If you want the flavor of Seattle, spend some time at the Seattle downtown waterfront. It's an eclectic blend of big city and everything northwest with a spectacular view of Puget Sound on one side, sparkling, towering skyscrapers on the other. From Ivar's Acres of Clams, http://dinesite.com/info/rstrnt-229813/ , to concerts on the pier, there's a bit of everything to satisfy the city-dweller or tourist.
This photo is from the ferry looking back at Seattle. It always takes my breath away. Visit this site to see more downtown waterfront photos and you'll be hooked: http://www.seattlephotographs.com/cgi-bi... . This virtual tour will give you a feel for the spectacular landscape you will see.
If you're a history buff, you may want to look at the waterfront from a historical perspective at this site: http://xendar.hypermart.net/history/phot... . The Bell Street area looked a little different in 1915: http://www.ilwu19.com/history/photo/735.... . Now that you've seen a bit of what's in store, let's wander around.
How about a tour to the busiest area of the waterfront?
Let's use the ferry dock, Pier 50, as a starting point. We spent a bit of time walking around while we were waiting on the ferry to Winslow there last summer. The ferry to Bremerton takes off from the same dock.
Did you know Seattle houses the largest ferry fleet in the United States, with destinations to Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, Bremerton and Canada? It's a busy port.
To see the rest of the neighborhood, and you must, find parking across the busy street and saunter on down the waterfront sidewalk. There's so much to see; it's where to start that's the issue. There's a waterfront trolley to see you on your way if you don't like walking, http://transit.metrokc.gov/tops/bus/wate... , but then you'll miss all the great places to visit on foot. Here's a map of the piers so you can picture where they are located: http://transit.metrokc.gov/tops/bus/rout... .
Let's backtrack a bit from the ferry to Pier 48. Though closed for the winter, the Russian submarine, Cobra, is worth a visit, http://www.russiansubseattle.com/ . So save this for summer visit. You'll see the pier on your right as you dock from Seattle, Winslow or Bremerton. Cruise ships depart from nearby Bell Street Pier and Cruise Ship Terminal, so you may view one or two as you look out on the sound.
Just down the waterfront in the opposite direction you will see Ivar's Acres of Clams at Pier 54. You've got to have some signature clam chowder if you do nothing else.
 |
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Jerri Brooker's Washington State topic, please visit the Discussions page.