Ming Tang

Understanding Earth Through Chemistry

Olympic Peninsula and Seattle, 2018

2018 passed swiftly, and I turned 30. What happened in my 2018? I visited China three times this year. For the first time in seven years, I had a chance to celebrate the Lunar new year with my family in China! I also went to Tibet, for the first time. I went to Canada, for the first time, too. First Goldschmidt keynote talk and first GSA meeting. Lots of things happened.

I flied to California to spend the end of the year with Xin. We then visited Seattle and did a road trip in the Olympic Peninsula. Winter is somewhat an awkward time to visit Washington because it rains a lot, but we have visited so many places in their not-so-good time of the year. Worse still, both the Olympic and Rainier national parks were closed because Mr.Trump shut down the government…In the end, we visited some other places in the area. Still fun.

On the beach at night.

A seagull standing on the fence, Seattle. It was Christmas Eve, and the weather was surprisingly good! No rain and not cold.

On the beach at night.

Xin standing in front of the famous Market Theater Gum Wall.

Walking on a street in San Juan, after dinner.

A guy playing guitar and singing by the door of the very first Starbucks coffee shop.

Walking on a street in San Juan, after dinner.

Another singing guy. Why is his guitar so small…

Walking on a street in San Juan, after dinner.

View of Seattle and the distant mountains from the Space Needle.

Walking on a street in San Juan, after dinner.

Seattle at dusk and Mt.Rainier in distance. It turned out to be the only chance we could see Mt.Rainier in this trip.

Walking on a street in San Juan, after dinner.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery!

San Juan.

A barista explaining how they make coffee.

San Juan.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery.

Walking on a street in San Juan, after dinner.

In the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, you can see how they roast beans and make coffee from them.

San Juan.

Coffee beans.

San Juan.

Barista making coffee.

San Juan.

Tubes on the ceiling transporting roasted coffee beans?

San Juan.

What are they doing with the beans?

San Juan.

A great breakfast in the Starbucks Reserve Roastery.

San Juan.

Ediz Hook Reservation for Native Birds.

San Juan.

Xin walking on tree logs with a bird behind.

San Juan.

Xin holding some seaweed whose roots grabbed a stone. Feel the power of seaweed!

San Juan.

Dungeness County Park. The left side is the Pacific Ocean and right side is the Dungeness Bay. This exposed seashore extends 5 miles and at the end is a lighthouse. We arrived late and could only finish 3 miles before heading back. It was a great walk!

San Juan.

Dead wood.

San Juan.

Xin and dead wood.

San Juan.

People heading back.

San Juan.

Dusk.

San Juan.

Xin playing with seaweed…

San Juan.

A seal!

San Juan.

Driving around the Olympic Peninsula in rain.

San Juan.

Lake Sutherland.

San Juan.

Lake Crescent.

San Juan.

A male deer! The Olympic national park has one of the very few temperate rainforests in the world.

San Juan.

Hiking on the Marymere Falls Trail.

San Juan.

Ruby Beach in winter rain, like the end of the world…

San Juan.

Ruby Beach.

San Juan.

Back to Seattle. Discovery Park.

San Juan.

A homeless guy feeding and then swatting away pigeons by the street.