Kilted Walking Tour of Seattle

**Retro Red** · 13th September 07, 02:07 PM

In this presentation of photos from my recent Pacific Northwest visit, we move from the countryside to the city for a walking tour of downtown Seattle. This was a very interesting & informative way to get a street-level introduction to the Emerald City.

A couple-a hams...
Scattered about downtown Seattle are numerous imaginatively & artistically decorated pigs-on-parade. These will later be auctioned off to raise money for Pike Place Market human services & celebrate the market's centennial. Why pigs? Because the Pike Place Market mascot is a giant piggy bank named, Rachel.

Green Eggs & Ham
My personal favorite of the pigs-on-parade. Appropriately, this Dr Seuss themed porker (not me

) is just outside the central library.

The Wishing Chair
Yours truly regally ensconced in the elaborately carved Wishing Chair, which is in the Chinese Room of the Smith Tower. So named because Smith's daughter purportedly sat in the chair during the room's inauguration & wished to be married within the year - which came true.

Things are looking up...
A view of the hand-carved wood & porcelain-inlay ceiling in the Chinese Room.

**ardchoille** · 13th September 07, 02:11 PM

Great pics! I knew that the Pike Place Market mascot was a pig, but I never found out why a pig was chosen.

**Retro Red** · 13th September 07, 02:23 PM

Various views from the Smith Tower observation deck...

Along the waterfront (where's Brando?)

Seattle's tallest skyscraper - Columbia Center (937 ft/285 m/76 stories/1985)
By number of stories, the tallest building west of the Mississippi (that's the "story", anyway). Was originally suppose to be 1,005 ft/306 m tall, but it had to be "shrunk" so as to not interfere with the flight path to SEA-TAC.

Threading the eye to the Space Needle

Close-up of the iconic Space Needle
My wife & I chose not to go up to the observation platform in the Space Needle. We thought $16 each was too steep a price.

**Retro Red** · 13th September 07, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by ardchoille

Great pics! I knew that the Pike Place Market mascot was a pig, but I never found out why a pig was chosen.

Rachel is the Market’s bronze piggy bank, and for the past 21 years, she’s raised over $120,000—that’s a lot of bacon! Money collected in Rachel buys services for low-income people at the Pike Market Medical Clinic, Senior Center, Preschool and Downtown Food Bank. Legend has it that you can rub her snout and make a donation for good luck.

(copied from www.pigsonparade.org)
.

**Retro Red** · 13th September 07, 02:35 PM

Home stadiums for the Seahawks & Mariners
Qwest Field & Safeco Field, respectively

a busy port...

Close-up of clock & tower at Starbucks Headquarters

Mecca of the caffeinated

**ardchoille** · 13th September 07, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Retro Red

Rachel is the Market’s bronze piggy bank, and for the past 21 years, she’s raised over $120,000—that’s a lot of bacon! Money collected in Rachel buys services for low-income people at the Pike Market Medical Clinic, Senior Center, Preschool and Downtown Food Bank. Legend has it that you can rub her snout and make a donation for good luck.

(copied from www.pigsonparade.org)
.

I could use a bit of good luck.. I'll have to rub her snout and make a donation

**ccga3359** · 13th September 07, 02:55 PM

Wonderful photos, I can almost smell the aromas from Cafe Nervosa. Love the tartan but cannot name it.

**Retro Red** · 13th September 07, 02:59 PM

St James Cathedral

Inside a hidden gem...
In front of the waterfall in Waterfall Garden Park. This is where we had lunch, which we had picked up at a bakery in Pioneer Square. A lovely, secluded oasis that effectively isolates you from the surrounding urban environment. This privately built & maintained garden sits on the original site of the United Parcel Service.

Everybody gets in on the act...
Besides my wife, my sister & neice joined us on our walking tour. (L-R: me, wifey, neice, sister)

This one is for you Beatles fans out there...
This is the Edgewater Hotel where the Beatles stayed during their visit to Seattle on their 1964 American tour - Room 272 - & where they famously fished from their room's window.

**Retro Red** · 13th September 07, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by ccga3359

Wonderful photos, I can almost smell the aromas from Cafe Nervosa. Love the tartan but cannot name it.

'Tis the official tartan of me home state - Arizona!

.

**Retro Red** · 13th September 07, 03:08 PM

Original Starbucks sign
The original sign hanging outside the original Starbucks in Pike Place Market. For you Starbuck aficianados, you'll notice this sign is unique; no other store has one like it.

Where it all started...
Storefront of original Starbucks. We didn't even try to go inside because as you can see the place was packed & folks were lined up way down the sidewalk just to get in!!!

Wifey & I with Rachel, the Pike Place Market mascot