Today, in great weather, I set out on my bike to visit one museum, and then see where my spirits took me. First, to MOHAI, the Museum of Heritage and Industry, an old naval training base on the edge of Lake Union. It has a very comprehensive and engaging presentation of the history of Seattle, and the wider area, but I was disappointed that there was little on the industries of the late 20th/21st century. Some names we all know, based in Seattle, Microsoft (40,000 employees), Amazon (15,000), Boeing (70,000), Starbucks, Corbis, Getty Images, and many more.
I found the current special exhibition very interesting "Still Afloat: Seattle’s Floating Homes" the story of the many small residential communities that have grown up around the lakes and waterfronts around Seattle. In Europe the Dutch are seen as the leaders in homes-on-water. Apart from the delight of living on or at the water's edge, we in the UK could do more to understand the potential opportunity for more homes this way.
After the exhibition, i set off to cycle right round Lake Union, with a pause for lunch in Fremont, which clearly has a friendly rivalry with its bigger neighbour, Seattle.
Next stop was Gas Works Park, a 20 acre public park on the site of the former gas generation plant, which opened in 1975. It's an early example of regenerating an old industrial site, leaving some impressive traces of the former life. Contrast with the banks of the river Clyde in Glasgow, or the Olympic Park in London, where almost all signs of former life and industry have been swept away.
I then rode down east side of Lake Union, spotting some of the many houseboat communities.
Finally, back to my hotel, shower, and then off out to sample the fare at another of the city's microbreweries.
Some other images from the day.
My new Trek
My route around Lake Union
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