Seattle ~ BC
On September 22, 2007, two days before we boarded our one-week inside passage cruise to British Columbia, we toured the vibrant city of Seattle. Protected by mountains and islands on the Pacific to the west, the inside water passage from Seattle to British Columbia is one of most scenic routes of bays, inlets, forests and mountains. In addition to viewing this beautiful scenery, we marveled at the sea and land wildlife. As an extra bonus, I opted to take a whale watching cruise in Canadian waters near Victoria where my camera captured a pod of Orcas with Washington’s Mt. Baker in the background. We had the pleasure of experiencing British Columbia port cities of Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria. We enjoyed an unexpected visit to the state of Washington’s Friday Harbor in the San Jan Islands and Port Townsend.
When thinking of Seattle, the Space Needle and rainy, gloomy weather first comes to mind. It is true that Seattle has more than 200 days of cloudy days, but we were fortunate to experience sunshine, clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures. Seattle has a calm and mild temperate marine climate because the temperature is moderated by the sea and protected from winds and storms by the mountains. Despite being partially in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the city of Seattle has a reputation for frequent rain. In reality, the so-called "rainy city" receives only 38 inches of precipitation per year, which is less than New York, Atlanta or Houston.
After arriving on Friday, September 22, afternoon, we walked from our hotel, the Fairmont Olympic, to the Pike Place Public Market. This public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront opened in 1907. The oldest continually-operational farmer's market in the country, it is a place of business for many small merchants and a popular tourist destination. Located in the downtown area, it occupies over nine acres. The market is built on the edge of a steep hill. It has several lower levels below the main level, featuring a variety of unique shops including antique dealers, comic book sellers and small family-owned restaurants. The upper street level has fishmongers, fresh produce stands, and craft stalls operating in the covered arcades. Outside we also found craft booths on one of the blocked streets. Local farmers sell year-round in the arcades from tables they rent on a daily basis. The Pike Place Market is listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places. Many beautiful flowers are sold in the market. Cut flowers were selling as low as $10 per bucket.
One of the Market's major attractions is Pike Place Fish, where employees throw fish to each other rather than passing them by hand. The "flying fish" are so famous that they appeared in an episode of the television sitcom Frasier that was shot on location in Seattle. Also this fish market has been featured on The Learning Channel. Pike Place Fish Market employees have committed themselves to becoming "world famous."
In 1963, a proposal was floated to demolish Pike Place Market and replace it with Pike Plaza, which would include a hotel, an apartment building, four office buildings, a hockey arena, and a parking garage. This was supported by the mayor, many on the city council, and a number of market property owners. However, there was significant community opposition, and an initiative was passed on November 2, 1971 that created a historic preservation zone. The Pike Place Market Public Development Authority was created and the market buildings were brought into public ownership.
Waterfall Garden Park is the undisputed jewel of Pioneer Square. It was created by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and opened in 1977 by Jim Casey, who started United Parcel Service at this site in 1907. In that year the 19-year old Jim Casey founded the American Messenger Company in Seattle with $100 borrowed from a friend. In 1913, Jim Casey and Evert McCabe agreed to merge. Merchants Parcel Delivery was formed and focused on delivering packages. In 1919, the company expanded beyond Seattle and changed their name to United Parcel Service.
The Waterfall Garden Park landscaped oasis features a 22-foot waterfall that cascades over granite boulders into a beautiful Japanese pool. The corner park is free and can refresh the weariest of city souls.
A plaque on a building on a side street was a glimpse of the elegance of the Savoy Hotel, one of Seattle’s greatest hotels built in 1906. The aluminum castings captured the beauty of the decorative painted plaster relief sculptures that topped the capitals inside the hotel’s first restaurant.
On Saturday we took a city tour in the morning. In the afternoon, we ventured on a boat scenic tour of Puget Sound and navigated into the man-made Lake Washington Ship Channel. Actually, Seattle is some 75 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Mt. Rainier is located 54 miles south of Seattle. It is the highest peak in the Cascade Range, with a topographical summit of 14,411 feet.
While waiting for our turn to enter the Ballard Locks in the Lake Washington Ship Channel, we investigated the assembly of a bunch of harbor seals taking it easy inside a floating cage with open doors. Supposedly, this floating cage can be used to capture and relocate seals interfering with ship traffic in the locks. Since the doors to the cage were open, seals were able to freely come and go.
The Ballard Locks are a popular place for spectators to witness a functioning lock that lowers/raises boats between Lake Washington (fresh water) and Puget Sound (salt water). Boats go through the large lock as they tie up to the side of the lock and are raised or lowered to the correct level so they can move on to the next body of water. Smaller boats can go through the automated small lock where their moorings move up and down with the level of the water.
The Ballard Locks adjacent fish ladders allow the adult salmon to swim upstream to spawn and the molts (baby fish) go back to the sea. It is interesting to see the modern methods used to help the fish have a successful trip.
Lake Union on the Lake Washington Ship Channel between Puget Sound and Lake Washington is a popular location for floating homes and houseboats.
Mt. Rainier can be seen in the background of Seattle's commercial port.
Our itinerary of CruiseWest’s Spirit of Endeavour:
Sunday, September 24 ~ Sailed north through the Puget Sound
Monday, September 25 ~ Vancouver, British Columbia
Tuesday, September 26 ~ Cruising Princess Louisa Inlet
Wednesday, September 27 ~ Nanaimo and cruise islands
Thursday, September 28 ~ Victoria including Butchart Gardens
Friday, September 29 ~ Friday Harbor and San Juan Islands
Saturday, September 30 ~ Port Townsend
In 1889, a pioneering Scotsman, George Grant Mackay, suspended the original swinging bridge over the rushing waters of Capilano Canyon near Vancouver. The spectacular beauty of this wilderness location attracted many turn-of-the-century adventurers. As transportation improved, visitors flocked to the intriguing footbridge, establishing it as a world-renowned attraction.
Today, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park invites guests to relive those pioneer days. Grasping the cool, steel cable, we steped onto the gently swaying cedar planks where we follow Mackey's footsteps 450 feet across and 230 feet above Capilano River!
After crossing the Capilano Suspension Bridge we enter an area what is called the Living Forest--a tree top adventure. We walked throughout the living forest via suspension bridges connected to the trees.
In Totem Park located in the Capilano Park, we were instructed as to the meaning of Indian carvings. Essentially, a totem pole was commissioned by a chief to tell a story about his family.
On Granville Island, one can see a section of Vancouver’s harbor where high-rise residential buildings are located.
We were delayed for awhile until a commercial cargo ship that lost its steering was pulled off a sand bar by tugs.
Jessica Rickard, a marine biology graduate and experienced wildlife researcher, was one of our naturalists aboard.
Our destination up the 40-miles-long Jervis Inlet is Princess Louisa Inlet. The Spirit of Endeavor anchored in Jervis Inlet.
Meriwether Gill taught us about the flora found in this area. Sharing her background in the study of whales, dolphins and porpoises, she is an experienced naturalist. Since the water was so deep in this area, the captain was able to navigate the ship next to shore where Meriwether reached over the bow and plucked the specimen.
Now called a Sea Star (not called a starfish anymore because it is not a fish!), a Sunflower Star can have a few as five arms as a juvenile and as many as 24 as an adult. We saw it near the surface because our ship stirred up the water.
The Malibu Club, now a Young Life Camp has a rich history. The resort was developed by Tom Hamilton, President of United Aircraft, who named it after Malibu, California. It was intended for his elite clientele, but World War II slowed the travel market. As a result, the camp was sold to Young Life. Malibu Club maintains its own dam to generate electricity, a sewage system, fresh water supply, 13-hole golf course, and the M.V. Malibu Princess to transport young people to the camp. Malibu Club marks the entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet which is five miles long and a half-mile wide. Tom Hamilton once owned the entire fjord, but it became a Provincial Park in 1965. There are no roads within 40 miles.
The only way to enter the Princess Louisa Inlet is by zodiacs or DIB (Dimaree Inflatable Boat).
In the 1840’s, Nanaimo was the source of coal. Later, timber and fishing added to the regional economy.
The 50-acre Butchart Gardens was developed in 1904 by Mrs. Jennie Butchart from an abandoned limestone quarry. Hauling in tons of soil and thousands of plants from around the world, her effort resulted in a world-class horticultural wonder.
During a free afternoon in Victoria Harbor, I decided to take an extra whale watching excursion in a high-speed boat. Although there was a remote possibility that we might see some Orcas on our regular cruise back to the U.S., I decided to increase my odds in seeing them by taking this 3-hour adventure. Jeannette opted out. As it turned out, we did not see any Orcas aboard the Spirit of Endeavour.
After traveling for about 30 minutes at about 40-50 knots, we stopped to take a photo of a bald eagle perched on a light house railing.
After some 20 minutes or more, we came upon about 20 boats watching a pod of Orcas. We were told that this group was a transient pod from the Pacific forging for salmon. Our captain Tom used a hydrophone for listening for signals from the Orcas. Occasionally during our whale watching we did hear some sounds from them via the hydrophone.
I was able to photograph a pod of Orcas with Mt. Baker in Washington in the background. About seven boats including ours followed this pod for about 45 minutes.
The most famous history of Friday Harbor is the “Pig War” between the Americans and English in 1859. As the story is told, an American settler shot an English settler’s pig, which was rooting the American’s garden. Actual conflict was averted through negotiations.
Friday Harbor, a quaint seaport in the U.S. San Juan Islands, State of Washington, is a popular harbor for pleasure craft. Some 2,000 people permanently live here while this harbor hosts more than 20,000 overnight transient water craft annually.
Port Townsend, once a seafaring and logging town, is the second oldest city in the state of Washington. A thriving international seaport in mid-1800, this small Victorian settlement had a reputation as notorious as San Francisco’s Barbary Coast. Today the town is proud of its Victorian heritage and prospers from tourism and boat building.
Dressed in the costumes of the 1800’s, proud Port Townsend volunteers welcomed us to their fair city and gave us a walking historical tour.
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