Seattle, Washington

I had reached Seattle at last. Here was a destination I'd been really looking forward to. Surely this would be a city where I would feel at home. After all, it's the home of Frasier. Also, weirdly, the home of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. What a combination! What a cool, classy cultural melting pot this exciting city must be!

I had interrogated a Seattle Visitor's Guide at the Vashon Island Hostel and decided that two things were definite must see items. One was a trip up the enticingly and unimaginatively named Smith Tower to get an overview of Seattle from the viewing tower on the 42nd floor.

Since it was, mercifully and miraculously, not actually raining (or snowing) while I was on the viewing platform, Seattle looked like ... a city. Kind of like Sydney from an unflattering angle over Port Botany, but without the coathanger and Opera House.



For the history buffs, the boringly named Smith Tower was named after the surprisingly interestingly named father and son team Lyman Cornelius Smith and Burns Lyman Smith. You'd think with all those names to choose from they could have come up with something better than Smith Tower. Construction started in 1910 and was completed in 1914, making this one of the first skyscrapers (42 floors) in the United States. At the time, it was the fourth tallest building in the world.

Despite its relatively diminutive stature in the modern skyline, the tower is still pretty impressive to look at, partly because of the white terra cotta sheath on the building. It has been professionally cleaned only once in its long life and is still shiny and white. I am considering renovating my bathroom with the same materials. Of course it rains a lot more in Seattle than in does in my bathroom.

Elevators were supplied by the Otis Elevator Company of New York and 6 of the 7 elevators are still powered by the original engines, because they can't get them out without having to partly demolish the building. The elevators are also still operated by actual human operators.

The viewing platform is opulently decked out with a ceiling that would have made William Randolf Hearst drool.

In Smith Tower I also had another of those magical encounters with a Road Trip Angel. Road Trip Angels are the people who unexpectedly go out of their way to help me on mine. The first official Road Trip Angel was Shane, of the free auto services.

The second is David, of the free visit to the Smith Tower viewing platform. I chatted with David for all of about 5 minutes before he generously offered up his contribution to my journey. I thank him sincerely, as I thank all those who have fits of unnatural helpfulness in my vicinity.