Quick urban hike this morning combining the "City Hall to Pike Place" , "Elliot Bay Trail" and just a bit of the Cheshiahud Lake Union loop as well to make one big loop. Started going up 2nd Ave to the Market and on to the Olympic Sculpture park, then up the Elliot Bay Trail, crossing the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks at W Thomas, and up 3rd Ave W to Kerry Park. After taking in the classic Seattle views from the park we headed east on Highland Dr then Bigelow Ave N before turning right and dropping down the multiple stairs following Galer St to Lake Union. From Lake Union we took the short stretch of the Cheshiahud trail to MOHAI, then back south along Westlake and Dexter. Total mileage is about 5.6, net vertical is just a couple hundred feet mostly from climbing 3rd Ave up to Kerry Park. Restrooms are available at the Sculpture Park, at Myrtle Edwards Park, Pike Place and at MOHAI. This loop is absolutely packed with things to see and do - wonderful views of Elliot Bay, south to downtown and Mt. Rainier, east to Lake Union; dozens of art installations along 2nd ave, at the main SAM campus between 1st and 2nd, at the Olympic Sculpture Park, along the Elliot Bay trail and many more. Sit and watch float planes take off from Lake Union. Take in all the new South Lake Union development (it's completely unrecognizable to me now!) Watch marine traffic come in and out of Elliot Bay. Stop at MOHAI. Take in the Pike Place experience. A beautiful Sunday morning.

This is a Seattle Urban hike, 2.5 miles. We followed the directions for Walk #15 in the book "Seattle Stairway Walks", by Jake Jaramillo and Cathy Jaramillo. The route starts at Seattle City Hall, jogs down to Western Avenue, goes through the Pike Place Market, goes by several architectural landmark buildings, and returns on Fourth Avenue. The route features a lot of public art, sites of Seattle history, and stairways. On this warm summer day, the streets and the market were crowded with people. It was fun to follow the guidebook, though, and find a quirky sculpture or a piece of the past. For example, old trolley tracks support the hand rails on the stairs on Pine Street between Alaskan Way to Western Avenue.