Views, Seattle cityscape

11:01:00 PM mandy 0 Comments

Seattle is known to be a rainy city. Pair that with the Spring season and showers now seem all too likely to wash away any outdoor plans when visiting a new city. I went prepared for wet weather and was greeted with mostly blue skies and a glowing sun. Talk about luck!

When the water was so cooperative, it seems almost criminal to not take advantage and view the city via all angles with different types of "transport".

Seattle Great Wheel

Adult tickets $14. Situated on Pier 57. The Great Wheel is ginormous in size and offers vast views of the Puget Sound. (According to wiki) The Ferris wheel was supposedly the tallest on the West Coast at the time of its opening. It felt calming to see nothing but water and nature yet honestly there were moments I felt a little nerve-wrecked to ride as the carriages end up going over the edge of the pier as it circles around.

Harbor Tour, Argosy Cruises

Adult tickets ~$31. Also a part of CityPASS $89. Departs from Pier 55 (which is next to the Great Wheel). Can be a bit pricey but I think it is a typical price for a boat tour. It is definitely worth it when using the Seattle CityPASS. I liked being able to see the overall skyline of Seattle as well as the extra commentary provided by the guide. The ride lasts about an hour.

Space Needle

Adult tickets $29. Also a part of the CityPASS $89. Available in other tourist bundles. Without a doubt, this is Seattle's most famous landmark. The tower is impossible to miss amongst the city's skyline. Tourists feel obligated to visit even if they don't go atop it. This is a great location to start a Seattle trip with as the view from the circular observation deck shows a different side of Seattle no matter where visitors stop and stare.

Delicate Haven, Chihuly Garden and Glass

10:08:00 PM mandy 0 Comments

Mother nature is a fickle thing. We cannot live without it and it has a beauty no one can deny. However, people cannot always handle its will to pollinate in order to live. The fine dust-like particles blanket anything and everything in its path. If going outside means an attack of sneezes, tears, and itchiness than being indoors is a no-brainer.

Human nature is even more fickle. When the weather is hot, we want it to be cool; when it is cold, we prefer warmth. Flora and fauna can really test our immune defenses but their colors are just too captivating to ignore. Who knew a garden made of glass sculptures could be similar to gardens of the botanical variety? The former is so far and few in-between that it'd be difficult to picture. Yet both can be just as vibrant and dainty as the other in their own ways.

I had never heard of Chihuly prior to our visit to Seattle. It is difficult to forget the artist's style once you've seen his work. Despite everything being made of glass and ultimately having a rigid quality, it still keeps its sense of fluidity and softness with the use of curves, colors, and lines.

It's been a few years since I saw these in person. The Seattle Center garden displays his glass-blowing talent at a grand scale. Chihuly has since evolved to use glass in newer ways. I would love to see his "Glass on Glass" exhibit one day where he marries a more traditional medium of paint to a non-conventional canvas of glass and light.

Alive

10:22:00 PM mandy 0 Comments

Photographing people normally isn't within my comfort zone. I find more solace in quietly snapping images of inanimate subjects than interacting with living ones. But when I do, candid shots are my preferred style—time that stands still, encapsulating the exact moment for what it was and not how anyone wants to pretend to be.

Everyone visits Pike Place when in Seattle. Most go to grab some bites, look around, take quick photos, and be on their merry way. Frequent visitors may make the marketplace livelier, I would say the people of make Pike Place alive.

Kill Nothing But Time

11:57:00 PM mandy 0 Comments

To take nothing but pictures
To kill nothing but time
To leave nothing but footprints

A change of pace from what I have been posting thus far in 2018. It has actually been almost a year since I last edited non-beauty, travel related photos. I guess I lacked the motivation to share since those posts aren't generally the most viewed on the blog.

An unsaid resolution I had for this site, along with trying to post at least once a week, was to share whatever the heck I wanted regardless of how well or terrible it would be received. I am not an influencer nor monetize from this teeny blog. It is and has always been, first and foremost, a place where I stored my thoughts and memories.

I have done fairly well with the consistency goal (until this month); here goes to shyly greet the ever more personal side of my life (even if I randomly share images from years ago).



RoozenGaarde
15867 Beaver Marsh Rd, Mt Vernon, WA 98273



My family and I visited the Pacific Northwest three years ago to the day. This was a trip of many firsts. It was our first time to Seattle, Vancouver, and nearby cities. It was the first overnight trip we'd taken together in six years. It was the first trip we rented a car and drove around. It was the first trip I had the job of setting some kind of an itinerary.

So much responsibility. So much stress. So many options. So many people's different interests to consider. So many unanticipated meetings and reunions with friends and family. Maybe being ferried around on bus tours wouldn't have been that bad?

The peace and nature that is the Pacific Northwest though, is an environment that is hard to stay stressed in. All the greenery and bright skies are hard to be grumpy in. Of course, Seattle is known to be rainy but it uncharacteristically was not when we visited. I can never imagine living there because of the potential allergy attack I would have to all the pollen but for the brief week or so we were there the lively colors and relaxed lifestyle (when compared to New York City) was a breathe of fresh air.