Someone ordered the weather as it has been sunny for our stay here, normally rains 8 months of the year.
Left Westerdam on Sunday, dropped bags at our hotel and went exploring downtown, popped into the library, as has a lovely view from the 10th floor, very odd looking building. Lots of modern architecture mixed with old, monorail, electric streetcars and lots of large SUVs!
Yesterday took a trip up the Space Needle, completed for the World Fair in 1962, only took one year to build. Monorail also built for the Fair, completely funded by fares during the six months of the Fair.
Chihuly Glass and Gardens next, we are both lovers of glass art and this did not disappoint, fabulous large art pieces and lots scattered around the garden.
Took the monorail into downtown, it only has one stop and 2km long! Walked to Pike Place Market, fabulous view from the terrace at the rear of the Puget Sound and Wharfside. Loads of crafts, fish, fruit and coffee shops at the market, finished off at the Virginia Inn for a bite to eat and some local craft beer and cider, well why not.
Took a walking tour this morning, Joe was very informative and enthusiastic, took us through the Pike Place area and along to Pioneer Square, stopping at the ‘Hammering Man’. Lots of history on how Seattle got it’s name (local Indian Chief who charged for the use!), treatment of the local Indian tribes (appalling), the fire of 1888 and the rebuilding of the city.
They destroyed two local mountains to raise the street level by 5 metres, to stop tide waters destroying the streets and enabling sewers and drainage to be installed, however they ran out of mountains they could use and the two streets nearest the water have not been done. Buildings erected expecting a 5m uplift look a little odd, with doors for cargo offloading too high up!
Finished off in Pike Bar one of the original microbreweries, who still make their own beer on site. Seattle has over 60 microbreweries and 300 coffee shops, with the first Starbucks ever in Pike Place, you should have seen the queue.
Off to Victoria in Canada early tomorrow for a week on Vancouver Island.