Who says it rains in Seattle?

With the temperature reaching a perfect 78 degrees yesterday, I went exploring.....

Standing 605 feet tall, the Space Needle, without a doubt is the most recognizable structure in Seattle.  To give you an idea, it is taller than the Statue of Liberty or the Washington Monument, but less than half of the height of the Empire State Building.

I had read somewhere that you could get to the top of the needle "on the cheap" by going to the restaurant at the top, having a drink and enjoying the views.  I will need to write the editor of that book since I learned there is a $25 minimum food charge while at the restaurant.  I opted for the less expensive ride to the observatory deck.

The price was worth it.  Just look at one of the many views I saw.

That is Mt. Rainier in the background.  In person, just as in this picture, it almost looks fake.  As if someone has simply painted it into the landscape.

I rode over to the Space Needle on the monorail.  Both were constructed for the 1962's World Fair.  The monorail travels a little over a mile in one minute and takes you through the heart of downtown to the bottom of the Space Needle.  It was worth the $2.00 for the short ride.  I also read somewhere that Seattle was going to expand the monorail system, but I saw no signs of that happening.

The picture that appears below should look familiar, as I know I have seen it in a lot of movies.

This is Pike Place Market where hundreds of vendors come and sell a variety of produce, seafood, crafts, and gifts.  You could spend hours (and a lot of money) in this place.  Seattle, just like any major city is a melting pot of people.  A diverse population shopped the market.  People who just left work and were stopping by to purchase fish and veggies for dinner, those that were buying one of the numerous beautiful bouquets of flowers for their loved one or perhaps to simply brighten someones day, tourists looking for that keepsake to remember their time in "emerald city," as it is called.

I watched as a man in a kilt of sorts, sang an Elton John song in hopes of getting his own "donations."

As I watched the many people go in and out of the market, I managed to find myself a little restaurant tucked away on the opposite side of the street.  I ordered myself a local beverage, enabling me to cross it off Lennie's beer list and toast to my first day in Seattle!