Seattle
John and I had an enjoyable trip to Seattle this week, and a major highlight was the opportunity to see our friend Ben, who joined us as we explored his neighbourhood (Capitol Hill) and accompanied us to other areas of the city. John and I are much more familiar with Portland, so we enjoyed the chance to discover more of the largest city in "Cascadia."


My father's former (and quite temporary) neighbourhood, Queen Anne Hill, features great architecture and spectacular views of the city centre from the viewpoint at Kerry Park.




Smith Tower, which opened in 1914, is probably the tallest 'terra cotta' structure I've ever seen.




I photographed this 'accordion' trolley bus on Broadway in Capitol Hill, Ben's eclectic and densely populated neighbourhood just north of Seattle's downtown.




The Pioneer Square district of downtown Seattle features plazas, mature trees, loft apartments, and some of the oldest building stock in the city. Elliot Bay Books, which is located in this area, is an impressive independent bookstore, and I look forward to returning there on future trips to Seattle.




My mother accompanied me when I made my first trip to Vancouver in September 2000, and during that holiday we took a day trip to Seattle, allowing me to see it for the first time as well. We visited the Experience Music Project and had lunch at Zeek's Pizza. Today, almost nine years later, John and I had lunch at Zeek's, which still offers tasty New York-style pizza by the slice.

Note: a complete set of Seattle trip photos can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerryfaust/sets/72157619813008889/ .