Train trip to Seattle

During Spring Break the first week of April, we took a train trip up to Seattle. We went with a homeschooling field trip group that I joined for Emma. Unfortunately, they had an age limit of 4 & older - so Dayton wasn't able to come with us. He loves trains, so he would have really enjoyed being on a train too, but I am sure he had a fun time spending the day with Grandma & Grandpa Coates. The rest of the family had a fun day. We boarded the train in Vancouver at 8:30am

Vancouver Amtrak Station

Getting on the train (in case your wondering - it was a cold and rainy day in April)

We got to Seattle about 12 (noon).

Seattle Amtrak Station

The Underground Tour
First we walked to the Underground & took a tour. The Underground is a guided walking tour beneath Seattle’s sidewalks and streets. The underground passageways were the once main sidewalks/roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, before they decide to elevate the streets in order to prevent flooding and sewage backup.

The tour begins inside Doc Maynard’s Public House, a restored 1890s saloon. Following a short intro, we went outside to the alleyway & went down into two separate underground passageways. Lastly, we ended up in Rogues Gallery, the Underground Tour gift shop, where they have historic displays and an array of contemporary gifts showcasing Seattle’s quirky character.

The beginning of the tour

The alley ways where you enter the passageway/stairwells that take you to the underground streets

Going down into one of the passageways

The sky light tiles from below in the tunnels (it's amazing how much light it lets in).

The tiles from the above (the sidewalk) - it just looks like a pretty display of stain glass tiles - but it really had a function.

Pictures below are from the underground tunnels/sidewalks:

Pictures below are from the showcase showing old Seattle and different things (toilets & such as they had a bunch on display) that were used back then:

After the tour (which took about 2 hours) we walked around Seattle with our umbrellas (except for Don- who is a true Northwesterner and didn't use an umbrella).

A Cool Building We Saw - I Love the Name!!

After walking around we went to Pikes Place Market. Here is some info about Pikes Place Market - in case you haven't been here: The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the largest and oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill, and consists of several lower levels located below the main level. Each features a variety of unique shops (i.e. antique dealers, comic book sellers, small family-owned restaurants, etc.) The upper street level contains fishmongers, fresh produce stands and craft stalls operating in the covered arcades. Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades from tables they rent from the Market. The Pike Place Market sees 10 million visitors annually. We had fun walking around looking at all the stuff. We all couldn't agree on one place to eat for dinner- so we picked up different food for everyone and ate at the tables in the mall. Emma & Melanie had pizza, Courtney & I had Greek food, and Don had a New York pastrami deli sandwich. Yummy for all.

Pikes Place Market - Seattle

The view from one of the docks off the market.

Time just flew by and we had to be back at the train station by 5 pm.

The girls enjoying an ice cream treat on the way home. We got into Vancouver about 8:30pm. What a fun day!!!