Seattle Adventure Day 2

Good morning, Seattle — this little fox is ready for another round of exploring! I’m taking the train into the city, and since the Seahawks are playing, the park-and-ride is packed with mostly Seahawks fans and one brave Arizona Cardinal fan, but everyone’s in such a cheerful mood that it feels like the whole trip is part of the adventure.  What team does LF root for?  Did you guess we are fans of the Platypus' yep the sports team for those who don't care. 

 

 I spotted more terra cotta animals on my stroll, and this time it’s a proud eagle perched atop the FOE building in Seattle. With its wings spread wide, it feels like it’s keeping a watchful eye over the city — and over explorers like me too.

The FOE, or Fraternal Order of Eagles, started in 1898 in Seattle as a social club for theater folks who wanted to support each other and give back to the community. From those humble beginnings, it grew into a nationwide organization focused on charity, friendship, and civic engagement.

Next stop on my Seattle adventure was Waterfall Park, a tiny hidden oasis where the rush of water makes even a little fox feel mighty. Sitting by the falls, I felt like I’d stumbled onto one of the city’s quiet little treasures.

 Fun fact: this peaceful spot marks the birthplace of United Parcel Service, which started right here in Seattle.

Time for lunch, and there’s nothing better than dim sum in the International District. I have a little secret spot I love — tucked away off the beaten path, with incredible food and run by the friendliest people. First things first, though: let’s start with a warm, comforting pot of tea.

Don't let the decor fool you the food is great.  This is just a little sampling — my roommates devoured everything too fast to really savor it — but wow, this rice roll filled with BBQ pork is cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful in every bite. Even a little fox like me can tell this is dim sum done right. 

I went on one more walking tour and stumbled upon a city park with an amazing view — the kind that makes a little fox pause and just take it all in. Seattle never disappoints, always serving up surprises around every corner.

LF visits Seattle Day 1

 Little Fox here, your favorite globe-trotting fluffball, checking in! When Purple Rabbit and Choya dashed off to Seattle without me, I couldn’t let them have all the fun. So I packed my tiny bag, fluffed my tail, and headed north to see what all the excitement was about.

That’s a pretty awesome manhole cover — it even has a full map of Seattle worked into the design. It’s the kind of little detail you could walk past a hundred times and never notice, but once you do, it feels like a tiny piece of city art hiding in plain sight.  Do you think one could use a compass to navigate with this map? 

Besides the usual sights (Pike Place Market, Space Needle, Ferries) the roommates went to the library and picked up an awesome walking tour book and mother nature sure cooperated (yes, this was Nov 8 and it was 55 degrees and sunny).

The specific walk was called "Whose watching you" and in the world of Amazon and Microsoft that is very ominous.  However, this walk was all about the terra cotta decor on buildings in the downtown area.  

First stop; The Arctic Club, I felt like I’d stumbled into a storybook for explorers. Back in 1907, this was the hangout spot for folks who’d braved the Klondike Gold Rush — a place where adventurers swapped tales and celebrated their northern escapades. And the best part? The building is decorated with big, proud terra cotta walruses peeking out from the walls, like they’re still guarding the spirit of exploration… and keeping an eye on curious little travelers like me.

Wait, is that the tower?  Oh yes, that’s the Smith Tower peeking out — it’s hard to miss with its classic pyramid top. It opened in 1914 and was once the tallest building on the West Coast, giving Seattle its first real skyscraper swagger.

When I trotted up to the Union Stables building, I spotted a majestic terra cotta horse perched above the entrance, looking like it was still keeping watch over the old carriage house. It felt like the kind of guardian you’d want on your team if you were hauling wagons through early Seattle. Standing underneath it, I couldn’t help imagining what stories that proud horse has seen over the years… and wishing it could share a few with a curious fox like me.

Well, time to head back to the Air B and B and while on our way saw this sunset.  What a perfect way to end this day.

Choya's Art Deco Entry.

As you may or may not know, I’m in Seattle on a mission: hunting for the perfect Art Deco building. So far, I’ve wandered past the Exchange Building, admired the restrained elegance of the Roosevelt Hotel, and marveled at the soaring Seattle Tower. All three are impressive in their own right, but I’m looking for something that will really make Team Sandy sit up and take notice.

After hours of walking, notebook full of sketches and observations, I think I’ve finally found it. The one that captures everything—height, presence, and that unmistakable Deco flair. It’s bold but balanced, detailed but not overdone, and utterly unique.

I linger in front of it, letting the city hum around me, imagining how it will look in Sandy’s contest. The angles, the curves, the story embedded in every stone—it all feels just right. At last, the hunt feels worth it. This is the building that might just steal the show.

Next up on my Seattle Art Deco hunt, I think I’ve finally stumbled upon something extraordinary: the Federal Office Building. Standing at 909 First Avenue in Pioneer Square, it’s impossible to miss—tall, striking, and uniquely commanding. From the moment I saw its stepped façade rising into the sky, I felt like I was in the presence of a building that truly tells a story.

My picture.

Professional picture: 

Completed between 1931 and 1933, this was one of Seattle’s earliest federal buildings in the Art Deco style, designed under James A. Wetmore. It was built during a time when the city was still recovering from the Great Depression, yet it stands with quiet confidence, a testament to ambition and resilience.

Its exterior is a study in thoughtful detail. The central tower rises eleven stories, crowned by a ziggurat top and a flagpole, while the outer portions step up from six to nine stories. The materials are striking—smooth terracotta at the base, light red brick above, and aluminum spandrel panels between the windows, one of the earliest uses of aluminum on a West Coast building. Stylized geometric motifs decorate the façade, from ram and lion heads to a stately eagle above the entrance. It’s Art Deco without being ostentatious, bold but disciplined.

The site itself is steeped in history: it’s said to be where Seattle’s founders first landed after surveying the Puget Sound in 1851. It’s also the block that sparked the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, which leveled the commercial district. And yet, out of that history, the Federal Office Building rose—a symbol of permanence and progress.

Standing in front of it now, notebook open, I can feel why this might be the one for Team Sandy. Tall, circular in corners, unique, and unapologetically Deco, it has both gravitas and grace. After wandering Seattle for days—peering at the Exchange, the Roosevelt Hotel, and the Seattle Tower—I can finally say it: this building feels like the perfect choice.

Choya's Art Deco visit to Seattle

Hiya Gang, Choya here. I’m on vacation in Seattle, and I’ve fortified myself with a fresh cup of coffee—apparently the thing to do.  It's strong enough to stand on its own but smooth enough to sip slowly.

I’m on vacation in Seattle—or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. But there’s a purpose tucked between the coffee breaks and ferry rides: I’m here to find a building for Sandy’s Art Deco contest.

I found a building today—tall, circular, and undeniably unique. It stood against the gray Seattle sky like a monument to someone’s bold imagination. Not Art Deco, unfortunately—no zigzags, no chrome flourishes—but fascinating all the same. Its rounded form seemed to defy the boxy rhythm of the city around it, as if it had decided long ago to stand apart and never apologize for it.

First up on my list: the Exchange Building, Seattle’s first commodities exchange—and one of the city’s most impressive examples of Art Deco architecture. Rising twenty-three stories above downtown, it’s a tall, circular-cornered structure that seems to hold both elegance and grit in its limestone skin.

Built in 1930, right as the Great Depression was beginning, the Exchange Building was meant to be a symbol of optimism and modernity—a hub for trading goods like wheat, lumber, and other resources that built the Pacific Northwest. The irony, of course, is that by the time it opened, the economy had collapsed and the exchange it was meant to house never really took off. But the building endured, adapting to new uses and new tenants as the decades rolled on.

Next up on my Seattle architecture hunt: the Seattle Tower—originally known as the Northern Life Tower. I came here with my notebook and a sense of purpose, curious to see if this could be the building for Sandy’s Art Deco contest.

Its brick façade shifting in tone from deep earthy browns at the base to pale, cloud-colored shades near the top. There are thirty-three shades of brick in total, arranged to make the structure look like it’s growing straight out of the ground.

The lobby looks amazing.

Completed in 1929, just as the Great Depression was beginning, it was Seattle’s first true Art Deco skyscraper.

Next up on my Seattle Art Deco hunt: the Roosevelt Hotel. Yes, it’s Art Deco, but unlike the Exchange Building or Seattle Tower, it doesn’t try to dazzle with ornamentation. It’s subtle, restrained, and elegant, more about clean lines and confident geometry than flashy details.

Built in 1929, around the same time as the city’s other Deco landmarks, the Roosevelt was designed to serve travelers with comfort and style. Its façade is straightforward, with modest decorative elements—linear patterns, stepped setbacks, and a simple vertical emphasis that gives it presence without demanding attention.

I walked around the corner, studying the angles of the roofline and the gentle reliefs near the entrance. It’s a building that feels practical, yet carefully considered. Its charm isn’t in extravagance; it’s in proportion, balance, and that quiet Art Deco flair that whispers sophistication rather than shouting it.

The lobby is very cool, trying to keep that Art Deco vibe.

For Sandy’s contest, it might not be the showiest pick, but there’s something appealing about its understatement. Sometimes Deco doesn’t need to sparkle—it just needs to stand tall and confident, and the Roosevelt does exactly that.