The Seattle "Underground" Tour

We've just arrived back from Seattle, where the Andersen Family decided to take our holiday vacation. As a family, we thought that instead of a material holiday, we would fill only stockings and go on vacation instead, just the four of us! Because time and money (of course, stupid money...) were limiting factors, we considered a few choices and settled on Seattle. After the three hour drive, we dropped our stuff off at the hotel and headed straight to the Pike Place Market! I got a tea cozy (because when I unpacked, I realized I had three tea pots, but no cozy, go figure), some whole nutmeg, proscuitto ends that I'll use for stock, cheese curds, chocolate covered cherries, and some really fabulous dry salami. I would have pictures, but my brain was still addled from the drive and I forgot it in the hotel room...boo....

Anyway, the next day dawned bright and early at 10am (Mom and Dad let the kids sleep in), then we headed off to buy tickets to the Seattle Underground Tour. Yes, there's a lot more to any city than meets the eye and apparently any port town (Portland and Long Beach included) will have more than it's share of subterrainian relics and numerous tales of shang-hi, prostitution, gambling, and general vice. Hmmmm....sounds perfect for the Andersen's! We bought tickets for the 1pm tour and after an orientation of sorts in the "Doc Maynerd" bar, we were off to hear the sinful past of Pioneer Square. Here are some innocent surface shots. Yes, they looked happy, but little did they know......Bwa ha ha!!!!

The Smith Building....


We finally decended underground and after touring several dank, abandoned (well, except for all the tours), and cobweb draped corridors we found ourselves under the city streets. An old skylight was the only natural light available and we could see the shadows of people's feet as they walked overhead. This is the view of the glass from underneath....

and from above....

This is how the glass started, as cones, in order to reflect the light underground for the people working below. After time, the cone disintegrated and only the hexagon shape was left.

Some relics of the old hotel on top of which the current Pioneer Square sits.






If only they still made toilets this pretty! This is an example they had at the Underground Tour museum.

Thank you Thomas Crapper for your timeless legacy! A quote from the tank: "Crapper's Valveless Waste Preventer". Yay!