Underground, Overground, Above Ground

It seems that if you're an American City or almost any big City, you need one. They seem to be there mainly for visitors and already I'd enjoyed my fair share of them throughout the US. They often dominate not only the "things to do lists" but the skyline too. Indeed from them, its the skyline you come to see. Metropolises laid out in front of you, in fact, all around you. Welcome to the Space Needle, Seattle's viewing platform deluxe.

I've always liked these buildings that give you such an overview of the City you're in. Maybe its the feeling of knowing how the City is laid out below you, the feeling of actually BEING here, the enjoyment of being in such a City and seeing what makes each one unique from its own viewpoint or maybe its just the awesome picturesque views you get from the top. Whatever it is, I cant help but want to take advantage of them.

Seattle's Space Needle dominates the Cityscape almost like no other. Its prominence in part of the City where high rises are few and far between allows it to own the space in which its surrounded.

I'd thought about doing it for a couple of days but the weather had been typically cloudy and overcast, however things had changed and the sky was now gloriously blue and who could resist on such a beautiful day?!


Atop the Needle, I actually had a slight feeling of disappointment, I wasn't as high up as I though I might be and couldn't help but think I'd been up better buildings before. Still, the views were impressive. The high rises Downtown gave Seattle that "Big City" feel to me for the first time, whilst Puget Sound and other watery goodness was encompassed in a lower rise area. Mount Rainier, the active Volcano was visible in the distance giving the City a whole different feel on the location front.






The whole experience gave me a unique look on Seattle and whilst it costs a fair bit to get up there I'm still glad I did it. Maybe I'd feel differently had the day been bleaker but the glorious sun and skies allowed the City to bask away.


In Seattle though, what goes up also comes down. Indeed I'd been surprised walking around just how hilly this place was. Roads would slope off into the distance or rise and carry on rising, the steepness tugging at your leg muscles wherever you walk.


Perhaps not on most people's must do list is the Underground Tour. I'd been recommended this idea from several people and along with Sandy headed off to try my luck at getting on one. We knew the place was located around Pioneer Square but weren't entirely sure of the exact location. We saw one group appear from out of nowhere and tagged along for a few moments to see what was happening. Fortunately the tour leader was able to point us to the starting point.

The tour takes you on a route under Seattle to where the City used to lie before being destroyed by fire in the late 19th Century. The City was then rebuilt atop its original streets a story or 2 higher. Whilst there may not be a huge variety of stuff to see the guide made the trip more than worthwhile. Full of information and presented in an entertaining way the tour is made more than worthwhile by the people running it. We both come out back to street level full of praise for the Seattle Underground Tour.


Overground, above ground or below ground I was taking a shining to this City, I allowed myself several hours to just wonder the streets and whilst being amazed at the sheer number of coffee shops it has also located the main shopping district, not huge by anyone's standards but it sits just right in this City where nothing comes across as too overblown there's a certain modesty about this City that leaves me with a quiet sense of admiration for it.