Pike Place Market in Seattle

14 March 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon appétit, Shopping Reading Time:  7 minutes

Pike Place Market © Daniel Schwen/cc-by-sa-4.0

Pike Place Market © Daniel Schwen/cc-by-sa-4.0

Pike Place Market is a public market in Seattle, Washington, United States. It opened on August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the United States. Overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront on Puget Sound, it serves as a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants. It is named for its central street, Pike Place, which runs northwest from Pike Street to Virginia Street on the western edge of Downtown Seattle. Pike Place Market is Seattle’s most popular tourist destination and the 33rd most visited tourist attraction in the world, with more than 10 million annual visitors.   read more…

Anacortes in Washington

15 June 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  10 minutes

Rockfish Grill and Anacortes Brewery © flickr.com - brewbooks/cc-by-sa-2.0

Rockfish Grill and Anacortes Brewery © flickr.com – brewbooks/cc-by-sa-2.0

Anacortes is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name “Anacortes” is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. Anacortes’ population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area. Anacortes is known for the Washington State Ferries dock and terminal serving Lopez Island, Shaw Island, Orcas Island, and San Juan Island, as well as Victoria, British Columbia (via Sidney, British Columbia), on Vancouver Island. There is also a Skagit County-operated ferry that serves Guemes Island, a residential island located across Guemes Channel, north of Anacortes.   read more…

Mercer Island on Lake Washington

24 June 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

Mercer Island © Dllu/cc-by-sa-4.0

Mercer Island © Dllu/cc-by-sa-4.0

Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, with Seattle to its west and Bellevue to its east. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census and an estimated 25,894 in 2019. Mercer Island is the most populated island in a lake within the United States. The ZIP code 98040 is unique to Mercer Island. Mercer Island has the fifth highest per-capita income in the state of Washington and is one of the 100 richest ZIP codes in the USA according to the IRS figures for Adjusted Gross Income.   read more…

Research vessel and icebreaker USCGC Healy

1 January 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  7 minutes

Healy at the North Pole © USCG Academy - Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory Mendenhall

Healy at the North Pole © USCG Academy – Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory Mendenhall

USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) is the United States’ largest and most technologically advanced icebreaker. She is classified as a medium icebreaker by the U.S. Coast Guard. She is homeported in Seattle and was commissioned in 1999. Her motto is “Promise and Deliver“. On September 5, 2015, USCGC (United States Coast Guard Cutter) Healy became the first unaccompanied United States surface vessel to reach the North Pole. Healy was built by Avondale Industries in New Orleans. The construction included a technology transfer agreement between Avondale Industries and the Finnish Kværner Masa-Yards Arctic Technology Centre, where the latter provided expertise for hull form development and propulsion line engineering based on the Finnish diesel-electric icebreaker Otso.   read more…

Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle

26 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  9 minutes

© EMP|SFM Archive/cc-by-sa-3.0

© EMP|SFM Archive/cc-by-sa-3.0

EMP Museum is a nonprofit museum, dedicated to contemporary popular culture in Seattle. EMP Museum was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000. Since that time EMP has organized dozens of exhibits, 17 of which have toured across the US and internationally. The museum, which used to be known as Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM), has founded many public programs including Sound Off! an annual 21 and under battle-of-the-bands that supports the all-ages scene and Pop Conference an annual gathering of academics, critics, musicians and music buffs. EMP, in collaboration with the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) presents the Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival, which takes place annually every winter at Seattle Cinerama Theater.   read more…

United States presidential election of 2016

9 November 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Editorial Reading Time:  15 minutes

© Lipton sale/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Lipton sale/cc-by-sa-3.0

In the face of the 18-month presidential election campaign, which more and more degenerated into the mud fight, not only the Americans will be happy about the fact that at least this very inglorious episode has now been surpassed. The US voters initially elected the electors of choice in their federal state. On 19 December 2016 the so-called Electoral College will officially elect the new president. The inauguration of the president of the United States will take place on 20 January 2017. Until then, Barack Obama fortunately remains still US President.   read more…

Theme Week Washington, D.C. – President’s Park

30 September 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  10 minutes

President's Park with White House © Ad Meskens/cc-by-sa-3.0

President’s Park with White House © Ad Meskens/cc-by-sa-3.0

President’s Park, located in Washington, D.C., encompasses the White House, a visitor center, Lafayette Square, and The Ellipse. President’s Park was the original name of Lafayette Square. The current President’s Park is administered by the National Park Service. The White House Visitor Center is located in the north end of the Herbert C. Hoover Building (the Department of Commerce headquarters between 14th Street and 15th Street on Pennsylvania Avenue NW). Since September 11, 2001, the visitor center no longer serves as a starting point for those going on a reserved tour of the White House. The various exhibits provide an alternative visitor experience for those who did not schedule a tour. The themes of the six permanent exhibits are First Families, Symbols & Images, White House Architecture, White House Interiors, Working White House, and Ceremonies and Celebrations. Other exhibits change throughout the year.   read more…

Theme Week Washington, D.C. – Georgetown

15 April 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Healy Hall at Georgetown University © Daderot

Healy Hall at Georgetown University © Daderot

Georgetown is a historic neighborhood, commercial, and entertainment district located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751 in the Province of Maryland, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years. Georgetown remained a separate municipality until 1871, when the United States Congress created a new consolidated government for the whole District of Columbia. A separate act passed in 1895 specifically repealed Georgetown’s remaining local ordinances and renamed Georgetown’s streets to conform with those in the City of Washington. Georgetown is home to the main campus of Georgetown University. Many D.C.’s politicians and lobbyists are at home in Georgetown.   read more…

Seattle in Washington

21 March 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  12 minutes

Downtown Seattle and Space Needle from Queen Anne Hill © Rattlhed

Downtown Seattle and Space Needle from Queen Anne Hill © Rattlhed

Seattle is a West Coast inlet seaport city and the seat of King County. With an estimated 663,000 residents as of 2015, Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. In July 2013 it was the fastest-growing major city in the United States, and remained in the top five in May 2015 with an annual growth rate of 2.1%. The Seattle metropolitan area of around 3.6 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The city is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound (an inlet of the Pacific Ocean) and Lake Washington, about 100 miles (160 km) south of the Canada–United States border. A major gateway for trade with Asia, Seattle is the third largest port in North America in terms of container handling as of 2015.   read more…

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