Wanting to make the most of the non-shooting parts of the tour, the team turned to the expertise of Graham Nelson who, although now working as an anaesthetist, must have been a tour operator in a past life. Before departing for Canada and the USA, Graham researched various expeditions for the team, in Seattle and its environs. Vehicles were allocated, depending on what combination of excursions people wanted to do.
The diarist’s vehicle first chose to visit the Seattle Museum of Flight, home to one of the largest air and space collections in the USA. Particular highlights of the museum were a great number of aircraft, from both the First and Second World Wars, along with more modern exhibits, such as the SR-71 Blackbird and, the sadly now retired, Concorde, which Ian Shaw has had the privilege of flying on-board.
Having had their fill of aviation, vehicle #3 then headed into Seattle city centre, where they dined at a harbour seafood restaurant, served by waiters with the most progressive of names, such as “Storm” and “Torn”. During lunch, some members of GBRT were fortunate enough to witness a big tug in the harbour, which was towing in a gargantuan container ship, no doubt loaded with souvenir merchandise, some of which the diarist has already purchased.
The next stop on the tour was a post-prandial exploration of Pike Place Market, a public farmers’ market. Here, the team were able to purchase some of Seattle’s local specialities, such as fresh celery and high-quality coffee. However, there was little time available to savour these delicacies, as social adjutant Nelson insisted that the group make its way across town, in order to be on time for their penultimate activity: a tour of Seattle’s underground.
Not wanting to spoil the wonder of Seattle’s subterranean past, for those who will explore it in the future, the diarist has chosen three interesting facts to relate: 1) Seattle used to flood a lot. 2) Seattle imported a large number of toilets from the UK (see above photo), in the late nineteenth century. 3) Seattle’s economy used to depend, largely, upon the tax revenue generated from ‘sewing’.
With an experience of Seattle’s lower regions under their belts, vehicle #3 then decided to journey skywards, in order to get a better view of the city. Thanks to the Sky View Observatory, on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center, we were able to get a feel for the layout of the city, as well as the surrounding area, which included a stunning view of Mt Rainier, which is on the itinerary for tomorrow.
Other members of GBRT chose similar activities in Seattle, such as heading up the Space Needle, a building that is an iconic landmark of the city.
After negotiating the Seattle traffic and returning to Puyallup, only to find the hotel’s restaurant closed, vehicle #3 decided to head for a light bite to eat at the local steak restaurant. Here, Angus McLeod, keen to prepare himself for a walk on Mt Rainier, consumed a cool 3,400 calories and nearly 20oz of meat, during the course of his meal. Having worked hard to reduce the cattle population of the West Coast, vehicle #3 retired to bed, sweating slightly but looking forward to visiting the Mt Rainier National Park in the morning.
Lollipop awards (Day 7):
None awarded.