Ships of a Bygone Era

Even though the Kalakala is currently residing in Tacoma, she is still a part of Seattle history and therefore dear to our heart. We miss seeing her in Lake Union where she promised to become a restaurant or night club, so we anxiously await new restoration plans. Next month she celebrates her 70th birthday so there will be an exhibit on the Thea Foss waterfront coinciding with the Tacoma Tall Ships Festival. We continue to be skeptical that she’ll be accessible anytime soon but if someone wants to check out the plans and report back that would be great. The exhibit opens June 30th and runs through July 4th. More information is available here.

Closer to home, the tall ship Wawona, currently sitting off South Lake Union Park, is being kicked out by Seattle Parks and Recreation to make room for improvements to the park. She was closed to the public due to safety concerns and has until November to find a new home. She’s on a list (along with a Ford car dealership in the same neighborhood) of endangered historic places that's meant to bring attention to our historical trouble-spots.

Here’s a funny web site on some of Seattle’s favorite landmarks.