Sunday, August 23, 2015

Seeing Seattle Through the Windows of a Tour Bus

Post 2 of the Seattle Tour...

I think our first bus tour was in 1987 when we did a Greyline tour of San Francisco. That tour sold us on the concept. We saw Los Angeles that way a few days later. We also toured New Orleans, San Antonio, New York...and there may be one or two others. Greyline is no longer an option. The little 25 passenger, large window bus was great. Our driver was also our tour guide. He has lived in Seattle for 30+ years, so he knew how to get around and had great stories and tidbits to share with us. Our tour mates were from TX, San Diego, Orange County/LA, & FL. We had two teenagers with us and two elementary age kids.

Along the Dock/Shoreline

glad we weren't on that road!


lots and LOTS of containers
had not thought about it but...
the containers travel by ship, railroad & trucks
great invention...


Ferris Wheel along the shore of Seattle



Downtown Seattle

we would get 2 hours at the market


we had two places that were a MUST SEE/DO


flowers everywhere


tall totem


a drive through China town


dragons on the light poles identified the 'area'




home of the Seahawks


home of the Mariners


interesting statuary, just one of many downtown


Fremont District

another stop at the Troll

The driver shared the story of how the Troll came to be... lots of drug deals were happening in this area, under the bridge. The neighborhood was very concerned about what was happening to the area. They went to the police & City Fathers asking that something be done to 'clean-up' the neighborhood.   The Fathers said that if something could be placed there that would attack tourists with cameras, the drug dealers would go away. The Troll was created. The tourists with their cameras came, and the drug dealers went away. Cheap solution.


look at the street opposite the Troll


we also stopped at the Ballard Locks & salmon ladders
we got off the bus and walked to the fish ladders
the locks are the division between salt water & the fresh water lakes


just a few salmon were in the ladders attempting their 
upstream jumps


the ladders


Salmon Waves 
stainless steel, light-emitting diodes by Paul Sorey



a stop at Queen Anne Park
downtown Seattle skyline & Mt. Rainier


the oldest store/building in Seattle


the headquarters of Starbucks



Post 3 will be of the Public Market Center




1 comment:

  1. YOU ARE A LONG WAY FROM HOME! Didn't know about the fish ladders??? Beautiful photo of the mountain.

    ReplyDelete

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