Upon our arrival in Leavenworth we hooked up with Dan’s cousin Sheila Morris (see our 01-13JUL09 for more about Sheila), and headed off to the local tubing business to get our tubes and then headed to the river. We even got a tube for Gumbo the one eyed jack, and took him with us. Once we got over the coldness of the river we had a great two hour float down the river with Sheila. Unfortunately, no one wanted to risk their digital camera on the rafting trip, so no photos. And then it was off to Sheila’s (aka Camp Morris), where her husband Mike cooked up some great burgers!
http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/index.php?pageid=1
Early Saturday morning it was off to Seattle, where the first stop was Pike Place Market (aka The Market), including the Giant Shoe Museum. Supposedly The Market is the largest public market in the USA. In the late 60s, early 70s, the Market was almost demolished before being designated as a Historic District and preserved. The Market is home to the world famous fish mongers that throw the fish (and hopefully catch it before it hits a tourist), and the original Starbucks with the “racy” mermaid logo.
Then the kids went on the Underground Tour of Seattle. In 1889 Seattle was mostly destroyed by a fire. Since Seattle was built on mud flats and the toilets backed up twice a day with the incoming tide, the city fathers decided to build the entire town one to two stories higher. This resulted in blocks and blocks of store fronts and sidewalks entombed below today’s street level. Starting in 1970 preservationists started conducting tours and using the monies to preserve the remaining original core of the city known as Pioneer Square. Since we had taken the tour before, we skipped it.
http://www.undergroundtour.com/
While the kids were on the tour, Corrie decided to sit outside in Pioneer Square and enjoy the good weather, while Dan went to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park which is a part of Klondike Gold Rush International Historic Park. Why an International Historic Park? Because the gold was not in Alaska, but at the junction of the Klondike & Yukon rivers in Canada! And even though it was a stampede through Alaska, the Canadian Mounties required each miner to bring one ton of provisions with them before crossing the border. This resulted in 30 to 50 trips over the infamous “Golden Stairs” of the Chilkoot Trail to get all 2000 pounds to the top.
As usual almost none of the miners got rich, but many people supporting the miners did. The “gold fever” was so great that the Mayor of Seattle, and most of Tacoma’s Fire Dept took off for the gold fields. In fact, the gold rush that started in 1897, resulted in Seattle going from a small outpost still suffering from the 1893 stock market collapse in the remote Pacific NW, to a major city rivaling San Francisco. The monies from the gold rush allowed Seattle to build and host the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYP) in 1909. This was a very big event back in the day, very similar to a World’s Fair. Since this is the 100th anniversary of the AYP, it was prominently displayed in the museum.
http://www.undergroundtour.com/While the kids were on the tour, Corrie decided to sit outside in Pioneer Square and enjoy the good weather, while Dan went to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park which is a part of Klondike Gold Rush International Historic Park. Why an International Historic Park? Because the gold was not in Alaska, but at the junction of the Klondike & Yukon rivers in Canada! And even though it was a stampede through Alaska, the Canadian Mounties required each miner to bring one ton of provisions with them before crossing the border. This resulted in 30 to 50 trips over the infamous “Golden Stairs” of the Chilkoot Trail to get all 2000 pounds to the top.
As usual almost none of the miners got rich, but many people supporting the miners did. The “gold fever” was so great that the Mayor of Seattle, and most of Tacoma’s Fire Dept took off for the gold fields. In fact, the gold rush that started in 1897, resulted in Seattle going from a small outpost still suffering from the 1893 stock market collapse in the remote Pacific NW, to a major city rivaling San Francisco. The monies from the gold rush allowed Seattle to build and host the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYP) in 1909. This was a very big event back in the day, very similar to a World’s Fair. Since this is the 100th anniversary of the AYP, it was prominently displayed in the museum.
http://www.pioneersquaredistrict.org/http://www.nps.gov/klgo
http://www.ayp100.org/
Then it was off to Ivars (or McIvars as Corrie calls it) for a lunch of fried clams and chips; and to feed the seagulls as Ivar encouraged all customers to do. See our JUL08 BLOG link below for more on Ivar and his importance to Seattle. Down the block from Ivar’s is the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. This is a 100 year old tourist trap, or as they say - Curio Shop, that you must visit when in Seattle. We always stop in to say hi to Sylvester the mummified man.
http://www.ivars.net/http://www.yeoldecuriosityshop.com/
Then it was off to Fremont, the Center of the Universe. See our AUG08 BLOG entry below for more on Fremont. Dan wanted to walk about the Center of the Universe but everyone else was getting tired, so we went straight to the Troll under the Aurora Bridge for photos. Then it was off to Volunteer Park on Capital Hill. Volunteer Park is a beautiful park designed by Olmsted Brothers that Dan and cousins spent many a day exploring back in the 60s. The park has a 75 foot water tower that provides great free views of Seattle, Mt Rainier, and the Cascades, for those willing to climb the 106 steps to the top. The park used to be home to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), now located downtown; but is now home to the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM). Turns out it was “free Saturday” and we got into the Museum for free! NOTE – the pictures of the kids with the Pike Place Pig, Ivar & the seagulls, and Aurora Bridge Troll, are repeats from childhood visits; but those photos are in storage, so we can’t post them for comparison.
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=399
http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/visitSAAM.asp
http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2008/09/11-26aug08-everett-wa.html
Sunday morning Rebecca, Gumbo & Dan took off for Wallace Falls State Park to hike. They made it to the lower and middle falls; but ran out of steam before getting to the upper falls. On the return Dan rounded a corner and sighted a juvenile bear standing fully erect on a fallen tree, with its front legs outstretched. The bear did not move and at first Dan thought it was “stuffed”! But quickly realizing he was in protected forest, Dan realized it was real. He got two quick photos before quickly heading down the trail as the bear went crashing into the forest. Of course, Gumbo the one eyed jack, did not see, hear or smell the bear less than thirty feet away!
http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/visitSAAM.asp
http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2008/09/11-26aug08-everett-wa.html
Sunday morning Rebecca, Gumbo & Dan took off for Wallace Falls State Park to hike. They made it to the lower and middle falls; but ran out of steam before getting to the upper falls. On the return Dan rounded a corner and sighted a juvenile bear standing fully erect on a fallen tree, with its front legs outstretched. The bear did not move and at first Dan thought it was “stuffed”! But quickly realizing he was in protected forest, Dan realized it was real. He got two quick photos before quickly heading down the trail as the bear went crashing into the forest. Of course, Gumbo the one eyed jack, did not see, hear or smell the bear less than thirty feet away!
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Wallace%20FallsSunday afternoon we headed to a Tompkin’s family reunion. The get together was being held because Dan’s sister Sharon and husband, Tim Tompkin, were in town for Dan Sr’s Memorial Service on Monday, 03AUG. The impromptu gathering was at Tim & Sharon’s daughter, Marisa, & husband, Dave Greenwell’s. Tim’s parents were there, along with his brother’s, Paul & Phil; along with Dan & Sharon’s brother Shawn and girlfriend, Cyndi. Dave had caught Dungeness crab for appetizer and many brats were BBQ’d. The star of the day was Marisa & Dave’s newest child, Eli. See below BLOG entry for more on Dave & Marisa.
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