On Tuesday we did another Seattle day and visited the EMP Museum, which has two main components, the EMP (Electronic Music Project and the SFM (Science Fiction Museum). The museum is located in the Seattle Center near the Space Needle. Because of time restraints, we only did justice to the SFM. I loved the Battlestar Galactica exhibit. It reminded me how much I had enjoyed the series, And the Avatar exhibit was pretty cool too!
http://www.empmuseum.org/index.asp
The joys of out of town company include visiting places usually reserved for tourist. On Monday we went on Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour in Downtown Seattle. The 90 minute tour began in Doc Maynard’s Public House (608 First Ave, in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, between Cherry Street and Yesler Way.) After opening remarks, the rather large group follows the excellent tour guide underground to explore the long deserted original sidewalks of the city. For those that don’t know, Seattle’s downtown burnt down in 1889. When it was rebuilt, the city founders determined that it should be elevated to help with the sewerage problem (the toilets were geysering during high tide) . Some of the property owners could not wait for the slow process of the government’s installation of fill, then roads and sidewalks. The property owners went ahead and built their stone and brick building and when the infrastructure was later installed, the main floor of the buildings became the basements. They were later condemned. The tour took us through a three block area and was very interesting and engaging.
This is the amazing view (notice the Space Needle in the background) from the Lake Union Crew Building at 11 East Allison in Seattle. It wasn’t until I was writing it up as a new place that I realized the entire building was a boat and moves around as needed! That makes it one of the most amazing buildings I’ve ever been in! Here is somebody’s photo of it floating around. (Thanks znep!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/znep/113675036/
There were some great houseboats next to the Crew building and I’ve included a photo of them 🙂
The Lake Union Crew website is here
http://www.lakeunioncrew.com/
What a lovely, much needed Spring Day. The sun was shining all day and it was in the upper 60s! Heaven. I was compelled to be outside, so it was just perfect that I had a date with some friends to visit the 20 acre Kubota Gardens in South Seattle. These gardens were developed by Fujitaro Kubota. In 1987, the gardens were acquired by the City, fulfilling the desired of the Kubota family. There are ponds, waterfalls and of course, many types of flora. While I was there a young couple was having photographs professionally taken, I’m assuming for their wedding.
http://storefrontsseattle.wordpress.com/
More info on the museum can be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Seattle-Pinball-Museum/131237786915560
Update: We went past this museum in January 2014 and it was packed! (See the last photo with the blue doorframe). Their prices have gone up a bit, but it is still a lot of entertainment for the price)
