Seattle Downtown. Day 23

We took to the streets and visited the famous Pikes Public Market.

Andrew bought a 3 for $10.00 T-shirt, on our honeymoon and

19 years later he still wears the dark blue Pikes Market shirt.

We stopped in Beechers, a yummy cheese shop.

Drum roll....This is the location of the First Starbucks!

1971....a good year!  (my birth year)

A little hot cocoa

Back to the cheese shop, we had to try their macaroni and

cheese and grilled cheese.  The grilled cheese was truly amazing!

Watching the process of cheese.

A blue grass band playing outside the First Starbucks,

they had a great sound!

So in Seattle there are 411 Starbucks, but surprisingly,

there are a lot of other coffee shops as well.

You can tell these Seattleites like their coffee!

We wanted to check out where they throw the fish

down when someone places an order.

Dev loves honey sticks, here she is picking out her flavors.

An old newspaper stand.

Andrew had read about Three Girls Bakery and it did

not disappoint!

 

Lots of food selling, people, crafts, and fish!

Heading down to the Pioneer District for a

museum tour.

City life...a little play structure right in the middle of downtown.

 

So we took an underground tour.

First we had a fantastic tour guide.  Second, it was fascinating.

Third, the kids enjoyed it! 

This "underground" area at one time were Seattle's main streets.

They had problems with sewage and water being at sea level.

So when a fire took out a majority of the downtown back in

1889, they decided to build the city up, thus this original area

became "underground."

The process of course was slow in moving the whole

city up a level. For several years, the streets were built

up but not the sidewalks, one would have to take a ladder

down to the shops. Eventually sidewalks and streets

connected but they still had businesses down below.

Finally, due to a rat problem and an increasing crime

and bad stuff happening down below,  the underground area was

 shut down.

About 40 years ago, this company made parts of

it accessible for tourists like us.  Definitely a good attraction.

Here we are below looking up...

Here we are now on the street as it is today.

Kinda wild that this was all the original street.

Then we walked out into the most lovely alley I have seen.

We went underground in three separate areas.

After this we hit a wall.  Due to trip weariness, hunger,

miscommunication, and a little uncertain what to do next.

Staying in the city means walking and sometimes that

can wear everyone out.

We found a long bench, I think it said something about the only

piece left from an old hotel, it felt good to sit.   

Trying to figure out our dinner stop.... we gathered

ourselves up, ate and felt better for the walk "home."

Deveraux's art shot

 

a fun umbrella shop

We check out the next day from downtown and head

to Bellevue to stay in a Hyatt House for the next several days.