Seattle - Above and Below Ground

Getting to Seattle from Gig Harbor would be a long drive, but there's a better way to get there. First, we took the Foot Ferry from Port Orchard to Bremerton.

Then in Bremerton, we caught the big ferry, which also takes vehicles, over to Seattle.

At first, I couldn't figure out why the gulls were flying along side the ferry.

Oh - now I get it!

In return for the snacks, the gulls directed us to Seattle.

Our first stop was Pike Place Market, famous for the fish throwing that goes on there. Unfortunately, only when someone buys one, so I didn't get a photo.

But the market is full of seafood -

Produce -

And gorgeous flowers.

From there, some of us went on the Underground Tour. It's a hilarious tour, promising "Dirt, Corruption, Sewers, and Scandal."

We walked through a network of underground storefronts and sidewalks that were at street level before the Great Fire of 1889.

After the fire, the streets were elevated and rebuilt 12-30 feet higher, so the original street levels are now in the basement.

Our tour guide, on the right, was very humorous.

At some places, you could see the original street level windows -

And compare them to photos of the original buildings.

The guide told lots of good stories and interesting facts, but I was more interested in pictures, so sometimes I wasn't paying attention....

But he did emphasize the roll that the toilet (parts of which were invented by Thomas Crapper) had in the decision to raise the lower parts of the city.

Before the raising, the gravity-flush toilets had to be elevated so that they would flush correctly, and not back up at high tide.

It's a great tour, and I highly recommend it!