Saturday, April 18, 2009

Grand Day Out in Seattle

For a family day out, we decided to see our very own downtown. It has changed over the years and we rarely go down to experience it fully. Our kids are at the university nearby and know it well. So they were our tour guides for the day! We began at Portage Bay Cafe on Lake Union in Seattle for breakfast. Shown here, my daughter's organic pancakes with the added toppings from the fruit and topping bar. Everything on the menu is spectacular!

Next we finally find a place to park against a wall with grafitti art. I hoped our car would still be there when we returned. It was!
On to the famous Pike Place Market. There were daffodils growing on the roof!
Here I am with the famous Pike Place pig, Rachel (?) I guess she has a name...The market stalls are filled with brightly colored fresh produce. Oh, I would love to shop here every day for my food!These fish vendors are famous for "throwing" the fish to the customers once they place the order. Everyone gathers around for the spectacle to watch the fish fly! Gorgeous tulips are now in the market for sale.
Wonderful peppers as well... After alot of walking, we rode the monorail which takes you from the Space Needle through town to the Westlake Mall. Much easier than walking the entire way. It starts out by taking you "through" the Experience Music Project Building.
Another oddity downtown is the "gum wall." Yes, it is really gum. And NO, I did not touch it. Though both my daughters have placed gum here at one time or another. Ew! Hard to believe it is real.

The original and first Starbucks is also down at the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.
Along the waterfront is a sculpture park and there were interesting creations there to see. I also saw a man crocheting and wearing a hat with ears on it here. It somehow fit in to the landscape.
The view through the special "viewing glass"of our Space Needle...Another artsy structure found near the Space Needle. Seattle is a very artsy town as you can see! On to view the new Seattle Public library which is also very spectacular inside and out.It has ten floors and one of them is red ...it felt like walking into a tunnel...or into the human body!The escalators and elevators were a very putrid yellowish green and seemed to go on for miles.

Stunning views like this were seen throughout the library as all the exterior windows were seen through these grids.It was indeed a grand day out and we finished with lunch and a Tully's coffee. No, not a Starbucks!

3 comments:

Beatriz said...

You took some great photos. I'd love to go to Seattle one day. The library looks especially interesting. What a good day you all shared together. Thanks for sharing.

Delaney's Duds said...

J-You are such a busy bee! Looks like a great time in Seattle. My grandmother lives in Kirkland. When we went to visit her last, we did the same things in Seattle. Such a nice city. The Daffys on Pike place are cute!

Marty said...

Oh my, I am so jealous! I absolutely love Seattle! It's been two years since I was last there and that is far too long.

And yes, I would have a Tully's or Seattle's Best or another local coffee. Not Starbuck's