Seattle Day Two.

We took a tour to the Future of Flight - Aviation Centre and Boeing Plant.  This is a fair distance from the city, but a very worthwhile trip. The Boeing assembly plant is the largest building by volume in the world, and large enough inside to have its own climate.  The plant operates 24 hours per day for  5 days per week.

We were shown planes in various stages of completion from viewing balconies above - specifically the latest 787-9 and 787-8 Dreamliners.  The 747, 767, and 777 are also assembled in this same building.   Each Dreamliner plane uses more than 6 million separate components, which are made in various countries around the world.  Boeing expects the Dreamliner to be the most popular aircraft in future.  The guide claimed that the plant can assemble a plane in preparation for painting and testing in only 3 days.  

For lunch in Seattle we queued for the award-winning chowder at Pike Place in the market near the waterfront - difficult to find without asking at an information desk.

The Boeing Factory just north of Seattle - no photos allowed inside factory !

Motors on the Boeing Planes are GE or Rolls Royce like this one.

A futuristic cabin in a Boeing plane one day maybe ?

Carbon Fibre construction of the fuselage.d

Modern construction techniques.

Downtown Seattle, like many other cities across USA, is protesting about the possible intervention of America in another war.  Most are unhappy about spending billions of dollars fighting other countries' wars and then being criticised for trying to help.

The Public Market along the waterfront where thousands congregate to buy, eat and relax.

They say that this tiny Pike Place Chowder store has the best chowder in USA.  We tried it and perhaps they are right, although the chowder in Boston is hard to beat.  There is a permanent line all day to buy, but worth the 45 min wait.

It seems a poor planning decision to place a freeway right along the waterfront and restrict easy access for pedestrians and cyclists.