Seattle - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 136

Milepost 31 MUSEUM
(211 1st Ave S; 11am-5pm Tue-Sat; Pioneer Sq) A project as comprehensive and
long-winded as the Alaskan Viaduct Replacement Program (the viaduct is currently be-
ing demolished in favor of a new tunnel) requires an explanatory museum and this small
but concise exhibit in Pioneer Square does a fine job of relaying the facts - plus there are
some fascinating nuggets of incidental Seattle history thrown in for good measure.
Numerous old photos and a scale model of the drilling machine encourage lingering.
The exhibit will remain open as long as the program lasts - until 2016 at least.
Occidental Park PARK
(btwn S Washington & S Main Sts; Pioneer Sq) Notable in this cobblestone plaza are the to-
tem poles carved by Duane Pasco, a nationally respected Chinookan carver and artist
from Poulsbo on the Kitsap Peninsula. The totems depict the welcoming spirit of Kwaki-
utl, a totem bear, the tall Sun and Raven, and a man riding on the tail of a whale.
Also eye-catching is the Firefighters' Memorial , featuring life-size bronze sculptures
of firefighters in action.
THE ORIGINAL 'SKID ROW'
In Seattle's early days, loggers in a camp above town would send logs skidding
down Yesler Way to Henry Yesler's pierside mill. With the slump in the timber in-
dustry and the resulting decline of the area, the street became a haven for the
homeless. The nickname Skid Rd (or 'Skid Row') eventually came to mean the op-
posite of 'Easy St' in cities across the US.
International District
A lively part of town that's home to various Asian cultures, 'the ID' has all of the trap-
pings of a multiethnic neighborhood, from bustling markets to fun import shops to amaz-
ing places to eat.
Wing Luke Asian Museum MUSEUM
( www.wingluke.org ; 719 S King St; adult/child $12.95/8.95; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun; Chinatown/
International District E) Relocated and refurbished in 2008, the Wing Luke examines Asian
and Pacific American culture, focusing on prickly issues such as Chinese settlement in