russell Wilson!! |
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| We were opposite the library - I was jealous of the people in there watching . |
The parade started really late because the Seahawks got stuck in traffic (go figure). I held up Tristan waiting and waiting for over an hour, listening to him say "I see nofing (nothing)" over and over! I had to get out toe warmers for everyone - Jamie and Tristan used them for their hands in their pockets, Abby had them in her pockets and her shoes. When the parade was over, Tristan couldn't walk because his feet were so frozen (mine were too but I'm used to that!). We went out to lunch at Specialty's cafe and bakery and thawed out with some soup and hot cocoa. On the way home we were able to make it onto the next ferry with our car but the entire ferry terminal (and surrounding it) was filled with people trying to get home, so I was glad I had drove across even though it cost a bit more.
Videos:
A look around:
The first player to come through was Lynch throwing skittles from atop a Duck (at first you can't see much because I'm pointing the camera through the people in front of me but I switched as the parade moved forward - my best view was as they went by):
Each section had their own truck (Quarterbacks, Defensive Line, etc.). Pete Carroll was a in car with his wife leading the Seahawks chant (didn't get that):
