Original subtitles

IT TOWERS OVER HILLS AND LAKES...

HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT CITIES IN AMERICA

AND IS FAMOUS FOR ITS NEEDLE THAT NEARLY TOUCHES THE SKY.

BUT PEOPLE IN SEATTLE KNOW THE HARD WORK IT TAKES

TO KEEP THEIR CITY RUNNING 24/7.

FROM TUG CAPTAINS WHO PLY THE BUSY WATERS OF ITS PORT...

TO ITS PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS WHO TRAIN HARD...

AND ENGINEERS WHO HAVE TO BRAVE TERRIFYING HEIGHTS.

IT WAS HERE THAT A TIMBER BARON NAMED BOEING

FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH FLIGHT...

WHERE MANY OF TODAY’S TECH GIANTS GOT THEIR START...

AND WHERE A COFFEE SHOP OWNER TURNED A SINGLE STORE

INTO A BILLION-DOLLAR CHAIN.

SEATTLE MAY BE FAMOUS FOR HAVING MANY RAINY DAYS,

BUT PEOPLE HERE LIVE TO GET OUTDOORS.

WHETHER IT’S TO RACE ON THEIR LAKES,

CLAMBER UP LOCAL PEAKS,

OR EVEN ATTEMPT THE DANGEROUS, HIGH, ICY SUMMITS

THAT ARE ALL AROUND THEM.

AND WHEN NIGHT FALLS

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE THE LIGHTS OF THIS PORT CITY

WITH A WATERFRONT THAT RIVALS ANY IN THE WORLD

AND AN AWE-INSPIRING GARDEN OF COLOR AND GLASS.

ALL THIS IN JUST ONE DAY IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE!

♪

♪

♪

FROM THE MOMENT THE SUN RISES IN SEATTLE

TO THE TIME IT SETS,

THERE’S ONE FORM ON THE HORIZON THAT ALWAYS STANDS OUT...

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.

FROM A DISTANCE IT LOOKS LIKE A GIANT SPACESHIP

HOVERING IN THE SKY.

BUT WHAT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE FROM THE GROUND

IS THE DEATH-DEFYING WORK

THAT HAPPENS ON TOP OF SEATTLE’S SPACE NEEDLE.

IT’S 9:48 A.M., AND AN ENGINEER NAMED VALERIY PALANCHUK

IS BEGINNING HIS WORK DAY WITH A TERRIFYING CLIMB.

HE HAS TO HAUL HIMSELF UP TO THE VERY TOP

OF THE SPIRE ON THE NEEDLE

IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE LIGHT BULB ON ITS TIP.

FOR SAFETY, ENGINEERS ON THE ROOF OF THE SPACE NEEDLE

ALWAYS WORK IN PAIRS, AND TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION.

FELLOW ENGINEER MATT WAFFLE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON VALERIY

AS HE MAKES HIS CLIMB.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THE TOP

IS ONE VERY CAREFUL STEP AT A TIME.

THERE’S NO LANDMARK IN SEATTLE MORE FAMOUS THAN THIS ONE.

WITH ITS CONCRETE LEGS,

SPACESHIP-LIKE HEAD,

AND TOWERING 40-FOOT SPIRE,

THE SPACE NEEDLE HAS BEEN A SEATTLE ICON

FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY.

IT WAS CREATED TO SERVE AS THE CENTERPIECE

OF THE 1962 WORLD’S FAIR,

TO CELEBRATE SEATTLE’S PROWESS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING,

AND TO PROMOTE THE POTENTIAL ROLE THAT THIS CITY COULD PLAY

IN THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN AEROSPACE.

THE INVESTORS WHO BUILT IT WERE THINKING BIG.

AT THE TIME, SEATTLE WAS ALREADY FAMOUS

FOR HAVING THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE NATION WEST OF OHIO.

THAT STRUCTURE, THE SMITH TOWER,

STILL STANDS PROUD OVER PIONEER SQUARE.

IT WAS BUILT IN 1914

BY A MAN WHO MADE HIS FORTUNE SELLING GUNS AND TYPEWRITERS.

ALL THE FLOORS OF THE SMITH TOWER ARE OFFICE SPACE,

EXCEPT FOR ITS PYRAMID-SHAPED ROOF,

WHICH IS A TWO-STORY PENTHOUSE APARTMENT!

THIS TOWER TOPS OUT AT MORE THAN 460 FEET,

BUT THE BUILDERS OF THE SPACE NEEDLE

WANTED THEIR NEW STRUCTURE TO BE EVEN TALLER.

IN ONE OF THEIR ORIGINAL SKETCHES

IT LOOKED LIKE A GIANT TETHERED BALLOON.

BUT A LATER DESIGN, RESEMBLING A FLYING SAUCER, WON OUT.

THE SPACE NEEDLE WAS COMPLETED ON DECEMBER 8, 1961,

IN JUST 400 DAYS,

IN TIME FOR THE OPENING CEREMONIES

OF THE WORLD’S FAIR IN APRIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

AT 605 FEET, IT WON THE HONOR OF BEING THE TALLEST STRUCTURE

WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

IT’S BEEN A SEATTLE ICON EVER SINCE.

THE ENGINEERING OF THE SPACE NEEDLE IS SO PRECISE,

THE ROTATING RESTAURANT ON TOP

ONLY NEEDS A 1.5-HORSEPOWER MOTOR

TO KEEP IT SPINNING.

EVERY DAY, NEARLY 3,000 VISITORS

ROCKET UP TO ITS OBSERVATION DECK,

SO THEY CAN BE AWED WITH A 360-DEGREE VIEW

OF SEATTLE AND PUGET SOUND.

BUT WHAT THEY CAN’T SEE

IS THE DARING WORK THAT’S GOING ON RIGHT ABOVE THEIR HEADS.

ENGINEER VALERIY PALANCHUK IS HALFWAY THROUGH HIS CLIMB

UP THE TOWER’S 40-FOOT SPIRE.

THE SPACE NEEDLE WAS ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND

UP TO 200-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS.

BUT UP HERE, IT’S EASY TO GET SEASICK.

FOR EVERY 10 MILES PER HOUR OF WIND,

THE SPACE NEEDLE SWAYS ONE INCH.

ON A STORMY DAY IT CAN FEEL LIKE YOU’RE CLINGING TO THE MAST

OF A TALL SHIP THAT’S ROLLING IN THE WAVES.

ONCE VALERIY REACHES THE TOP,

HE FASTENS HIMSELF ON TIGHT WITH CLIPS AND LANYARDS.

HE’S NOW MORE THAN 600 FEET OVER THE STREETS BELOW.

♪

DURING THE WORLD’S FAIR IN 1962,

A MORE THAN 40-FOOT NATURAL GAS TORCH

BURNED FROM THE SPACE NEEDLE’S ROOF

TO SHOWCASE WHAT MANY IMAGINED

WOULD BE THE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE.

TODAY THE TORCH HAS BEEN REPLACED BY AN AVIATION BEACON,

WHICH HELPS PILOTS OF SEAPLANES LIKE THIS ONE

AVOID COLLISIONS WITH THE NEEDLE

WHEN THEY COME IN TO LAND ON LAKE UNION.

IT’S WHY THE POWERFUL BEACON ON THE SPIRE’S TIP

NEEDS TO WORK PROPERLY 24/7.

BETWEEN MAY AND SEPTEMBER

THERE ARE JUST 71 SUNNY DAYS ON AVERAGE IN SEATTLE.

ON MOST DAYS, THE BEACON GETS POUNDED BY FOG AND SALTY AIR

FROM PUGET SOUND.

SO WHENEVER VALERIY MAKES THIS CLIMB,

HE HAS TO CLEAN AND SERVICE IT

TO MAKE SURE ITS FLASHING LIGHT WILL STAY ON

FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE YEAR TO COME.

♪

♪

HIS WORK IS FINALLY DONE.

FOR THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE THIS CLIMB,

THERE’S NO MORE THRILLING SPOT

TO TAKE IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE THAN THIS!

BUT WHEN YOU PEER DOWN ON THIS CITY

FROM THOUSANDS OF FEET UP IN THE SKY,

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE AN ISLAND.

TO THE SOUTH IS A RIVER KNOWN AS THE DUWAMISH,

WHICH SEPARATES SEATTLE FROM WEST SEATTLE.

TO THE EAST IS A GIANT BODY OF FRESHWATER

KNOWN AS LAKE WASHINGTON.

IN THE MIDDLE IS LAKE UNION,

WHICH LIES ENTIRELY INSIDE SEATTLE’S CITY LIMITS.

AND TO THE WEST IS PUGET SOUND.

IT’S PART OF A VAST NETWORK OF INLAND WATERWAYS

THAT LEAD TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

WITH SO MUCH WATER SURROUNDING THIS CITY,

MANY PEOPLE WHO WORK DOWNTOWN

HAVE TO JOURNEY OVER GREAT BODIES OF WATER TO GET THERE.

FOR SOME, IT’S A DRIVE OVER ONE OF TWO LONG PONTOON BRIDGES

THAT CROSS LAKE WASHINGTON.

BUT FOR 75,000 OTHERS,

GETTING TO WORK IN SEATTLE REQUIRES A DAILY COMMUTE

ON THE LARGEST FERRY SYSTEM IN AMERICA.

IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK OUT PAST THE SKYLINE OF SEATTLE

IN THE MORNING

AND NOT CATCH SIGHT OF ONE OF THESE GREEN AND WHITE VESSELS

AND THE LONG ARCS OF THEIR WAKES.

THERE ARE FERRY TERMINALS, BIG AND SMALL,

ON ISLANDS ALL OVER PUGET SOUND.

BUT THIS ONE ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND,

JUST A FEW MILES AWAY FROM SEATTLE, IS THE BUSIEST.

17,000 PEOPLE CROSS THE GANGPLANKS

HERE AT WINSLOW EVERY DAY.

A DIRECT JOURNEY TO THE CITY BY FERRY TAKES AN HOUR OR LESS.

♪

AND ALL MORNING,

AS THESE VESSELS PULL INTO THE FERRY TERMINAL,

THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS FLOOD OFF,

AND ANOTHER DAY IN SEATTLE BEGINS.

BY THE TIME MOST OFFICE WORKERS ARE SETTLING INTO THEIR SEATS,

HUNDREDS OF OTHERS ARE FILLING THE STREET,

OUTSIDE SEATTLE’S LEGENDARY PIKE PLACE MARKET.

THIS PUBLIC FARMERS MARKET IS FAMOUS FOR ITS FISH SELLERS,

WHO FLING THEIR FRESH CATCH THROUGH THE AIR TO EAGER BUYERS.

BUT EVERY MORNING, HUNDREDS OF COFFEE AFICIONADOS

FLOCK HERE, TOO, FOR A CHANCE TO VISIT THE ORIGINAL STARBUCKS.

THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST POPULAR PILGRIMAGE SITE IN SEATTLE.

IN 1971, THREE FRIENDS LAUNCHED A SMALL COFFEE SHOP HERE,

WHICH THEY NAMED AFTER A CHARACTER

IN HERMAN MELVILLE’S NOVEL "MOBY DICK."

THEY ALSO CHOSE A MERMAID FOR THEIR LOGO.

THEIR MISSION WAS REALLY TO SELL FRESHLY ROASTED BEANS,

NOT ESPRESSOS AND CAPPUCCINOS.

BUT IN 1987,

ANOTHER SEATTLE COFFEE SHOP OWNER NAMED HOWARD SCHULTZ

BOUGHT OUT THE FOUNDERS OF STARBUCKS,

STARTED OFFERING ITALIAN-STYLE ESPRESSO DRINKS,

AND TOOK THE COMPANY PUBLIC A FEW YEARS LATER.

THERE ARE NOW 24,000 STARBUCKS LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE.

AND THAT’S WHY THERE ARE SO MANY FANS

WILLING TO SPEND THEIR MORNING WAITING IN LINE

FOR A CHANCE TO STEP INSIDE

THE COMPANY’S ORIGINAL WOOD-LINED STORE.

TO SOURCE ITS COFFEE BEANS FROM GROWERS ON FOUR CONTINENTS,

AND THEN ROAST AND DISTRIBUTE THEM

TO STORES ALL OVER THE EARTH, EVERY DAY,

STARBUCKS RELIES ON ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED

GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS EVER INVENTED.

WHAT MAKES IT ALL POSSIBLE

ARE STANDARDIZED SHIPPING CONTAINERS LIKE THESE

AT THE PORT OF SEATTLE.

IT’S NOT SURPRISING THAT THE COMPANY’S HEADQUARTERS

LIES RIGHT HERE NEXT TO THE PORT.

TO HONOR THE HUMBLE SHIPPING CONTAINER’S ROLE IN ITS SUCCESS,

STARBUCKS IS NOW REPURPOSING THEM AS COFFEE SHOPS.

ALL DAY LONG, COFFEE DRINKERS LINE UP

AT THIS DRIVE-THRU CONTAINERIZED STARBUCKS STORE,

WHICH IS ONE OF TWO IN THE CITY.

THEY MAY BE SIMPLE STRUCTURES,

BUT THEY ARE EVIDENCE OF JUST HOW GLOBAL

THIS ONCE-TINY SEATTLE COFFEE SHOP HAS BECOME.

WHEN YOU SPEND A DAY IN THE SKIES OVER SEATTLE,

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT DISCOVER

ON THE STREETS AND ROOFTOPS BELOW.

BUT IF YOU SOAR PAST THE SPACE NEEDLE AND PEER DOWN,

THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE YOU’LL CATCH SIGHT

OF SOME GARDENERS LIKE THESE.

BUT THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL BACKYARD GARDEN.

IT’S ONE OF 98 THAT LIE ON TOP

OF A MASSIVE MULTISTORY PARKING GARAGE ON MERCER STREET.

THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 80 CITY-RUN COMMUNITY GARDENS

ACROSS SEATTLE, BUT THIS IS THE MOST UNIQUE OF THEM ALL.

IT’S CALLED THE UPGARDEN.

AN OLD AIRSTREAM TRAILER SERVES AS A TOOL SHED

FOR THE 98 GARDENERS WHO HAVE PLOTS HERE.

AND A 1963 FORD GALAXY IS NOW A PLANTER.

THESE DAYS, THERE’S VERY LITTLE AVAILABLE LAND LEFT IN SEATTLE,

AND PEOPLE ARE USING ROOFTOPS FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

FROM GARDENING...

TO YOGA!

AND WHEN LUNCHTIME ROLLS AROUND OVER AT AMAZON,

TECH WORKERS OFTEN HEAD UP TO GREEN SPACE

ON THE COMPANY’S ROOFTOPS.

WITH WALKWAYS AND ELABORATE PLANTINGS,

THEY ARE THE ULTIMATE PLACE TO GET WORK DONE

IN THE AGE OF THE OPEN OFFICE.

AND THEY’RE NOT JUST BEING DESIGNED FOR HUMANS.

MORE THAN 4,000 AMAZON EMPLOYEES HAVE REGISTERED

TO BRING THEIR DOGS TO WORK.

AND THAT’S ONE REASON THE COMPANY

HAS TRANSFORMED THIS ROOF,

ON THE 17th FLOOR OF ITS DOPPLER BUILDING,

INTO A DOG PARK.

[DOGS BARKING]

THERE ARE EVEN FIRE HYDRANTS AND LOGS

IN CASE THESE PETS GET CONFUSED

ABOUT WHY THEY’VE BEEN LET LOOSE

MORE THAN 150 FEET ABOVE THE STREET.

[BARKING]

SEATTLE’S TECH BOOM HAS HELPED DRIVE A BUILDING BOOM

IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE.

IN 2017 THERE WERE MORE CONSTRUCTION CRANES AT WORK

IN THIS CITY THAN IN ANY OTHER CITY IN AMERICA

FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING!

MOST NEW BUILDINGS ARE RISING HERE,

IN A NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED SOUTH LAKE UNION.

THIS IS THE SITE OF AMAZON’S VAST URBAN CAMPUS,

WHICH IS SOON PREDICTED TO SPRAWL

OVER 12 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE.

AMAZON HAS EVEN GOBBLED UP SPACE THAT WAS BEING USED

BY THE REGION’S LARGEST TECH GIANT, MICROSOFT.

AT THE HEART OF AMAZON’S CAMPUS

IS A NEW STRUCTURE CALLED THE SPHERES.

THESE GLASS DOMES HOUSE

CLOSE TO 40,000 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF PLANTS.

WITH TREES AND WATERFALLS INSIDE,

IT WAS BUILT SO TECH EMPLOYEES CAN CONNECT

WITH THE NATURAL WORLD,

WHILE BEING INSPIRED BY INNOVATION AND DESIGN.

A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, NEAR THE SPACE NEEDLE,

IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CHARITY OPERATIONS IN THE WORLD,

ALSO FUNDED BY A TECH GIANT.

THIS IS THE HEADQUARTERS

OF THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION,

WHICH THE MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER AND HIS WIFE HAVE FUNDED

WITH DONATIONS TOTALING MORE THAN $31 BILLION.

INSIDE THESE BOOMERANG-SHAPED BUILDINGS,

THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD

THAT HELP TACKLE ISSUES OF PUBLIC HEALTH, HUNGER, POVERTY,

AND EDUCATION, AMONG OTHERS.

BUT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS

THAT TECH BILLIONAIRES IN SEATTLE SPEND THEIR FORTUNES.

IT’S 12:25 P.M., AND A CROWD HAS GATHERED

ON THE SHORES OF LAKE WASHINGTON.

THIS PRIME PIECE OF REAL ESTATE ON THE WATER

IS THE PRACTICE FACILITY OF THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS,

A TEAM THAT’S BEEN OWNED BY MICROSOFT’S OTHER CO-FOUNDER,

PAUL ALLEN, FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES.

ALLEN HAPPENS TO LIVE NEARBY IN THIS ESTATE

ON THE SHORES OF THE LAKE.

HE EVEN HAS HIS OWN FLOATING HELIPAD OUT FRONT.

ONE REASON SEATTLEITES LOVE THEIR HAWKS

IS BECAUSE THEY CAME VERY CLOSE TO LOSING THEM!

IN FEBRUARY 1996, THE FORMER OWNER OF THE SEAHAWKS DECLARED

THAT HE WAS MOVING THE TEAM TO CALIFORNIA.

A FLEET OF VANS ARRIVED TO SHIP THE HAWKS SOUTH.

KING COUNTY FOUGHT THE MOVE IN COURT AND FAILED,

AND THAT’S WHEN PAUL ALLEN, A SEAHAWKS FAN SINCE CHILDHOOD,

AGREED TO BUY THE TEAM FOR $200 MILLION

TO KEEP IT IN SEATTLE.

SINCE 2002, THE SEAHAWKS HAVE PLAYED HERE

AT CENTURYLINK FIELD.

THIS STADIUM WAS SPECIALLY DESIGNED AND BUILT TO BE LOUD,

AND IT’S BEEN A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.

NOT ONLY DID FANS HERE SPUR THE HAWKS ON

BEFORE THEIR SUPER BOWL WIN IN 2014,

THE STADIUM ITSELF HAS WON THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD TWICE

FOR HAVING THE LOUDEST CROWD NOISE.

WHEN THE HAWKS PLAY HERE AT HOME,

JUST ABOUT EVERYONE IN SEATTLE KNOWS IT.

BUT THE NOISE OF SPORTS FANS

SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS

IS JUST ONE OF THE SOUNDS THAT SEATTLE IS FAMOUS FOR.

ALL DAY LONG, ON THE WEST SHORE OF LAKE WASHINGTON,

SEATTLEITES AND OTHERS COME TO EXPLORE

ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE URBAN PARKS IN THE WORLD.

IT LIES ON THE SITE OF AN OLD NAVAL AIR STATION

KNOWN AS SAND POINT.

THIS SMALL FOREST OF 12 METAL SCULPTURES

WAS CREATED IN THE EARLY 1980s BY ARTIST DOUGLAS R. HOLLIS.

BUT THOSE WHO COME TO SIT

AMIDST THESE STRANGE-LOOKING METALLIC TOWERS

ARE REALLY HERE TO LISTEN.

THE NAME OF THIS INSTALLATION IS "A SOUND GARDEN."

HOLLIS DESIGNED HIS SCULPTURES TO FUNCTION

AS LARGE ORGAN PIPES,

SO THAT WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, EVEN LIGHTLY,

THEY CREATE EERIE-SOUNDING HUMS, CREAKS, WHISTLES, AND TONES.

♪

IN 1984, THIS INSTALLATION INSPIRED A NEW SEATTLE BAND

TO NAME THEMSELVES SOUNDGARDEN.

THEIR MUCH-LOUDER GRUNGE SOUND WAS SOON KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD.

♪

THE BAND SOUNDGARDEN WAS ALSO ONE OF THE INSPIRATIONS

FOR ANOTHER SEATTLE MUSIC LEGEND--

NIRVANA LEAD SINGER KURT COBAIN.

COBAIN LIVED HERE, IN THIS BROWN SHINGLED HOUSE,

NOT FAR FROM THE SHORES OF LAKE WASHINGTON.

BUT IT WAS ALSO HERE, IN 1994,

THAT HE DIED OF AN APPARENT SUICIDE AT THE AGE OF JUST 27,

ONLY 7 YEARS AFTER FOUNDING NIRVANA.

♪

TODAY, NIRVANA FANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TO THIS BENCH

IN A PARK NEAR HIS FORMER HOME

TO PAY HOMAGE TO THEIR MUSIC HERO.

THE STORY OF HOW SEATTLE BECAME THE BIRTHPLACE OF GRUNGE

IS TOLD NEARBY,

INSIDE THIS STRANGE-LOOKING STRUCTURE AT THE SEATTLE CENTER.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED THE EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT

WHEN IT WAS FOUNDED BY PAUL ALLEN IN 2000,

BUT HAS SINCE BEEN RENAMED THE MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE, OR MOPOP.

INSIDE ARE MORE THAN 200 NIRVANA ARTIFACTS,

AS WELL AS THE LARGEST COLLECTION

OF JIMI HENDRIX MEMORABILIA IN THE WORLD.

HENDRIX WAS A SEATTLE NATIVE, BORN HERE IN 1942.

ARCHITECT FRANK GEHRY HAS SAID HIS DESIGN FOR THE MUSEUM

WAS INSPIRED BY THE SHAPES OF GUITARS.

BUT IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN POPULAR WITH CRITICS.

ONE, WRITING FOR "THE NEW YORK TIMES,"

DESCRIBED IT AS,

"SOMETHING THAT CRAWLED OUT OF THE SEA, ROLLED OVER AND DIED."

BUT TODAY, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST COLORFUL SIGHTS IN SEATTLE,

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU PEER DOWN ON IT FROM ABOVE.

THERE’S MUSIC HISTORY IN THIS CITY IN UNEXPECTED PLACES, TOO.

THIS HOTEL ON THE WATERFRONT IS ONE OF THEM.

ON AUGUST 21, 1964, THE BEATLES CAME TO SEATTLE TO PERFORM

AND SPENT THE NIGHT HERE AT THE EDGEWATER INN.

BEFORE THEIR CONCERT,

THE FAB FOUR FAMOUSLY STUCK THEIR HEADS OUT OF A WINDOW

IN THEIR SECOND FLOOR SUITE, ALONG WITH THREE FISHING RODS,

TO PROVIDE A PHOTO OP

AND TRY THEIR LUCK FISHING IN ELLIOTT BAY.

THE PRESS LOVED IT,

AND THE IMAGES OF PAUL, JOHN, GEORGE, AND RINGO

FISHING FROM THE EDGEWATER

QUICKLY SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD.

THE ROOM WHERE THEY STAYED, NUMBER 272,

IS NOW KNOWN AS THE BEATLES SUITE.

THE BEATLES NEVER MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE SPACE NEEDLE.

GEORGE IS SAID TO HAVE CLAIMED THAT THE VIEW OF SEATTLE

WAS BETTER FROM THE GROUND.

AND TODAY, MANY YOUNG SEATTLEITES MIGHT AGREE,

ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SPEND THEIR SUMMER DAYS

UNDER THE JETS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FOUNTAIN.

LIKE THE SPACE NEEDLE,

THIS FOUNTAIN WAS BUILT FOR THE 1962 WORLD’S FAIR,

AND IT’S BEEN IN OPERATION EVER SINCE.

ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS UPDATED IN THE 1990s,

BY THE SAME FOUNTAIN DESIGNERS

THAT CREATED THE FOUNTAINS OF BELLAGIO IN LAS VEGAS.

IT MAY RAIN IN SEATTLE ALMOST HALF THE DAYS OF THE YEAR,

BUT WHEN THE SUN IS OUT,

SEATTLEITES STILL LOVE TO COME HERE AND GET DRENCHED

BY THE FOUNTAIN’S MORE THAN 100 MIST JETS,

MICRO-SHOOTERS, AND SUPER SHOOTERS.

♪

WHEN YOU LOOK UP INTO THE SKIES OVER SEATTLE

ON CLEAR DAYS LIKE THIS ONE,

THE SNOWCAPPED PEAK OF MOUNT RAINIER

TOWERS IN THE DISTANCE,

14,411 FEET IN THE SKY.

WORKERS DOWNTOWN OFTEN CATCH SIGHT OF IT

FROM THE WINDOWS OF THEIR OFFICE TOWERS,

AND EVEN TUG CAPTAINS CAN SPOT THIS VOLCANIC PEAK

AS THEY PLY THE WATERS OF ELLIOTT BAY.

RAINER MAY SEEM PEACEFUL FROM A DISTANCE,

BUT FOR MANY WHO HAVE TRIED TO CLIMB IT,

IT HAS ALSO PROVEN TO BE DEADLY.

THERE ARE MORE GLACIERS ON THIS MOUNTAIN

THAN ON ANY OTHER SINGLE PEAK IN THE LOWER 48.

AND OVER THE YEARS, MORE THAN 90 CLIMBERS HAVE DIED

TRYING TO REACH OR RETURN FROM ITS SUMMIT.

BUT SEATTLE IS SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY DRAMATIC LANDSCAPE.

TO THE NORTH IS THE NO-LESS-IMPRESSIVE MOUNT BAKER,

WHICH RISES 10,781 FEET OVER THE CASCADES.

TO THE WEST ARE THE MOUNTAINS OF OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK,

WHOSE JAGGED FORMS CAN OFTEN ONLY BE SPOTTED

ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

SOME PEOPLE IN SEATTLE ARE HAPPY TO ADMIRE THE STUNNING MOUNTAINS

THAT SURROUND THEM FROM A DISTANCE.

BUT SEATTLEITES ARE WELL KNOWN FOR HEADING OUT INTO THE WILD,

WHENEVER THEY CAN.

30 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST,

A RELATIVELY SMALL PEAK

HAS MANAGED TO SECURE A SPECIAL PLACE

IN THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF MANY SEATTLEITES.

IT’S KNOWN AS MOUNT SI.

IT TAKES A FOUR-MILE HIKE UP A SERIES OF SWITCHBACKS

TO REACH ITS SUMMIT.

THE GRANITE FACE OF MOUNT SI ISN’T JUST WELL-KNOWN

TO RESIDENTS OF PUGET SOUND.

IT’S ALSO VERY FAMILIAR TO TELEVISION VIEWERS

AROUND THE WORLD.

MOUNT SI IS ONE OF THE PEAKS

THAT FEATURES LARGE IN THE TELEVISION SERIES "TWIN PEAKS."

IT’S INCLUDED IN THE SERIES’ OPENING CREDITS

AND PLAYED A ROLE IN SOME OF THE SHOW’S SCENES.

THAT’S BECAUSE "TWIN PEAKS" WAS FILMED IN NORTH BEND

AND OTHER NEARBY TOWNS IN THE VALLEY BELOW.

ALMOST 100,000 PEOPLE VISIT

THIS STUNNING PIECE OF WILDERNESS EVERY YEAR.

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF REACHING THE SUMMIT

IS THE CHANCE TO LOOK BACK AT THE TOWERING SKYLINE OF SEATTLE

IN THE DISTANCE, RISING ABOVE THE WATERS OF LAKE WASHINGTON

AND PUGET SOUND.

WITH SO MUCH RUGGED TERRAIN AROUND SEATTLE,

IT’S COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO END UP LOST, INJURED,

AND SOMETIMES EVEN CLOSE TO DEATH, FAR FROM HELP.

LUCKILY, THOSE IN TROUBLE

HAVE ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST ELITE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS

ON STANDBY, JUST MINUTES AWAY.

♪

IT’S 2:00 P.M. AT THE U.S. NAVY’S AIR STATION

ON WHIDBEY ISLAND, NORTHWEST OF SEATTLE.

ON THE FIELD,

MEMBERS OF THE WHIDBEY ISLAND SEARCH AND RESCUE, OR SAR TEAM,

ARE GETTING READY TO LIFT OFF.

THE BLACK HAWKS THEY FLY IN ARE EASY TO RECOGNIZE

BY THEIR DISTINCTIVE ORANGE AND WHITE COLORS.

THIS IS A VERY ACTIVE AIRFIELD.

IT’S HOME TO THE NAVY’S LARGEST FLEET OF GROWLERS.

THESE PLANES ARE SIMILAR TO F-18s,

BUT ARE SPECIALLY EQUIPPED FOR ELECTRONIC WARFARE.

ALSO HERE ARE THE NAVY’S LATEST P-8 POSEIDONS AND SMALLER P-3s,

WHICH ARE ALL USED FOR ANTI-SUBMARINE OPERATIONS

AND RECONNAISSANCE AROUND THE WORLD.

IF ANY OF THE PILOTS OR CREW FROM THIS BASE GET INTO TROUBLE,

THE SAR TEAM IS READY TO RESPOND WITHIN MINUTES, 24/7.

BUT DOWNED AIRCRAFT FROM N.A.S. WHIDBEY ARE RARE.

SO WHEN THE SAR TEAM DEPLOYS,

THEY ARE USUALLY HEADING OUT TO SUPPORT LOCAL AGENCIES,

TO RESCUE HIKERS, BOATERS OR OTHERS,

WHO ARE USUALLY HANGING ON FOR THEIR LIVES.

IT TAKES RIGOROUS TRAINING TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE READY.

TODAY, THEY’VE COME TO THE MAINLAND NORTH OF SEATTLE.

THIS DRAMATIC LANDFORM

IS ACTUALLY THE THROAT OF A FORMER VOLCANO.

THE TEAM COMES HERE TO PRACTICE EXTRACTIONS OF INJURED CLIMBERS.

WHEN A CLIMBER BREAKS A LIMB OR GETS INJURED

ON A STEEP ROCK FACE LIKE THIS ONE,

IT’S NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE SAR TEAM TO LAND.

THEIR ONLY CHOICE IS TO POSITION THE HELICOPTER AND ITS BLADES

JUST A FEW FEET FROM THE ROCK

SO A MEDICAL TECHNICIAN CAN RAPPEL DOWN

TO COLLECT THE PATIENT.

MAINTAINING A HOVER WITH THE BLACK HAWK’S BLADES

SO CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAIN

IS A JOB FOR ONLY THE MOST SKILLED PILOTS IN THE NAVY.

GET IT WRONG,

AND THE SAR TEAM COULD END UP NEEDING A RESCUE THEMSELVES.

AS SOON AS THIS MEDICAL CREWMEMBER GIVES THE OKAY,

THE PILOT IS SAFE TO PULL AWAY.

THIS TEAM HAS TO BE READY

FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY TYPE OF RESCUE IMAGINABLE

IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON LAND AND WATER.

A CANYON NEARBY IS WHERE THEY PRACTICE PULLING FALLEN CLIMBERS

OUT OF DEEP GLACIAL CREVASSES.

THE SAR TEAM IS CAPABLE OF RAPPELLING

DOWN MORE THAN 200 FEET.

BUT TO KEEP THEM SAFE AT THE END OF THE ROPE,

THE PILOT HAS TO STAY PERFECTLY POSITIONED

DIRECTLY OVER THE CUT.

DURING GLACIAL RESCUES, HIGH WINDS AND OTHER CONDITIONS

CAN MAKE IT HARD TO MAINTAIN A HOVER.

IF THIS HELICOPTER GETS PUSHED BY WIND

EVEN A FEW FEET TO THE SIDE,

THE CREW AND PATIENT

COULD GET SLAMMED AGAINST THE CANYON’S WALLS

AS THEY ARE BEING HOISTED TO SAFETY.

THAT’S WHY THE AIRCREW ON BOARD KEEPS CAREFUL WATCH

ON THE ACTION BELOW.

THIS TEAM PERFORMS ABOUT SIX RESCUES A MONTH,

AND NOT ALL OF THEIR PATIENTS ARE ADVENTURE-SEEKERS.

WHEN TIMBER WORKERS GET INJURED IN FORESTS FAR FROM HELP

AND CAN’T GET OUT BY THEMSELVES,

THIS NAVY SAR TEAM OFTEN GETS THE CALL.

WITHIN JUST MINUTES,

THEY CAN DROP DOWN BETWEEN TOWERING CEDARS LIKE THESE,

PACKAGE A PATIENT ON THE GROUND,

AND THEN LIFT THEM OUT OF DANGER STRAIGHT UP INTO THE SKY.

FOR THOSE WHO GET RESCUED, IT MUST BE AN INCREDIBLE FEELING

TO BE INJURED AND ALONE IN A REMOTE FOREST ONE MINUTE,

AND THEN BE RACING THROUGH THE AIR TO SAFETY THE NEXT.

♪

IT’S ALL PART OF A DAY IN THE LIFE

OF THIS ELITE TEAM OF FIRST RESPONDERS,

TRAINED FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING HUMANS OR NATURE SEND THEIR WAY

IN THE WILDS AROUND SEATTLE.

♪

TODAY, MILITARY JETS, HELICOPTERS, AND SEAPLANES

SOAR THROUGH THE SKIES OVER PUGET SOUND.

BUT JUST OVER A CENTURY AGO,

AIRPLANES WERE THE MOST EXCITING NEW INVENTION ON EARTH...

ESPECIALLY FOR A MAN NAMED BOEING

WHO TURNED SEATTLE INTO THE AEROSPACE GIANT IT IS TODAY!

♪

SOFTWARE, COFFEE AND TECH ARE SOME OF THE PRODUCTS

FOR WHICH SEATTLE IS BEST KNOWN TODAY.

BUT THE FIRST EUROPEANS WHO ARRIVED IN THIS REGION

MADE THEIR FORTUNES IN FUR!

A PLACE KNOWN AS FORT NISQUALLY OFFERS A CHANCE TO IMAGINE

WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE FOR THOSE EARLY EUROPEAN TRADERS.

IT’S A PARTIAL REPLICA OF AN EARLY FUR TRADING POST

THAT WAS OWNED BY THE HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY.

THE ORIGINAL FORT NISQUALLY

WAS THE VERY FIRST EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT ON PUGET SOUND,

BEFORE SEATTLE EXISTED.

IT WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH WALLS AND GUARD TOWERS,

TO FEND OFF RAIDS BY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES

AND TO PROTECT THE THOUSANDS OF BEAVER, RACCOON AND OTHER FURS

THAT WERE BUNDLED HERE FOR EXPORT TO NEW YORK AND EUROPE.

THERE ARE TWO STRUCTURES STANDING HERE

FROM THE ORIGINAL FORT.

THIS ONE, THE GRANARY, IS THE OLDEST BUILDING

IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.

♪

WHEN FORT NISQUALLY WAS FOUNDED,

THE FUTURE SITE OF SEATTLE STILL LAY IN DISPUTED TERRITORY.

BUT IN 1846, THE U.S. AND BRITAIN

RESOLVED THEIR BOUNDARY DISPUTE BY SIGNING A NEW TREATY.

IT ESTABLISHED A BOUNDARY AT THE 49th PARALLEL,

WHICH IS NOW THE BORDER BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CANADA.

ONCE THAT TREATY WAS SIGNED,

A FLOOD OF AMERICAN SETTLERS AND OTHERS

STARTED POURING INTO THE REGION,

AND THAT’S WHEN SETTLEMENT OF SEATTLE REALLY KICKED OFF.

ONE OF THE EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS WAS LOCATED HERE, AT ALKI POINT,

WHICH IS NOW IN WEST SEATTLE.

IT’S HOME TO ONE OF THE CITY’S MOST POPULAR BEACHES.

BUT WHEN THE DENNY PARTY ARRIVED

ON THIS THEN-WILD STRETCH OF COAST IN THE FALL OF 1851,

SKUNKS RAIDED THEIR FOOD STORES,

AND A WINTER OF COLD RAIN WITHOUT ADEQUATE SHELTER

SOON DROVE THE EARLY SETTLERS AWAY.

BY THE NEXT SPRING, THEY HAD ALREADY MOVED EAST

AND LAID CLAIM TO LAND ALONG THE BAY

THAT NOW LIES IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE.

AT THE TIME, TOWERING ANCIENT TREES,

SOME MORE THAN 1,000 YEARS OLD, BLANKETED SEATTLE’S HILLS.

TODAY, ON THE SHORES OF LAKE WASHINGTON,

IT’S STILL POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE

WHAT THIS LAND MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE IN THE EARLY 1800s.

THIS PROTECTED PENINSULA, ON THE WEST SIDE OF LAKE WASHINGTON,

IS HOME TO WHAT’S KNOWN AS THE MAGNIFICENT FOREST.

IT’S THE LARGEST STAND OF OLD GROWTH TREES IN THE CITY,

MANY MORE THAN 200 YEARS OLD,

INCLUDING DOUGLAS FIR, HEMLOCK, CEDAR, AND MAPLE.

IT’S LIKE A TIME CAPSULE OF SEATTLE’S NATURAL PAST.

♪

THE REST OF THE CITY’S OLD GROWTH TREES

DIDN’T LAST VERY LONG

BECAUSE WORD QUICKLY SPREAD ABOUT THE REGION’S RICHES.

IN 1851, A MAN NAMED HENRY YESLER

ARRIVED IN TOWN FROM OHIO

WITH A DREAM AND MONEY TO START A STEAM-POWERED SAWMILL.

HE BUILT IT HERE ON THE SEATTLE WATERFRONT.

TO GET NEWLY CUT LOGS FROM HIS TIMBER CLAIM TO HIS MILL,

HE ROLLED THEM DOWNHILL ALONG A PATH

THAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS "SKID ROAD."

THAT PATH IS NOW A CITY STREET CALLED YESLER WAY,

NAMED IN THE LUMBER BARON’S HONOR.

BY 1852, ONE SETTLER HERE,

A MAN WHO WAS KNOWN SIMPLY AS DOC MAYNARD,

IS SAID TO HAVE CONVINCED THE OTHERS TO NAME THEIR NEW TOWN

AFTER A LOCAL NATIVE AMERICAN LEADER, CHIEF SEATTLE.

AND THAT’S HOW SEATTLE WAS BORN.

EVERY YEAR, MEMBERS OF THE SUQUAMISH TRIBE,

WHO LIVE ALONG PUGET SOUND,

CELEBRATE THEIR FORMER CHIEF WITH A THREE-DAY FESTIVAL

KNOWN AS CHIEF SEATTLE DAYS.

DURING THIS FESTIVAL, YOUNG SUQUAMISH RACE WAR CANOES,

AS THEY TEST THEIR PROWESS ON THE WATER,

AND CELEBRATE THE TRADITIONS AND SKILLS OF THEIR ANCESTORS.

AS THE SETTLEMENT OF SEATTLE GREW,

SO, TOO, DID THE BUSINESS OF TIMBER,

WHICH DISPLACED MANY NATIVE AMERICANS

FROM THEIR LAND.

TODAY, TIMBER REMAINS BIG BUSINESS IN WASHINGTON STATE.

JUST A FEW MILES NORTHWEST OF SEATTLE,

A THICK FOG HAS SETTLED IN OVER PUGET SOUND.

BUT DOWN BELOW, A TUGBOAT IS STEADILY ON THE MOVE.

IT’S NOT PUSHING A BARGE, OR GUIDING A GIANT CRUISE SHIP;

IT’S DOING SOMETHING THAT’S BEEN DONE IN THE WATERS OFF SEATTLE

FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY--

TOWING AN ENORMOUS RAFT OF RAW TIMBER

FROM FORESTS WHERE THEY WERE CUT

TO MARKETS WHERE THEY WILL BE SOLD.

THIS LOAD IS ON ITS WAY TO THE PORT OF EVERETT,

NORTH OF SEATTLE.

ONCE, GIANT LOG PULLS LIKE THIS ONE

WERE A COMMON SIGHT IN THESE WATERWAYS.

BUT THIS IS THE ONLY TUG OPERATOR

WHO STILL DOES THIS WORK HERE.

IN DAYS PAST, LOG TOWS WERE TARGETS FOR PIRATES

AND LUMBER THIEVES WHO RAIDED THE TOWS, BROKE THEM UP,

AND THEN HID THE STOLEN LOGS

IN THE MANY BAYS AND INLETS ALONG THE SOUND.

THEY WERE EASY TARGETS, BECAUSE LOG RAFTS DON’T MOVE FAST.

THIS ONE IS TRAVELING AT JUST ONE TO TWO KNOTS.

BUT IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ABOUT 150 TRAILER TRUCKS

TO MOVE THIS LOAD ON THE HIGHWAY.

♪

LOG RAFTS IN PUGET SOUND OFTEN END UP HERE,

AT THE PORT OF EVERETT.

ONCE THE LOGS ARE BROUGHT ON SHORE,

THEY ARE LOADED INTO A GIANT STRIPPER,

TO CLEAN OFF THE BARK.

WASHINGTON STATE IS THE SECOND LARGEST TIMBER PRODUCER

IN THE NATION.

THERE ARE LOTS OF MILLS LIKE THIS ONE ALL AROUND SEATTLE

THAT PROCESS RAW LOGS

AND THEN SLICE THEM INTO STANDARDIZED LUMBER.

WOOD DUST IS ALSO BIG BUSINESS HERE.

AFTER BEING LOADED ONTO TRUCKS,

IT WILL BE USED TO MAKE PULP AND PAPER.

THE MACHINES USED FOR LOGGING AND LUMBER

MAY HAVE CHANGED A LOT OVER THE LAST CENTURY,

BUT MAKING A LIVING IN TIMBER HAS BEEN A WAY OF LIFE

IN AND AROUND SEATTLE EVER SINCE THE CITY WAS FOUNDED.

AND IT WAS A 19th CENTURY TIMBER FORTUNE

THAT TURNED SEATTLE INTO A 20th CENTURY AEROSPACE GIANT.

JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN LIES THE RUNWAY OF BOEING FIELD,

AN AIRPORT NAMED AFTER A WEALTHY SEATTLE LUMBERMAN

NAMED WILLIAM E. BOEING.

AS SOON AS HE TOOK HIS FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE

IN A BARNSTORMER IN 1915,

BOEING FELL IN LOVE WITH FLIGHT

AND DECIDED TO USE HIS LUMBER FORTUNE

TO DESIGN AND BUILD AIRPLANES.

HIS VERY FIRST PLANE, A SINGLE-ENGINE SEAPLANE,

LIFTED OFF INTO THE SKIES OVER SEATTLE ON JUNE 15, 1916.

HE LAUNCHED THE BOEING AIRPLANE COMPANY THAT SAME YEAR,

IN THIS RED BARN.

IT NOW SERVES AS THE HEART OF THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT,

WHICH LIES ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF BOEING FIELD.

THIS MUSEUM, WHICH IS AN AFFILIATE

OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,

HAS THE LARGEST DISPLAY OF BOEING PLANES IN THE WORLD,

INCLUDING THE COMPANY’S FIRST-EVER 747,

WITH SERIAL NUMBER 001.

DURING THE YEARS LEADING UP TO WORLD WAR II,

BOEING’S BUSINESS, AND SEATTLE, BOOMED

AS THE COMPANY RACED TO BUILD

THOUSANDS OF NEW MILITARY AND PASSENGER PLANES.

BUT THAT BOOM ALSO LED TO A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING.

MANY WORKERS ENDED UP LIVING ON MAKESHIFT HOUSEBOATS

ALONG THE SHORES OF SEATTLE’S LAKES AND RIVERS

JUST AS TIMBER WORKERS, FISHERMAN AND OTHERS HAD DONE

FOR DECADES BEFORE THEM.

BY THE 1930s THERE WERE CLOSE TO 2,000 HOUSEBOATS

IN THE WATERWAYS AROUND SEATTLE.

TODAY, JUST A FEW COLONIES, LIKE THESE ON LAKE UNION,

ARE THE LAST SURVIVORS.

WHEN MANY PEOPLE THINK OF SEATTLE,

THEY THINK OF THESE HOUSEBOATS,

THANKS TO THE 1993 ROMANTIC COMEDY "SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE"

STARRING TOM HANKS AND MEG RYAN.

IN THE MOVIE, HANKS LIVES WITH HIS SON JONAH IN A HOUSEBOAT

THAT’S STILL DOCKED HERE, ON THE WEST SIDE OF LAKE UNION.

BUT THE DAYS OF CHEAP FLOATING SHACKS

THAT ONCE CROWDED THESE SHORES ARE LONG GONE.

THE CITY’S TECH BOOM AND FLOOD OF FOREIGN BUYERS

HAS CREATED A NEW SHORTAGE OF HOUSING IN SEATTLE.

TODAY, THIS CITY HAS SOME OF THE FASTEST-RISING

REAL ESTATE PRICES IN THE NATION.

MANY OF LAKE UNION’S HOUSEBOATS HAVE BECOME LUXURY HOMES

AND SELL FOR MILLIONS.

WHEN YOU SPEND 24 HOURS IN THE SKIES OVER SEATTLE,

YOU DISCOVER ALL THE WAYS THAT SEATTLEITES USE THE WATERS

THAT SURROUND THEIR CITY EVERY DAY.

WHETHER THEY’RE TRAINING ON ITS CANALS,

PADDLING ALONG ITS SHORES,

OR EVEN SKIMMING ACROSS THE WATERS OF ITS LAKES.

ONE SEATTLEITE WHO IS OUT ON THE WATER EVERY SINGLE DAY

IS PILOT ANNA GULLICKSON.

IT’S 4:00 P.M., AND SHE’S JUST PREPARING TO TAKE OFF

FROM A SMALL FLOAT PLANE BASE

HERE AT ROCHE HARBOR ON SAN JUAN ISLAND.

ANNA SPENDS MOST OF HER WORKDAY SHUTTLING RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS

BETWEEN THE CITY AND ISLANDS, LIKE THIS ONE.

PEOPLE IN SEATTLE KNOW IT’S HER OVERHEAD

THANKS TO THE UNIQUE PAINT JOB ON HER PLANE.

WHEN ANNA FLIES, SHE SOMETIMES SPOTS PODS OF ORCAS,

ALSO KNOWN AS KILLER WHALES, IN THE WATERS BELOW.

THIS SPECIES HAS BEEN AT GREATER AND GREATER RISK HERE

AROUND THE SAN JUANS.

FEARFUL THAT THESE WHALES MIGHT ONE DAY BE GONE FOREVER,

ANNA RAISED MONEY TO REPAINT THIS PLANE

WITH THE SIGNATURE PATTERNING OF AN ORCA,

TO ADVERTISE ITS PLIGHT.

NOW, EVERY TIME SHE COMES IN FOR A LANDING OVER SEATTLE,

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, WATER,

AND BUILDINGS BELOW,

LOOK UP AND SEE THIS ORCA OF THE SKY PASSING OVERHEAD

BEFORE SHE MAKES HER WAY TO THE DOCK OF KENMORE AIR

ON LAKE UNION.

WHEN SEATTLE WAS FIRST SETTLED,

LAKE UNION WAS CALLED "SMALL WATER"

BY A NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE KNOWN AS THE DUWAMISH,

WHO LIVED ON THE SHORES OF THE LAKE.

BUT IN 1854, AN EARLY SEATTLE SETTLER NAMED THOMAS MERCER

PROPOSED RENAMING IT "LAKE UNION" INSTEAD.

HE CAME UP WITH THAT NAME

BECAUSE HE IMAGINED THAT SEATTLE’S LAKES AND BAYS

WOULD ALL ONE DAY BE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER, AND PUGET SOUND,

BY CANALS.

MERCER’S VISION ENDED UP COMING TRUE,

BUT IT TOOK MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY.

WHAT FINALLY UNITED SEATTLE’S WATERWAYS

WAS A MAJOR WORK OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

KNOWN AS THE LAKE WASHINGTON SHIP CANAL,

AND ITS GIANT CHITTENDEN LOCKS.

THESE DAYS, BOATERS FROM ACROSS SEATTLE PASS THROUGH THESE LOCKS

ALL DAY LONG IN THE SUMMER TO SPEND A DAY OUT ON THE SOUND.

FISHING CAPTAINS ALSO USE THE LOCKS

TO GET THEIR SHIPS TO AND FROM FISHERMEN’S TERMINAL,

HERE JUST INSIDE SALMON BAY.

IN THE WINTER MONTHS, THIS FRESHWATER MARINA

IS PACKED WITH UP TO 400 COMMERCIAL FISHING BOATS.

BUT WHEN SUMMER ARRIVES, ALMOST ALL OF SEATTLE’S FISHERMEN

HEAD UP TO THE RICH AND FAMOUSLY DANGEROUS WATERS OF ALASKA

TO HUNT FOR SALMON AND POLLOCK.

A STATUE HERE AT THE TERMINAL

HONORS THE NEARLY 700 SEATTLE FISHERMEN

WHO NEVER RETURNED FROM THOSE JOURNEYS.

THIS FRESHWATER HARBOR DIDN’T EXIST IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY,

BECAUSE SEATTLE’S LAKES AND BAYS WERE STILL ALL LANDLOCKED.

IT TOOK A MASSIVE PROJECT BY THE U.S. ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS

TO LINK THESE WATERWAYS.

FIRST, THEY CONNECTED LAKE WASHINGTON

WITH PORTAGE BAY, IN LAKE UNION,

BY CARVING A DEEP CHANNEL THAT IS KNOWN AS MONTLAKE CUT.

THEY ALSO EXCAVATED ANOTHER MASSIVE CHANNEL,

CALLED FREMONT CUT, TO LINK LAKE UNION

WITH A SMALL, SALTWATER INLET KNOWN AS SALMON BAY.

FINALLY, THEY HAD TO INSTALL A COLOSSAL SET OF LOCKS

AT THE ENTRANCE TO PUGET SOUND,

SINCE THE FRESHWATER IN THE LAKES

WAS MORE THAN 20 FEET HIGHER THAN THE WATER IN THE SOUND.

THESE LOCKS HAD TO BE SPECIALLY DESIGNED

TO KEEP SEATTLE’S FRESHWATER LAKES FROM BEING CONTAMINATED

WITH SALTY SEAWATER WHEN THEY OPEN AND CLOSE.

MANY PEOPLE USE THEM AS A BRIDGE

TO GET ACROSS THE SHIP CANAL ON FOOT.

TODAY, IT WOULD BE HARD TO IMAGINE DAILY LIFE IN SEATTLE

WITHOUT THE LAKE WASHINGTON SHIP CANAL.

♪

IT WOULD ALSO BE HARD, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE,

TO THINK OF SUMMER NIGHTS HERE

WITHOUT A WEEKLY EVENT KNOWN AS DUCK DODGE.

IT’S ALMOST 7:00 P.M., AND THE SAILS ARE UP ON LAKE UNION.

EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE SUMMER,

SEATTLE BOATERS GATHER BY THE HUNDREDS

TO RACE A ZIGZAG COURSE AROUND THE LAKE.

ANY SIZED VESSEL CAN COMPETE,

BUT ALL DUCK DODGE SAILORS HAVE TO FOLLOW 12 VERY STRICT RULES.

IT’S FORBIDDEN TO RUN INTO ANOTHER BOAT.

YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BRIBE THE DUCK DODGE COMMITTEE...

AT LEAST WHILE ANYONE IS WATCHING.

YOU HAVE TO KEEP ALL BUOYS TO THE PORT SIDE

WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR TURNS.

RULE NUMBER 10 IS THAT SAILORS HAVE TO FOLLOW ALL THE RULES.

AND RULE NUMBER 12 SAYS

THAT YOU MAY NEVER MAKE A DUCK CHANGE ITS COURSE.

IF A DUCK ON LAKE UNION GETS IN YOUR WAY,

IT’S UP TO YOU TO DODGE IT.

THAT’S HOW DUCK DODGE GOT ITS NAME.

THIS RACE HAS BEEN A SEATTLE TRADITION

FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.

WHEN IT BEGAN IN 1974,

IT WAS ADVERTISED AS THE LAKE UNION BEER CAN REGATTA.

TODAY, THAT SPIRIT STILL LIVES ON.

WHILE SOME CLAIM THE COMPETITION IS FIERCE,

DUCK DODGE IS REALLY JUST A CHANCE FOR SEATTLEITES

TO GET OUT ON THE WATER, SEE FRIENDS AND FAMILY,

AND HAVE SOME FUN.

AND MAYBE THAT’S WHY IT’S HARD TO TELL

IF ANYONE IS ACTUALLY RACING.

BUT IT ALWAYS DRAWS A LARGE CROWD ON SHORE.

THEY FILL THE LAKESIDE LAWN HERE AT GAS WORKS PARK.

ON WARM SUMMER NIGHTS,

WHEN THE SKIES OVER THIS FAMOUSLY RAINY CITY ARE CLEAR,

IT CAN SEEM LIKE ALL OF SEATTLE IS OUTDOORS.

AFTER RACING IS OVER

AND THE DUCK DODGE COMMITTEE HAS ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK’S WINNERS,

THE REAL PARTYING WILL BEGIN.

AS THE SUN STARTS TO SET,

MANY WORKERS IN SEATTLE

WILL ALREADY BE WINDING DOWN THEIR DAY,

JUST AS THEY STARTED IT,

ON THE FERRIES THAT CROSS ELLIOTT BAY.

AND ON SHORE, AS NIGHT FALLS,

THERE’S NO PLACE IN SEATTLE AS COLORFUL OR STRANGE AS THIS.

IT’S A GARDEN OF GLASS

THAT LIES RIGHT AT THE BASE OF THE SPACE NEEDLE.

THE ARTIST WHO CREATED THESE PHOTOGENIC FORMS

IS A SEATTLE LEGEND NAMED DALE CHIHULY.

SINCE THE 1960s HE’S BEEN PIONEERING NEW TECHNIQUES

FOR BLOWING GLASS

THAT HAVE ENABLED HIM AND HIS STUDIO STAFF HERE IN SEATTLE

TO CREATE A MINDBOGGLING ARRAY OF FORMS.

HIS SCULPTURES HAVE MADE HIM FAMOUS AROUND THE WORLD,

FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO LAS VEGAS AND DUBAI.

CHIHULY’S WORK IS KNOWN FOR ITS DELICATE, PLANT-LIKE SHAPES,

WHICH IS WHY IT’S PERFECTLY SUITED

FOR A GARDEN LIKE THIS ONE.

INSIDE THE GARDEN’S GLASS HOUSE,

SHAPES OF RED AND ORANGE MAKE UP A SCULPTURE

THAT’S MORE THAN 100 FEET LONG.

BUT PART OF THE WONDER OF THIS GARDEN IS BEING ABLE TO WATCH

THE COLORS OF THE SCULPTURES CHANGE

AS THE SUNLIGHT FADES FROM THE NIGHT SKY.

♪

[SEAGULL SQUAWKING]

BUT EVERY NIGHT,

THERE ARE OTHER COLORFUL LIGHTS IN THIS CITY, TOO.

ESPECIALLY HERE ON SEATTLE’S HISTORIC WATERFRONT.

ONCE, CROWDED SHIPS BOUND FOR THE KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH

CROWDED THESE DOCKS.

TODAY, SEATTLE’S GREAT WHEEL CAN BE SEEN FROM MILES AWAY.

BUT SEATTLE’S MOST FAMILIAR AND LEGENDARY LIGHT

MIGHT JUST BE THIS ONE--

A COLORFUL GLOBE THAT’S BEEN SPINNING OVER THE CITY

SINCE 1948.

IT WAS CREATED TO ADVERTISE THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER,

THE CITY’S OLDEST NEWSPAPER.

WHEN THE P-I PRINTED ITS LAST EDITION

BEFORE GOING ENTIRELY ONLINE IN 2009,

IT SPLASHED A PHOTO OF ITS GLOBE ACROSS ITS FINAL FRONT PAGE

WITH THE HEADLINE, "YOU’VE MEANT THE WORLD TO US."

♪

PEERING DOWN ON A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SEATTLE

IS A FEAST FOR THE EYES.

BUT IT’S ALSO A CHANCE TO DISCOVER WHY THIS CITY

IS ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT IN THE NATION.

WHETHER SEATTLEITES ARE CHEERING ON THEIR FAVORITE TEAMS...

RACING ON ITS LAKES...

OR EVEN BRAVING TERRIFYING HEIGHTS

TO MAKE SURE THEIR CITY KEEPS RUNNING 24/7.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SEATTLE

TRULY IS UNLIKE A DAY ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD!

♪

♪

♪