Views, Seattle cityscape

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.

lavlilacs Pier 57, Seattle, Washington Seattle Great Wheel from below

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Delicate Haven, Chihuly Garden and Glass

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.

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Alive

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.

lavlilacs Pike Place, Seattle, Washington Piano Man Johnny Hahn

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