Tuesday, June 20, 1995

Took "Doc Maynard's Underground Tour." The city of Seattle was originally mostly at sea level (or slightly below). This caused all sorts of problems, not the least of which was back pressure in the sewage system when the tide came in. After a fire leveled the city in the early 20th century, the streets of the city were built up from 10 to 40 feet. Just about anything, including rubble from the fire and dead horses, was used to fill the streets. A few years later the sidewalks were raised to match the street level eliminating the need for ladders to cross the streets. What used to be the main floor of most downtown businesses was now the basement. This area became a red-light district and was heavily used during prohibition, but now is only useful for separating tourists from a few dollars.

Took a shuttle back to the airport and flew to Anchorage. The flight was unique in that we left Seattle around 10:00pm in the dark of night and saw the sky slowly get lighter as we flew North. Arriving in Anchorage we picked up the car and drove to the hotel to meet up with Donna and Rob who arrived earlier that day. It was after midnight when we reached the hotel, but the sky was still bright.