My retreat from the Texas summer heat brought me to Seattle for Independence Day weekend. On the flight to Seattle, the plane passed near Mt Ranier for a spectacular view of the mountain from the plane. I stayed at Grand Hyatt hotel, in downtown Seattle.
MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry)
This museum highlights Seattle's history and growth. The Seattle Journey exhibit has many rooms highlighting the city over the years. Seattle started as wilderness, where Native Americans often settled. As more natives settled here, it became a small town. Seattle's growth took off with the Klondike Gold Rush (there is a museum in Seattle dedicated to the Gold Rush). Seattle overcame many obstacles in its growth - people took down mountains, filled in lakes, straightened a river, built passageways, and even raised Pioneer Square neighborhood to allow for easier access to the city and more building opportunities. Seattle is known for innovation - many companies that provided innovation in their industries have their headquarters in Seattle. Examples: Microsoft (software and computing), Boeing (air travel), Costco (bulk shopping), Nordstrom (high-end shopping), Amazon (online shopping), Holland America (cruise), Expedia (online travel), and Starbucks (cafes).
Lake Union
MOHAI is located in the southern end of Lake Union. The lake got its name by connecting Puget Sound and Lake Washington - something Thomas Mercer predicted would happen in 1854. Floating homes exist on the west and east sides of Lake Union, including the home shown in Sleepless in Seattle.
Tillicum Village and Fireworks
Tillicum Village is located on Blake Island, about 8 miles from Seattle. Travel to the village is by boat and during the boat ride I got pictures of the Space Needle and Seattle skyline on a clear day. The village is set up to showcase Native American life and culture. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with steamed clams. Inside the log house are totem poles and a fire room where salmon are cooked Northwest Indian style. And yes, we got to eat the salmon for dinner :). There is also a show highlighting Native American life through stories and symbols. After exploring Blake Island a bit we returned to the boat and traveled to Eagle Harbor, near Bainbridge Island to see the fireworks show. As always, very spectacular and patriotic. One set of fireworks was shaped like a heart.
Boeing Tour
I joined a tour group to Everett, to tour Boeing's factory where they build 747, 767, 777, and 787 planes. Boeing's 737 planes are build in Renton. The factory is the world's largest building - you could put all of Disneyland inside and have ample room for covered parking. During the tour, we learned about the building process for the airplanes and visited each of Boeing's twin-aisle (aka widebody) lines. Each line had airplanes in various phases of production. For the 747, there was a cargo plane for Cathay Pacific and a completed passenger plane for Lufthansa. There was also a passenger plane for Korean that was being painted - a rare sight for visitors. We saw part of the 767 line but there was no observation deck there. Next was the 777 line and there were 2 planes being built - one for Cathay Pacific and the other for Air Canada. Finally, we saw Boeing's newest airplane, the 787. Currently, the 787-8 is in production and planes for British Airways and Aeromexico were being built. There were many 787s parked in the tarmac near the factory awaiting delivery. The 787-9 is a larger version, and we saw part of the prototype plane in the factory. There were workers in the factory and they were working on computers and inspecting parts. In the Boeing flight museum, there is an observation deck with views of the test/delivery area with a clear view of the Dreamlifter, the specialty airplane that carries the 787 parts. On the drive back to Seattle, we drove over the Highway 520 bridge, a floating bridge across Lake Washington.
MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry)
This museum highlights Seattle's history and growth. The Seattle Journey exhibit has many rooms highlighting the city over the years. Seattle started as wilderness, where Native Americans often settled. As more natives settled here, it became a small town. Seattle's growth took off with the Klondike Gold Rush (there is a museum in Seattle dedicated to the Gold Rush). Seattle overcame many obstacles in its growth - people took down mountains, filled in lakes, straightened a river, built passageways, and even raised Pioneer Square neighborhood to allow for easier access to the city and more building opportunities. Seattle is known for innovation - many companies that provided innovation in their industries have their headquarters in Seattle. Examples: Microsoft (software and computing), Boeing (air travel), Costco (bulk shopping), Nordstrom (high-end shopping), Amazon (online shopping), Holland America (cruise), Expedia (online travel), and Starbucks (cafes).
Lake Union
MOHAI is located in the southern end of Lake Union. The lake got its name by connecting Puget Sound and Lake Washington - something Thomas Mercer predicted would happen in 1854. Floating homes exist on the west and east sides of Lake Union, including the home shown in Sleepless in Seattle.
Tillicum Village and Fireworks
Tillicum Village is located on Blake Island, about 8 miles from Seattle. Travel to the village is by boat and during the boat ride I got pictures of the Space Needle and Seattle skyline on a clear day. The village is set up to showcase Native American life and culture. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted with steamed clams. Inside the log house are totem poles and a fire room where salmon are cooked Northwest Indian style. And yes, we got to eat the salmon for dinner :). There is also a show highlighting Native American life through stories and symbols. After exploring Blake Island a bit we returned to the boat and traveled to Eagle Harbor, near Bainbridge Island to see the fireworks show. As always, very spectacular and patriotic. One set of fireworks was shaped like a heart.
Boeing Tour
I joined a tour group to Everett, to tour Boeing's factory where they build 747, 767, 777, and 787 planes. Boeing's 737 planes are build in Renton. The factory is the world's largest building - you could put all of Disneyland inside and have ample room for covered parking. During the tour, we learned about the building process for the airplanes and visited each of Boeing's twin-aisle (aka widebody) lines. Each line had airplanes in various phases of production. For the 747, there was a cargo plane for Cathay Pacific and a completed passenger plane for Lufthansa. There was also a passenger plane for Korean that was being painted - a rare sight for visitors. We saw part of the 767 line but there was no observation deck there. Next was the 777 line and there were 2 planes being built - one for Cathay Pacific and the other for Air Canada. Finally, we saw Boeing's newest airplane, the 787. Currently, the 787-8 is in production and planes for British Airways and Aeromexico were being built. There were many 787s parked in the tarmac near the factory awaiting delivery. The 787-9 is a larger version, and we saw part of the prototype plane in the factory. There were workers in the factory and they were working on computers and inspecting parts. In the Boeing flight museum, there is an observation deck with views of the test/delivery area with a clear view of the Dreamlifter, the specialty airplane that carries the 787 parts. On the drive back to Seattle, we drove over the Highway 520 bridge, a floating bridge across Lake Washington.
