Amtrak Adventure - Day 23 - Portland to Seattle

Day 23 and we were on the move again. This time from Portland to Seattle, a mere four hour journey on the Amtrak Cascades. The scenery out of Portland was mostly industrial at first and then farmland, not particularly interesting until we reached the expansive Tacoma Narrows which has twin suspension bridges across it, which when they were first built were the third longest in the world.

A little later, we got our first awesome glimpse of the snow-covered Mt. Rainier.

 

We arrived into Seattle's King Street Station in the south of the city, across the road from the International District (albeit as the gateway shows, mostly Asian), the location of the hostel American Hotel, our temporary residence for two nights.

It is also just a short distance from Pioneer Square where Seattle was first founded. Part of the square is currently undergoing construction which always detracts from a place’s attraction, and there did not seem that much to see apart from a couple of old buildings converted into quirky cafes, and these attractive totem poles:

Unfortunately, a huge chunk of the waterfront is also under construction, meaning that about half of the river walkway has been pushed between the work site and a major highway. Not exactly the best introduction to a city! Once beyond that though the piers are open and offer a pleasant place to relax and enjoy the view.

Looking back from a walkway over the highway

We concluded our first afternoon of exploration with a walk through Post Alley, a narrow street of restaurants and cafes, where we found the Perennial Tearoom selling all things tea-related. If you are a tea-lover this is the place for you!

After a break back at the hostel, we headed out again this time for dinner. Spoilt for choice, we ended up at The Pike Pub and Brewing Company, a funky bar on 1st Avenue complete with brewery beer tanks and decorated with old-fashioned tin trays advertising beers and random other beer-related memorabilia.

Looking down on the bar

A beer tank

Tin Trays everywhere

Verdict: An interesting introduction to Seattle. Shame about the construction work, but I'm sure the waterfront will look fabulouse when it's finished. One thing for sure, there is no shortage of places to eat or drink in Seattle!