Coffee, computers and Frasier Crane, Seattle is a city of many talents
Up in the far northwest of the Lower 48, Seattle packs a punch not just within the United States but on the world stage, and in multiple fields. The home of Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks and grunge is a large port city in Washington State, within the Pacific temperate rainforest and mostly surrounded by the waters of the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. On a clear day the towering peak of Mount Rainier can be seen in the distant south.
While living in Alaska, I passed through Seattle many times on my way to and from Aberdeen via Amsterdam or Paris, but had my first opportunity to visit the city for a morning owing to a cancelled flight and a resultant night in an airport hotel. I visited properly for a couple of nights in late 2015 and had another long stopover shortly afterwards for a few hours in town, but none of my visits featured sunshine, something I understand is in short Seattle supply. Indeed, a combination of the architecture and rain reminds me very much of Glasgow.
Symbol of Seattle’s modern ambitions, the Space Needle is set apart from the towers of downtown but predates most of them, having been built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Its flying saucer form is similar to the Encounter Restaurant at LAX built around the same time.
Looking straight up one of the Space Needle’s legs. Upon completion it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi, and still hosts a revolving restaurant at the top, where we had lunch.
View from the Space Needle to downtown Seattle. The angular black building in the middle distance is the Fourth & Blanchard Building (commonly known as the Darth Vader building), and the tall black one at the back is the Columbia Center.
Shiny metallic surfaces adorn the Museum of Pop Culture at the foot of the Space Needle, in the inimitable style of Frank Gehry. I’ve seen other works of his in Los Angeles and Panama City.
One simply doesn’t walk by the Seattle Monorail without singing the song from The Simpsons, or indeed taking the short journey out to the Space Needle from the centre of downtown. The monorail was built as part of the 1962 World’s Fair, and was at one point under consideration to be extended as five lines across the whole city. Instead there is now a very good and partly underground light rail service.
Pike Place Market is another icon of Seattle, between downtown and Puget Sound water’s edge.
The signature stall at Pike Place is the Pike Place Fish Company, known the world over for the cheery banter of the staff and flinging the fish to each other as they work.
Displays of Alaskan king crab and other tasty treats at the fish markets. I’ve had fresh oysters every time I’ve been.
Opposite Pike Place Market is the very first Starbucks, still going strong and with the original colouring and logo design.
A less attractive attraction is the famous chewing gum wall in an alley behind Pike Place Market. I have witnessed a similar collection of yich on a wall in San Luis Obispo, California.
Seattle’s Central Library is an especially striking building, holding 1.5 million books across its 11 storeys. It reminded me a bit of Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik.
Rainier Tower, otherwise known as the beaver building due to its resemblance to a knawed tree, was designed by Minoru Yamasaki of New York’s World Trade Center fame. The mall in the foreground has since been replaced by the much taller Rainier Square Tower.
The Columbia Center has been Seattle’s tallest building since completion in 1985, and includes a public observatory on the 73rd floor.
View across downtown Seattle from the Columbia Center, including the Space Needle in the distance. My ticket allowed me back in later, so I came back for a night time view as well.
The Seattle Seahawks NFL team play at CenturyLink Field in the foreground, since renamed Lumen Field. Behind is T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners baseball team.
Close up of the Space Needle from the top of Columbia Center. The green pocket park to its left is the supposed location of the fictional Elliot Bay Towers in which Frasier Crane lives, with his fantastic view of the city.
Night view of the city from Columbia Center, with the Space Needle lit up in the distance.
Out into the wilderness now, at Snoqualmie Falls in late November, and the river is definitely in spate. The falls featured in Twin Peaks, and have a single drop of 82 metres, making them taller than Niagara Falls.
In the town of Snoqualmie itself, the Northwest Railway museum has since 1957 told the story of the development of the Pacific Northwest, with railroads at the fore.
One of several venerable steam locomotives on display at the museum, awaiting restoration.
Snoqualmie’s Centennial Log is probably the biggest single chunk of cut tree I’ve ever clapped eyes on. It was cut from a partly dead tree in 1976 and was estimated to be around 400 years old. It weighs over 35 tonnes and has bark up to seven inches thick.
Union Pacific locomotive 529, gifted to the museum in 1965 but still awaiting some TLC. I was reminded of this place a few years later when visiting the railway boneyard of Uyuni, Bolivia.
Shot of the Pike Place public market sign back in Seattle, with one of the Puget Sound ferries heading off into the mist and drizzle.
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SnapHappyRoss 