The drive to Seattle was about 2 hours north from where we were staying so we started early in the morning. We went with our friends Ryan and Mary but Eddie played tour guide because they had never been. Our first stop was Pike Place Market, a huge farmer's market that was established in 1907. It all began with some expensive onions-the people of Seattle grew tired of paying a fortune for fruits and veggies because of the middleman so a market was created in which farmers sold their produce directly to the customer. The grand opening was a huge success with farmers selling out by 11 a.m. and it has continued ever since.
A huge tourist attraction is the fish market where the guys throw fish across to each other as an order is being placed, but there weren't any orders placed while we were around so we didn't get to see any of that.
It's also home to the first ever Starbucks! We didn't buy anything since the line was out the door but I did take a picture of the sign :)
After we left the market area we walked around downtown. Eddie took us to his favorite part of town and I can see why it was his favorite. The buildings were unique, there were trees, and overall everywhere we went the city was clean and felt safe.
Next was a stop at Kerry Park in Queen Ann. As the pictures show, it was a perfect spot to look out to Seattle.
Ryan and Mary :)
Then we drove to Troll Ave to see the famous Fremont Troll. Some people think the troll under the Aurora bridge is creepy, I however love it! He was sculpted by four artists in 1990 for the Fremont Arts Council. He's made out of steel rebar, wire, and concrete. We had fun taking pictures :)
Opposite direction of the troll:
Our last stop of the day in Seattle was Gas Works Park. This was an old factory turned into a park. The factory was built in 1906 to convert gas from coal but in the 1950s the city began importing natural gas which left the factory out-dated. The city turned the factory into a park and opened it to the public in 1975
Old exhauster-compressor building turned into a colorful maze:
We ended the day with dinner at Cheesecake Factory at Lincoln Square in Bellevue. I'll always love our trip to Seattle, it really is a beautiful city. Thank you Ryan for driving us around!
Oh my gosh! I just adore Seattle! We are going up again in October and I just can not wait and this post got me that much more excited!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat is Eddie's favorite place in the city called? I don't recognize that and I hope to go up to that spot in Queen Ann's too!
Annnnnd, I have a photo of Andy and I on the Fremont troll hanging on our staircase.
Again, did I mention I love Seattle?!
You are!? What do you go up for? I'm excited for you! It was so much fun, so much to see and do-I loved it! Eddie doesn't remember that part of the city is called, we'll have to look at a map haha. I'll let you know!
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