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Old 4 Apr 16, 02:02 PM  
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Grand Train Journey across USA - Day 2

DAY 2 – (19 June 2006) – A family owned flying saucer!

After a good night’s sleep, interrupted at 4 a.m. by the crashing of empty bottles being collected by a trash cart, we rise and have breakfast. There is a fairly good choice on offer – cereals, bagels, bread for toast, cold boiled eggs, pastries etc. Satisfied we head into town.



We make for the downtown area around Pine Street, where the shops are, but decided to go down the Harbor Steps again to the piers and walked to the end of one of them. The view towards West Seattle and the port itself are breath taking as ferries plough to and fro across the water.





Ships depart from Cruise terminal of America which is slightly to the north of where we are. These head for Alaska, Bermuda, the Caribbean and even Europe. Maybe, one day!



On to Pike Place Market. This is a landmark where every fruit, vegetable and edible creature of the sea can be bought.







There’s a bustle of eager customers and frantic market traders shouting, joking and selling their wares. At Pike Place Fish Company the seafood is juggled and thrown as jokes are cracked to the watching crowds.



If you have ever seen the Frasier episode (“The 1000th show”) where a salmon is thrown that narrowly misses Niles, that’s where it was filmed. We stand and watch the “show” for a few minutes. These guys can juggle fish and amuse the onlooking crowd at the same time.

In the corner of the side-walk stands Rachel – the largest piggy bank you ever saw. Made of bronze she succumbs to the many tourists who sit astride her whilst photos are taken. Money placed into Rachel’s slot is used for local deserving causes.



Coffee shops abound in Seattle but the most famous has to be the very first Starbucks which still produces frothy lattes and ice cold Frappacinos.





The history of Starbucks starts back in 1971 when the first store opened in Seattle. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker got the idea from Alfred Peet (of Peet's Coffee fame). The store initially sold just coffee beans and coffee making equipment rather than the drinks they have become so famous for. The name “Starbucks” comes from the first mate in Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick.” The Starbucks founders arrived at the moniker after considering naming the company after the whaling ship in the novel or after an old town near Mount Rainier. We indulge in a couple of cappuccinos.

However, lunch is at the Clam Chowder café where we enjoy the freshest Dungeness crab sandwiches and icy lemonade.



Across the street was a "Mexican" guitar player who regaled us with the most out of tune serenades we’ve ever heard.
Aye! Yay! Yay! Yay! He belts out his songs. Trying to eat and stifle laughter was some feat.



Back to the shopping area around Pine Street finds us at Macy’s and Nordstrom where we picked up a few necessities of clothing and souvenirs.



We decide to catch the monorail back the Seattle Centre - this is where the Space Needle is situated. The monorail was built for the World's Fair in 1962 to transport people to the site and the Space Needle.



We take the elevator to the observation level at the top. On the way up we are told that it stands 605 feet tall – equivalent to 1210 tall lattes!



There is an amazing view to the downtown area.



The building with the pointy roof (towards the right) is jokingly referred to as the box the Space Needle came in! You'll note also that there are two white arched structures to the right of the picture. That's QWest stadium (In 2016 it's renamed Century Link Field), a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer.

The concrete foundation of the Space Needle had to be 30 feet deep because its base was limited to a 120 by 120 foot area. Needle architects John Graham, Bagley Wright, Howard Wright, Ned Skinner, and Norton Clapp formed the Pentagram Corporation to build the needle. They all eventually sold their shares to Howard Wright (of the Howard S. Wright Construction Company ), whose still family owns it. However, it wasn’t designed by an architect per se. It’s origins were a flying saucer scribbled on a napkin. When built in 1962 the Space Needle was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at that time.

Here you can see from peak to peak – a view of the Olympic Mountains in one direction and the city and Cascade mountains in the other.

Olympic Mountains:



Cascade Mountains:



We return to our hotel to get changed for the evening.

We are meeting up with our friends Janine and Mark, who live just North of the City in Bothell and are having dinner at the Sky City restaurant, just below the observation deck of the Space Needle.
The restaurant revolves slowly, taking about 46 minutes per revolution, so we could eat, see all of the scenery and watch the sun go down behind the Olympic Mountains. We sit and chat – mostly about Disney – what else. Geoff “met” Janine originally through Mice Chat.com I regard her as my sister and she refers to Darrin and I as Bros.



(** Darrin has asked me to point out that since this photo was taken in 2006 - some ten years ago, he has lost nearly 6 stones!)

There are wonderful dishes on offer – clam chowder, half Maine lobster, wild salmon, beef tenderloin.

However, it’s dessert that crowns the meal. The Lunar orbiter. To be honest it’s merely blobs of ice cream but served with dry ice. Isn’t it just magical?





We exchange presents. Typical British stuff for the guys – shortbread, Jaffa cakes,books on London (Mark loves history) liquorice all sorts, jelly babies, Cadbury chocolate, tea and tea cups…..

In exchange we receive a stationery set a la Disneyland (Janine’s favourite park). It has a Jungle Cruise boat Sellotape dispenser, a Monorail stapler, a Tomorrowland Speedway car notepad holder, a Rocket to the Moon pencil holder and a teacup for paperclips:



(** - in 2016, if you can find one of these sets on auction sites, you’d be paying $250 - $300. There’s no way we’d part with ours.)

As the evening draws to a close, we say our goodbyes to our friends and its back to the hotel as tomorrow morning we will catch our first train - Amtrak’s Coast Starlight from King Street Station.




INDEX: http://DIBB.in/11466192

Edited at 08:20 PM.
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Old 4 Apr 16, 02:36 PM  
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Thanks, always love reading your reports. The stationary set is fantastic I would be keeping it too. 😊
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Old 4 Apr 16, 04:16 PM  
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Seattle looks amazing, much more interesting than I had previously thought. I love the stationery set, they don't make so much cool merchandise like that anymore!
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Old 4 Apr 16, 05:09 PM  
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Another great day... lovely to meet up with friends for dinner.
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Old 4 Apr 16, 06:44 PM  
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Wow Seattle looks amazing, the view of the mountains is spectacular. looking forward to the rest.
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Old 4 Apr 16, 06:55 PM  
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Stationery set is fab! Looking forward to Pike Place - we want to go on one of the 'free' walking tours which has great reviews. Can't wait to get to the fish juggling as DH is allergic to eating fish, can't stand the smell and will be standing well back
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Old 4 Apr 16, 07:14 PM  
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Seattle does look amazing
Maybe you should think about writing a travel book Geoff, with your inside knowledge I'm sure it would be a great read xx
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Old 4 Apr 16, 08:00 PM  
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Seattle looks fab. Love your photos x
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Old 4 Apr 16, 08:21 PM  
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Originally Posted by P&S View Post
Seattle does look amazing
Maybe you should think about writing a travel book Geoff, with your inside knowledge I'm sure it would be a great read xx
Yes I agree with this. Your reports are always interesting and full of information.
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Old 4 Apr 16, 09:15 PM  
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Really enjoying your report... looking forward to more
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