a visit to an institution

It's hard to imagine a time when there was only one Starbucks. Actually, after travelling through the US and Canada, it's impossible to imagine. But for a little while at least, that was the case. The first Starbucks opened in Seattle in 1971. The store was originally on Western Avenue but moved to Pike Place about four years later. Other Starbucks stores were opened in 1987. I was curious about Seattle's coffee craze. What came first? Did Seattle's love of coffee inspire Starbucks? Or was it the other way around? Unfortunately I didn't get to find out. The coffee walking tour I wanted to go on was booked out. So instead I explored on my own, starting with a coffee from that famous Starbucks store in Pike Place. Apparently the store looks rather similar to when it opened. The only addition is a bar, which was put in when the store went from selling coffee beans to also selling drinks, as it does today.

 

The Post Alley Gum Wall

But before my visit to Starbucks, there was another institution on my list. I don't know if is actually an institution, but it should be. The Crumpet Shop. Does a store get any better than that? Now there were more 'gourmet' crumpets available, with toppings featuring cream cheese, ricotta, peanut butter and the like. But I stuck with a personal favourite: honey. Once breakfast and a coffee hit was taken care of, I went in search of the 'gum wall' in Pike Place's Post Alley. It is what the name suggests...a wall where people stick their chewing gum. It could almost pass for a work of art, however really, it's a bit gross isn't it?

I left Pike Place Market behind and walked to Columbia Tower. A customer at work had recommended that I skip the Space Needle and instead go up Columbia, which is taller, and cheaper. It's an office building with an observation area on the 73rd floor. The building is 75 floors but the top one is 'members only'. I pictured secret handshakes and codewords but the security guard said it was the Columbia Building Club and as far as he knew there was just a restaurant and bar up there. Not all that exciting, I tried to tell myself. The observation deck offers a 180-degree view of the waterfront side of the city. The weather wasn't fantastic but it didn't hinder the view too much. The tower is twice the size of the Space Needle, which looked quite tiny in the distance.

Hurricane Cafe

I walked from the tower to Pioneer Square, supposedly an arty, hipster place. But while I was walking around I remembered a suggestion from a friend to visit the Hurricane Cafe. That involved heading back into the city a bit more but I decided I might as well as I didn't have long before my bus, and it was closer to the station. The Hurricane Cafe is open 24 hours and is exactly the kind of place I see in American movies: juke box as you walk in, red leather booths and a few stools lined up on a bench and a menu of all-day breakfasts and burgers. But despite the dingy appearance, it had a quirky atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed the Mr Potato Head Collection above the kitchen. After lunch I walked back into town and had a cup of Clam Chowder from Pike Place Chowder, which I had been meaning to do all trip as it's rated as one of the highlights of a trip to the city. Then it was back to the Greyhound station for the bus "home".