Another Day in Seattle

Monday morning we returned to Seattle for another day of adventure via the Bainbridge Island Ferry.

The Seattle Glassblowing Studio has some
very unusual artwork.

We had lunch at the 5 Point Café which was named
"Most Iconic Bar in Washington State". 
This "colorful" edgy café was established in 1929.
It was ok for lunch but we wouldn't bring our
Grandchildren here.

We spent the afternoon at the EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum in Seattle Center. This 140,000 square foot building is anything but square. Frank O. Gehry designed this museum to resemble a smashed guitar. We couldn't see it, but this IS Washington. I guess you need to be high in the Space Needle to see it. Featured displays include Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, since both Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain were born in the Seattle area. Other "Experiences" we enjoyed: Guitar Gallery, Horror Films, Fantasy, Science Fiction and Star Trek Gallery.

View of the EMP Museum

Borg Assimilation: Resistance is Futile

IF VI WAS IX
Guitar Sculpture Consisting of More Than 500 Musical Instruments

After the EMP Museum, we took the Monorail a mile and returned to the waterfront district. Pike Place Market is a massive farmers market/mall, open seven days a week. You can purchase anything from bouquets of fresh flowers, glass ornaments, and pretty much anything you want in this multi block, four story waterfront market. We stopped at Piroshky Russian Bakery which always has a long line. We had to try some of their famous rolls to go. We purchased an apple cinnamon roll, cinnamon cardamom braid, fresh rhubarb Piroshky and a cherry white chocolate for breakfast the next day. They were amazingly good.

Pike Place Market

Fish Markets Abound at Pike Place

Another Day in Seattle

Lake Cresent and Soleduck Valley

On a beautiful Saturday we headed west along the north coast of the "Peninsula" to hike to  some waterfalls in Olympic National Park.

Storm King Ranger Station at Lake Crescent

Crossing a rustic log bridge on a 1.8 mile
hike to Marymere Falls.

Beautiful day for a walk in the rain forest.

Marymere Falls drops 90 feet

Another one of the many entry points into
Olympic National Park

Quiet hike along the Ancient Groves Trail

Sol Duc Falls, one of the most photographed spots on
the Peninsula, is a .8 mile walk from the end of the
Sol Duc Hot Springs Road.

The afternoon sun complimented this
beautiful setting.

A Day in Seattle

The best way to visit downtown Seattle from our "home" in Chimacum, on the Olympic Peninsula, is to take the ferry. On Tuesday, we drove 38 miles southeast over two bridges to Bainbridge Island. From here we caught a 35 minute ride on the Washington State Ferry to the heart of the downtown district. Parking and driving can be very difficult in Seattle, so we chose to leave the car behind and walk onto the ferry. A boat ride was a lot more fun than driving anyway.

 

While downtown, we went to Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, Seattle Waterfront, Pike Place Market, Seattle Center, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle Public Library and Sky View Observatory at Columbia Center.

Washington State Ferry

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

Seattle burned down in 1889. This gave the city planners the opportunity to rebuild the city properly. Prior to 1889 the city was tormented by flooding problems due to high tides. When the city was rebuilt it was also raised, which left the first floor of the older structures entombed below the new street grade. We took a 75 minute Underground Tour of this historic district and Pioneer Square.

Underground Seattle reminded us of an old basement.

After our Underground Tour we walked about five miles around the city taking in the sites and wearing out our feet.

Seattle Great Wheel

Space Needle

The Public Library looked like a piece of modern art.

View from the 73rd floor of Sky View Observatory
at the Columbia Center

Tall building in center is the Columbia Center.
At 967 feet, one of the tallest buildings on the west coast.

Our lunch spot at Ivar's Acres of Clams on Pier 54

We boarded the ferry at 8:00 a.m. and returned
to Bainbridge Island at 8:00 p.m.

After a long day in Seattle, we are making
plans to return for another day of fun.
Too much to do and not enough time.

 

 

More of the Northern Olympic Peninsula

It's nice to stay put for three weeks. We have time to visit minor attractions, wait out weather and even revisit our favorite sites.

 

KITSAP NAVAL BASE - BREMERTON

Puget Sound Navy Museum

Built in Seattle, the former Pacific Fleet
Destroyer USS Turner Joy

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK - Elwha Valley and Hurricane Ridge

Short walk to Madison Falls

Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center
Olympic Mountains

This black-tail deer buck thought we
couldn't see him.

Majestic Mount Olympus

SEQUIM - The Lavender Capital of North America

We took an auto tour loop which took us by many of the lavender farms around Sequim (Pronounced Squim). Sequim is located near Dungeness Bay which features Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and the Dungeness Spit. The Refuge contains one of the world's longest natural sand spits which softens the rough sea waves to form a tranquil bay, tide flats and beaches in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The lavender was in full bloom and many
of the farms offer U-Pick options.

We didn't pick any but it sure smelled good.

 

A lighthouse is at the end of the 5 1/2 mile spit
which we walked a portion of. 

Northern OIympic Peninsula

On June 10th we moved to the Escapees Evergreen Coho Park in Chimacum for the remainder of the month. This well managed SKP park, located on the northeast side of the Olympic Peninsula, is quiet and has an active community. This location gives us easy access to the north entrances of Olympic National Park as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a major shipping entrance to the Puget Sound.

NAVAL UNDERSEA MUSEUM

After church we stopped in Keyport which is home to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. On the base is an interesting free museum dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting navel undersea history and science. This museum has indoor and outdoor displays of submarines, torpedoes, diving and salvage.

Torpedoes of past and present are on display.

FORKS TIMBER MUSEUM LOGGING TOUR

Every Wednesday, the Forks Timber Museum in Forks, sponsors a three hour tour featuring logging and milling operations in the area. After boarding a van, a volunteer guide drove us into the forest to observe active logging operations as they thin, manage and harvest the trees. We visited a mill that produces cedar shake shingles. The tour ended with a drive on forest roads to understand their construction and learn about the various types of plants and trees.

                   







This equipment cuts trees and strips the
branches and bark from it.

This equipment gathers harvested logs.

Land Snail

RIALTO BEACH

After our logging tour we drove west to the coast for a picnic lunch and walk on the scenic Rialto Beach. Rialto Beach is a part of the Olympic National Park and is adjacent to the Quileute Indian village of LaPush.

Driftwood is plentiful.

 

 

Hole-In-The-Wall

EXPLORING THE NORTHWEST COAST 

Friday we took the Washington 112, Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway and the Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway to Cape Flattery. Cape Flattery is the farthest north and farthest west point in the continental United States. The Cape is on Makah tribal lands so we were required to purchase a recreation pass in Neah Bay Indian village in order to access the hike to the Cape. Eight miles beyond Neah Bay is the trail head for the spectacular .7 mile hike to Cape Flattery.

Sail and Seal Rocks
on the Strait of Juan de Fuca

The first of four observation decks at the Cape.

Standing on the most northwestern point in the
lower 48.

Tatoosh Island and lighthouse and
Vancouver Island are easily spotted from here.

Tatoosh Island and Lighthouse