New Gals Guide to Seattle – discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
On June 6, 1889, a young Swedish carpenter’s apprentice allowed his glue to boil over onto wood chips, causing them to ignite. With all of the homes being made of wood, the fire tore through downtown Seattle, destroying at least 25 blocks in its wrath. Instead of rebuilding the city back to it original state, the city leaders decided all new buildings must be stone or brick, and the new buildings would be two stories higher than the original street level.
Pioneer Square was originally built on filled-in tideland and, as a consequence, it often flooded. This new street level would also ensure that the “crappers” would not back up into the out houses during high tide.
Eventually all of the storefronts moved to the new street level, but the original level was still used as sidewalks and indoor shopping. In 1907, the underground was condemned for fear of the bubonic plague.
It wasn’t until 1965 when local citizen, Bill Speidel, set out to save historic Pioneer Square. He had written about underground Seattle, but no one believed it until the Junior Chamber of Commerce held its ‘Know Your Seattle Day’ and persuaded Speidel to conduct tours for $1 per person. On the first day, Speidel and his wife took over 500 people on the tour. Rumor has it he would lock people in at the end of the tour until they signed a petition to save Pioneer Square. In 1970, the Seattle City Council named 20 square blocks in Pioneer Square as a Historic District. I guess that’s what happens when you present them with 100,000 names on a petition.
The Underground Tour is a 90-minute walking tour covering about three blocks of subterranean passages. The tour begins inside Doc Maynard’s Public House, a refurbished 1890’s saloon. You will spend the first 20 minutes of the tour inside the public house learning about the history of Seattle. After the short introduction to the tour, everyone heads outside to descend into the underground.
Our tour guide, Rose, was absolutely fantastic!
Our first location on the tour was Seattle’s swankiest department store. The cool thing about this store is that you can still see some of the original wallpaper. This department store was later used as a speakeasy during Prohibition.
Just a little tip…under these arches is the safest place to be during an earthquake. Remember that if you happen to be on the tour when an earthquake hits!
After you complete the first section of the tour, you come back up to street level and walk a few blocks before heading back underground. Our second stop was the Schwabacher Brothers and Company, a hardware/general store. This shop provided the ladders needed to get from the new street level to the underground sidewalks.
The underground tunnels have reported paranormal activity, and it just so happens that the second section of the tour is where most of the activity has been reported. I can’t say that I saw or felt anything out of the normal, but I don’t doubt what could potentially be down there.
This picture was taken inside the hardware/general store. I noticed this dot when I uploaded the photos to my computer. This dot does not appear in any other photo I took…could it be a spirit orb? (I don’t know if I really want to know what it is!)
The underground sidewalks were lit using skylights that were installed on the sidewalks above. These skylights were once very common in Seattle, but many of them have been paved over. Very few original skylights still exist.
The Scandinavian Bank was built to draw in clients of Scandinavian heritage. The bank was the only bank that was open 24 hours a day. Because of the unusual hours, most people refer to the bank as the first ATM. The vault and the teller’s cage is where most of the paranormal activity is spotted. The spirit is a teller who was shot in cold blood during a robbery. This is definitely one place I would not want to be in the dark!
The final part of the tour leads down a short tunnel, showing you some really cool tools, until you reach Rogues Gallery. In the gallery, you can see exhibits that depict Seattle’s Victorian era, the bawdy, the Klondike Gold Rush and more. This gallery is also where you can pick up some of the Underground Tour’s unique merchandise.
Whether you are visiting or have lived in Seattle your whole life, this is a tour that should be done at least once. The tours are available everyday, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, at multiple times throughout the day. For more information about the Underground Tour visit their website www.undergroundtour.com.
New Girls Guide to Seattle – discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
Every year on February 14, millions of people across the world exchange candy, flowers, and gifts, all in the name of St. Valentine. Legend says St. Valentine was a priest in Rome, who married young lovers in secret, when Emperor Claudius outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine is also rumored to have sent the first valentine greeting card to a young women he fell in love with while in jail. He signed the card, “From your valentine.”
Whether you are long-time loves, new loves or just a single person hoping to meet your love, Valentine’s day can be stressful if you don’t know what events are going on in your area. There are always a lot of options to make this day unforgettable. There are Valentine’s dinner specials, specialized dinner cruises, events at the local wineries and more. I will be providing some different ideas on how to make the night special.
New Girls Guide to Seattle – discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
First built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the 74-acre Seattle Center campus is located in the heart of Downtown Seattle. Seattle Center is a park, arts and entertainment center that offers something for everyone. Some of Seattle’s best known attractions are located in the Seattle Center. It is a fun place to hang out with friends and family, and to learn a lot about Downtown Seattle.
New Girls Guide to Seattle – discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
The holiday season is my favorite time of the year! There is nothing better than hot chocolate, a beautiful fireplace and celebrating with friends and family. When I moved to Washington, I quickly learned that there are a ton of holiday events to get everyone in the holiday spirit.
On November 18, The Bravern kicked off the holiday season with their tree lighting and the arrival of Santa. The event featured carolers, pony rides and fireside beverages. I have attended the tree lighting the past two years and it has always been a lot of fun. I took the opportunity to begin my holiday shopping, while listening to the carolers and waiting for Santa. The tree is beautiful and is lit every night during the holidays.
The Tree Lighting at The Bravern Video
New Girls Guide to Seattle – discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
When people think of spending the day wine tasting, most people think about their dream trip to Napa, CA. Nestled in the Sammamish River Valley, Woodinville is a unique haven for extraordinary winemakers. There are over 80 wineries that offer an array of wine styles crafted with attention to detail and dedication to quality. Many of the wineries offer tastings, winemaker dinners, wine clubs and special events.
The two largest wineries are Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Wineries. They are both located in Woodinville’s tourist district and are actually right across the street from each other. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s oldest winery and one of the Seattle area’s top visited attractions. They are known for their Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling and Cabernet. During the summer Chateau Ste. Michelle has the summer concert series. They also have a number of different events throughout the year.
New Girl’s Guide to Seattle – discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
Remlinger Farms is a family owned and operated working farm, and that hasn’t changed since it opened over 30 years ago. A lot of people only know about their pumpkin harvest, but there is a host of offerings at this landmark.
New Girls Guide to Seattle – discovering the sights and sounds of Seattle and surrounding areas from the prospective of someone new to the city.
The first place that every new girl should go is Pike Place Market. Founded in 1907, Pike Place Market is the oldest operating farmers’ market in the United States. Each year 10 million visitors come from around the world to visit the market. When most people think about Pike Place, they think about seafood, but the market has much more to offer.
The first time I visited Pike Place Market was in 2005, when I came to Seattle to visit my family. The market was the one place, besides the Space Needle, that I was looking forward to visiting while I was here. When I finally got to Pike Place, I was amazed that it was a lot more than a fish market. They have fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, unique foods and more.
Personally my favorite part of the market is during the spring and summer when they have the most beautiful flowers. The flower vendors seem to go on for miles and all have excellent prices! There is nothing better than coming home from Pike Place with fresh produce, amazing seafood and beautiful flowers.
One of the most sought after places in Pike Place Market is the original Starbucks. The flagship store was opened in 1971 and since it is located in the historic district, the store retains its original look. There are some people out there that think this Starbucks is just like any other one, but that is wrong. My favorite part of the original Starbucks is the exclusive products that you can only get from this store. From stuffed animals to coffee mugs, everything sold at this location is exclusive to the first Starbucks. The only downfall about the first Starbucks is there is always a line out the door, but the line gives you more time to pick up gifts for friends and family!
