Seattle, August–September 2009

Photos of and from the Space Needle, of the the city skyline as seen from Kerry Park, of the Pike Place Market and around, and from the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.

The Space Needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair (the Century 21 Exposition), which had a special ‘space’ focus. At 605 feet, it no longer retains the record of tallest building west of the Mississippi. The lift to the observation deck travels at 10mph and takes only 43 seconds; from the top you can of course see all of Seattle, but on a good day you can also see the Olympic Mountains, the Cascade Mountains, and Mount Rainier. The day that I went up, however, was not especially good: the distant mountains were not clearly visible.
Building City northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090831 3084
Flowers outside the Space Needle in Seattle.
Flowers northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090831 3097
Flowers outside the Space Needle in Seattle.
Flowers northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090831 3100
Flowers outside the Space Needle in Seattle.
Flowers northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090831 3112
The gift shop in the Space Needle in Seattle.
Museum northamericatravel Shop Summer rhjf 20090831 3114
View over downtown Seattle from the observation deck of the Space Needle.
Building City City Views northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090831 3130
Seattle at sunset.
Building City City Views northamericatravel Summer Sunset rhjf 20090901 3144
The lights of the Seattle skyline at dusk, including the Space Needle, as seen from Kerry Park. It has been theorized (but not confirmed) that the backdrop of the view from Frasier’s apartment in the fictitious Elliott Bay Towers was photographed from this point.
Building City City Views Dusk northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3299
The lights of the buildings of Seattle, including the Space Needle and the KeyArena (home court of Seattle’s basketball team).
Building City City Views Dusk northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3310
Customers and neon signs in the Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Customer Fish Market Neon Sign northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3346
A customer buys flowers in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Customer Flowers Market northamericatravel Summer Vendor rhjf 20090901 3350
Flowers for sale in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Flowers Market northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3361
Flowers for sale in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Flowers Market northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3364
Crab for sale in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Crab Fish Market northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3366
A woman sells flowers as customers rush past in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Customer Flowers Market Neon Sign northamericatravel Summer Vendor rhjf 20090901 3371
A woman prepares a bouquet of flowers for sale in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Flowers Market northamericatravel Summer Vendor rhjf 20090901 3374
A man hawks his fruit for sale in Pike Place Market in Seattle. I am particularly excited that ‘Razz Berries’ are on special offer.
Market northamericatravel Summer Vendor rhjf 20090901 3375
Two women sample mushrooms for sale in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Customer Fruit Market northamericatravel Summer Vegetable Vendor rhjf 20090901 3377
Chilli-Pepper Wreaths for sale in Pike Place Market.
Chilli Flowers Market northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3383
Fruit neatly arranged for sale in Pike Place Market. And yes, that sign really does say ‘Austrailian’.
Fruit Market northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3387
A woman sells fruit and vegetables from her stall in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Market northamericatravel Summer Vegetable Vendor rhjf 20090901 3390
Vegetables arranged for sale in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Market northamericatravel Summer Vegetable rhjf 20090901 3393
Two women hand over money to pay for their fruit bought from a stall in Pike Place Market.
Customer Fruit Market Neon Sign northamericatravel Summer Vendor rhjf 20090901 3397
Two men at work at their seafood stall in Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Fish Market northamericatravel Summer Vendor rhjf 20090901 3408
Tourists outside the main entrance to Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Building City Market Neon Sign northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3410
The first Starbucks outlet in Seattle—in Pike Place—where the firm’s founders originally sold coffee beans and coffee-making equipment. In fact the first first outlet was in Pike Place Market itself; it was later re-located to Western Avenue, and then moved to its current location at 1912 Pike Place. The justification for calling this location the first Starbucks is that it moved to its present location before any other Starbucks outlets were opened.
Building Car City Market northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090901 3414
Inside the Boeing ‘Red Barn’—the original Boeing factory—at the Seattle Museum of Flight.
Aeroplane Aviation Factory Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3422
A model Boeing Plant 1, the Boeing factory site which operated from 1916 to the early 1960s, on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Aeroplane Aviation Factory Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3427
‘Only seven hours to brush up on your French’: a poster advertising the benefits of Boeing’s first two passenger jet aircraft, the 707 and 720 (as seen at the Museum of Flight, Seattle).
Advertising Aeroplane Aviation Museum northamericatravel Poster Summer rhjf 20090902 3430
‘Your first Boeing jet airliner flight’: a poster advertising the benefits of Boeing’s first two passenger jet aircraft, the 707 and 720 (as seen at the Museum of Flight, Seattle).
Advertising Aeroplane Aviation Museum northamericatravel Poster Summer rhjf 20090902 3431
A Lockheed M-21 Blackbird on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Aeroplane Aviation Military plane Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3438
A Taylor Aerocar III, built in 1968, on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. This was a vehicle that was certified for use both as a plane and a car: the wings and tailplane can either be towed as a trailer, or else left at the airport for use when needed. It is supposedly possible to attach the wings and tailplane in 15 minutes. The explanation text in the museum includes the description, ‘Thanks to its airplane engine, the Aerocar was quite sporty to drive [you don’t say] and by all accounts, it was also quite stable and pleasant to fly.’

In the background you can see the museum’s Boeing 737 movie theatre.
Aeroplane Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3444
A McDonnell F-4C Phantom II, as flown by the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. It is described as ‘brutishly ugly’.
Aeroplane Aviation Military plane Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3446
A Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The MiG-15 was developed by the Soviet Union after the Second World War.
Aeroplane Aviation Military plane Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3452
The tailplane of the British Airways Concorde on display in the airfield at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Aeroplane Aviation British Airways Concorde Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3462
The prototype Boeing 747(-100), City of Everett, on display in the airfield at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
747 Aeroplane Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3482
View underneath the nosecone of the prototype 747 into the forward wheel bay and back to the wings.
747 Aeroplane Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3486
The fuselage of the first 747 ever built, City of Everett.
Aeroplane Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3489
The tailplane of a Boeing C-137 Stratoliner, which is the U.S. Air Force designation of the Boeing 707. This plane was used to transport U.S. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. When the President is aboard the plane takes the callsign ‘Air Force One’. It entered service in 1959, and took Nixon to China in 1972.
707 737 Aeroplane Air Force One Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3491
The galley on board the presidential C-137 on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I was particularly amused by the passive-aggressive note left for onboard crews by the ground staff at Andrews Air Force Base.
707 Aeroplane Air Force One Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3495
Conference tables in the presidential plane on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
707 Aeroplane Air Force One Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3504
Inside the cabin of the British Airways Concorde on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Aeroplane Aviation British Airways Concorde Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3523
Looking into the cockpit of the Concorde on display in the airpark at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Aeroplane Aviation British Airways Concorde Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3527
The Boeing ‘Red Barn’, part of the original Boeing factory, next to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Aviation Building City Factory Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3545
Inside the main hall of the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Aeroplane Aviation Military plane Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3550
The Museum of Flight in Seattle includes a movie theatre built from a half-fuselage of a Boeing 737.
737 Aeroplane Aviation Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3551
A reproduction of the German Rumper Taube [‘Dove’] 1913 plane on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. A large number of planes of this type were built for use by the German military in the Great War.
Aeroplane Aviation Military plane Museum northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3556
The famous neon sign above the entrance to Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Architecture Places Building City Market Neon Sign northamericatravel Summer rhjf 20090902 3558