As you’re reading this column, there’s a good chance I will be ambling in a foreign land.

A couple of friends and I are in Seattle right now, with the plan of seeing a Mariners game tonight and again on Friday. There will also be some shopping thrown in, hence the distinct possibility of ambling at this point.

Will you join me in an amble?

• The only word I can think of for what I saw Sunday afternoon is “awe-inspiring.” I was on my way out of the apartment parking lot when my progress onto Foothills Boulevard was arrested by motorcyclists who started sweeping onto Foothills from University Way.

And kept sweeping onto Foothills.

And kept sweeping onto Foothills.

From where I sat as the riders in the Toy Run rode by, I could see up onto University Way, and the riders kept coming. I didn’t bother trying to keep count, because I probably would have had to take off my shoes and socks to keep track.

It was also great to see the new plan for picking up toys along the route worked. I saw a couple of the bikes, with trailers attached, pulled over for people to put toys in as the Run rolled by.

• My friends and I have been making these trips to Seattle for a number of years. We don’t go every year, but we aim for at least every second year. It seems like every year we find some new store or restaurant to visit, which can make the “holiday” aspect of the trip a bit of a misnomer, since we find ourselves rushing to get everywhere we want to.

But there are always the ball games to relax at. I have memories of several of the trips, especially as it relates to where we were sitting.

The very first year, at the old Kingdome, my friend and I were right down at field level behind third base.

The final out of the game was a high popup, which almost resulted in George Brett of the Kansas City Royals falling into our laps as he made the catch.

A few years later, we decided to try sitting behind home plate. Way behind home plate.

As we headed to our seats, I should have suspected something when we passed a vendor who had peanuts, popcorn and oxygen tanks for sale. It made for a totally different vantage point on the game, sitting up there, but all I could think of was, “Don’t fall down.” It would have been a while before I stopped bouncing.

Then the Mariners moved to Safeco Field, which has to one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen. Again, a few years ago we decided to sit in the bleachers just behind the right-field wall.

I soon found out there were benefits and drawbacks to this position. The most obvious drawback was we couldn’t watch Ichiro patrolling right field for the Mariners.

The main benefit came when I happened to glance towards left field between innings. The sides of Safeco are open, which meant I was looking right out into the Seattle harbour. I couldn’t believe that I was at a Major League Baseball game, and in between innings I could watch these big ships make their ways into or out of the harbour.