Seattle

Tuesday after a morning horseback ride Mom, J, and I headed west for a little city fun. Our first stop was Issaquah to pick up Mom's new sewing machine. Lucky for me, Mom and Dad are going to be going on vacation until the end of September so I got to bring it home with me. No sewing projects yet, but if I come up with something I will let you know.

Next stop was Bill Speidel's Seattle Underground Tour It was a fascinating way to learn a bit of Seattle's (dirtier) history.

We first gathered in this room and were given a general history of how and why the underground tour has come to be what it is today.

We then went underground and the fascinating history lesson of Seattle began. We learned that there is an "underground" because of the way Seattle was originally developed on marsh land.

Original 1889(ish) toilet with the tank above.

 
When the tide would come in the water level would rise, and this caused all kinds of problems (children and horses being lost in potholes in the streets), especially with the sewage system the city had at the time. There was some interesting history about toilets as well. In 1889 Seattle had a fire that leveled pretty much everything. They knew that this time when they built the city back they needed to do it differently. It was also going to take time to move in fill and and address those problems, but in the meantime people's lives, and business had to go on. They rebuilt, but this time they walled in each city block to protect from the water. They gradually filled in the space between the walls (often with trash and debris form the fire) creating raised streets. At that point they covered the sidewalks turning each block into its own kind of indoor shopping mall. In the sidewalks now you can still see what were then skylight.

Top side of a skylight. Today's above ground sidewalk.

From underneath the same style of skylight. On the sidewalk from 1900.

 
In this picture you can see our guide pointing out how the builder had the foresight to make a fancy second story entrance, even though it would not be used for a few years until the streets were raised. It took about 30 years for the city to be raised to the level it is at now. We were told other cities (like Sacramento) also have "undergrounds" because of the same issue with raising water levels. So there is my history report. I feel like I am back in 4th grade! 

You know you are in Seattle when you can see this from everwhere you go.

After our tour we tried to find a park to eat a picknick dinner at, and we did find a park, just no where to park the cars. We ended up sitting on the bumper and eating out of the back, but it was still yummy.

Mom had to get going, but J and I stayed at Myrtle Edwards park to watch the sunset.

While waiting, we watched people at the pier which is also near where the Bainbridge Island ferry leaves from.

The walkway/entrance to the park went up and over the train tracks. 

And the sun set on another great day.