Even with the rain, there is good reason why property values are so high in the Seattle area. First there are jobs, and secondly, there is plenty to do. A family is within hours of going to Olympia National Park, the San Juan Islands, Glacier National Park, Victoria and only an hour away from Vancouver, Canada. And, if you really want to explore, there are cruises out of Seattle to Alaska. There are so many places to see and do in Seattle proper. This expose will focus on our three experiences visiting this pearl of a city.
Our latest venture in 2017 was flying from San Francisco into the Seattle Airport, referred to as “Sea-Tac.” The city of Tacoma is close by.
The cheapest way from Sea-Tac to Seattle is taking the Light Rail. It is just under 14 miles away. We took a rather expensive–$50–Uber ride to our hotel.
In our first visit in 2002, we splurged and stayed at the Edgewater Hotel. It was well over $200 a night, a large sum for us back at the turn of the century.
The Edgewater jets out into Elliott Bay. We had a sea view room facing Seattle.
The desire to book Edgewater was increased when I learned that the Beatles once stayed there in 1964.
It was inside the Edgewater café I learned the value and use of a flash. Our waitress was excellent in taking pictures. The food was good too.
In 2017, our sojourn at the Best Western was nearly as expensive as it was in 2002. We did get a view of Seattle’s Space Needle.
The room at the Best Western was far bigger than the one at the Edgewater as I recall.
One of the highlights of Seattle’s World Fair in 1962 was the 518 foot Space Needle. There is a revolving restaurant on top that people tend to like. My step-daughter, Pam, and I went up in 2017 to take on the views on a spectacular day. Kathie does not like heights.
On a nice day, there are majestic views. One can see the 13,212 foot Mount Rainier which is sixty miles from Seattle. Over two million visitors take the elevators up yearly.
Nearly 8,000 foot Olympia National Park peaks can be seen which are about fifty miles away.
Next to the Space Needle is Chihuly Garden and Glass art museum. Stunning glass pieces can be seen by the artist Dale Chilhuly.
I have admired Chilhuly’s work at the Las Vegas Bellagio’s entrance foyer.
This museum by far is fascinating and quite colorful. Worthy of a visit.
Close by is the Museum of Pop Culture. Seattle is famous for its music scene. This museum blends right into that culture. I thought the hanging guitars were fascinating.
A mile-long monorail connects the Space Needle complex with downtown. It is one of the few existing monorails (besides Disney World) which is still operating. The system, like the Needle, was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. It is a popular form of transportation.
You have not seen Seattle until you make a visit to the Public Market—also known as Pike’s Place Market. Built in 1909, this place attracts over ten million yearly visitors. It is the 33rd most visited place in the world!
There is a colorful array of vendors selling all sorts of things from flowers, fruit, vegetables and fish. It can get quite crowded.
There is one vendor famous for throwing fish across the counter and someone catches it down below. This place almost went bankrupt until in 1986 someone came up with the idea of “throwing fish.” Today, this “fish throwing”attracts over 10,000 daily visitors.
In an alley below Pike’s Place Market, is the notorious “Gum Wall.” The wall is over 15 feet high and 50 feet long, and yes, filled with gum. My daughter, Pam, has contributed to that wall.
Walking around Seattle it is hard not to notice all the unique art work. I have enclosed some of my favorite pictures of this work.
There are stairs and an elevator that will take you down by the waterfront. This area looked much different than the 1880’s Harpers Weekly once pictured it to be.
A wide promenade fronts a number of restaurants and even a large Ferris wheel that came to be in 2012.
We did stop to have lunch at The Crab Pot of Seattle. My wife had scallops and I had clams.
The waterfront is where you can get a cruise to Alaska.
There is a speed ferry, known as the Victoria Clipper, that departs from this area. In about four hours, the Clipper will take you to the beautiful city of Victoria, Canada.
A cheap cruise across the bay is to take the Bainbridge ferry across and back. The Washington State Ferries is a well operated and fun way to see the islands of Washington. For an $8 or so ride, it was well worth the ferry ride, particularly at sunset.
The commercial Argosy Cruises departs from the waterfront area too. These one-hour cruises will take you out onto Elliot Bay and even through the Ballard Locks. We enjoyed the locks journey that will take you to Lake Union.
The Ballard Locks was created at the beginning of the 20th century that connects Elliot Bay with Lake Union and Lake Washington. There is even a “fish ladder.”
In the canal waterways are a number of crab ships that hunt in the Alaskan waters from October to January. The Discovery Channel made a reality show, Deadliest Catch, about these ships and the work they do.
Seattle is most famous for their houseboats. The most famous one is always pointed out from the 1988 movie, “Sleepless in Seattle” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
I took a few pictures of these interesting Seattle houseboats (worth a lot of money these days.)
Kathie and I walked more than six miles around Lake Union on a clear sunny day. Did we ever say rain?
We came to the Gas Works Park which still had the former 1906 Seattle gas Light Company gasification plant.
In 2012, they were just building this apartment complex along Lake Union. Today, the Seattle real estate has sky rocketed.
We thought most unusual was this apartment complex with colorful painted doors.
At one end of Lake Union is a Maritime Museum. I took a picture of these row-boats.
Lake Union was reasonably close to our 2012 hotel, The Westin Seattle, which looked like Chicago’s Cob Towers (Marina Towers.). Kathie made a decision to stay in our room over July 4th. She was awarded a beautiful fire-works display.
We had asked to change our room towards Lake Union. The hotel complied and it made a world of different with “a room with a view.”
On another day, we took an Argosy Cruise to Lake Washington. Like the name of the state, this area was named after George Washington.
One of the highlights of the tour was seeing Bill and Melinda Gates $127 million dollar home, known as Zanadu 2.0. The land was originally purchased in 1988 for pittance, $2 million dollars.
The house was built with 500-year-old Douglas fir trees. There were over 100 electricians and over 300 workers at one time. Inside the house, there are 7 bedrooms and “18.75” bathrooms. I wonder what a .75 bathroom looks like?
The house comes complete with an adjacent hall that can seat 150 people with six kitchens. There is also a 2,100 foot library that houses a Leonardo da Vinci manuscript that cost $30.8 million in 1994.
If you are really a friend, there is a home theater that can accommodate 20 guests on plush seats.
Now, let’s mention a garage that hold 23 cars. Bill Gates first splurge with his Microsoft profits was to purchase a Porsche 911.
There is an artificial stream on property that holds trout and salmon.
If you may, there is a 60 foot long pool to enjoy. Then, too, the beach has sand from the Caribbean, St. Lucia.
Jeff Bezos is a close neighbor of the Gates. Both will have another aspect in common: being divorcees.
The Lake Washington Tour takes one right next to the University. I like this comment along the water’s edge.
Further down, there is also this phrase.
There is a mixture of nature and development in Seattle. I think the kayakers paddling along a major highway illustrates this point.
Walking downtown is definitely interesting. We actually stayed in downtown for one night at the Sheraton. It is rather a large hotel where many pre-post “cruisers” stay. We took this picture of this couple carrying way too many bags. We were that way once in 2001 toting around four large bags in Europe. A French cab driver refused to take us due to all the bags! Today, we both have one 18 inch bag.
We came across a protest against China.
Sports play an important role in Seattle life. This aspect is evident with various athletic posters in the store windows. We came across this Russell Wilson advertisement who is a quarterback to the Seattle Seahawks.
The sports stadiums are centrally located. In 2012, I caught these Japanese fans by the Safeco Baseball Field. They were there to see their prize Japanese player, Ichiro Suzuki. Today, the stadium in 2019 was changed to T-Mobile Field.
Running for political position can be lonely. I caught Judy Ramseyer in 2012 all by her lonesome running for Superior Court Judge in front of the stadium. I found out later, she won! Judy is still in office in King County.
The baseball and football stadium are almost side by side in Seattle.
It is hard not to notice the Tech companies in Seattle.
We came across this large advertisement in 2012 concerning visiting Glacier National Park. Seattle is a doable 10 hours car ride away. We would come back in 2017 and make that trip. Another expose coming?
Students from Martin County H.S., Stuart Fl., would love Seattle. There is a dress code I think they would have appreciated.
