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Published: December 17th 2014
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Woke up feeling absolutely rested - the bed here at our B&B is so comfortable and we slept so well.
After breakfast we met another couple who are staying at the B&B who are from Sweden. It's great meeting so many people and learning about their lives.
The bus stop to downtown is only a few minutes walk from here and is a flat rate of $2.25 per ride. We got off just before Pikes Market Place to collect our rental vehicle from SIX T In downtown. We upgraded from an economy size car to an Audi - Total cost including insurance $183 for 5 days hire. Very nice vehicle but it took us some time to figure out how to even get it started! Geoff is fantastic at being able to drive over here so we are able to explore further afield than just what we could using public transport.
We visited Pikes Market Place - the colours of the fruit and vegetables are so amazing. The fresh flower vendors were busy making xmas displays and wreaths - it really is xmas here - Watching the flying fish at the fish markets is always worth a stop
too.
A must to visit when in the area is Gum Wall a local landmark in downtown Seattle, in Post Alley under Pikes Market Place. Similar to Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, California, the Market Theater Gum Wall is a brick alleyway wall now covered in used Chewing gum. Parts of the wall are covered several inches thick, 15 feet high for 50 feet. It was named one of the top 5 germiest tourist attractions in 2009.
Over the road from Pikes Market Place is the home to the Original Starbucks -
Starbucks opened its first store here in 1971 in the Pikes Market place in downtown Seattle. Because the Market is a historic district with design guidelines, the store retains its original look. The store wasnt too busy today so we were able to take a look inside - buy the mandatory "original starbucks souvenirs" and grab a hot drink. On a previous visit to Seattle we experienced the line up to go into this starbucks store being so ridiculously long that we would have had to wait hours to get inside. Needless to say we never waited that time but today was an exception
to the rule!
Weather today was overcast with a maximum temperature of around 9 degrees Celcius. Cold but still a nice day to take in the sights of the city.
The City of Seattle is located in the State of Washington on Puget Sound, 113 miles (182 km) south of the U.S.-Canadian border. The city is located at sea level and the highest hill elevation in the city is 520 feet.
There are over 150 bridges in use throughout the city helping people travel over the many waterways in the city. As in most large cities in the US you will find numerous amounts of homeless people on the streets as well as beggars who go to all lengths to try and get you to donate to their cause.
This afternoon we headed out to the Seattle Premium Outlets about 30 miles north of the city centre. This is a great place to pick up bargains for clothing, etc. We spent several hours browsing around and purchasing some super warm clothing for our upcoming visit to Yellowstone National Park. Compared to Australian prices the clothing here is a steal! Love the shopping here in the States!
It was dark by the time we finished at the outlets so on our way home we detoured off to Kerry Park Viewpoint where you get An unsurpassed view of Elliott Bay and the Central City, with a backdrop of Mount Rainier.
This park draws camera buffs to this spot. At sunset they often line the wall just as the city and the sound are beginning to glow with lights. At night the park becomes almost a fantasy scene, with brightly lit ferries gliding across the water and the Space Needle shining from its 500-foot pedestal. Geoff managed to get some fabulous shots - it was a perfect night and Seattle was looking bright.
It's been a fabulous day and we look forward to exploring more of Seattle tomorrow.
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