Exploring Seattle – Space Needle Edition

So, now that we’ve explored a very crowded Pikes Place Market, let’s continue on our walk towards the Space Needle.

I love the construction going on. It reminded me of being in New York City, one of my other favorite places in the world. Construction is constant there, and I was always walking underneath the scaffolding. Good thing I’m not superstitious!

But back to reality! We’re in Seattle! Don’t worry!

Let’s be real…this waterfront apartment building would be just perfect for me and Hubby. Can you imagine being just a few steps away from downtown Seattle? Swoon.

Hey, I think that we are getting closer! Doesn’t this just get you excited? Maybe it is just me who gets excited in big cities…

It’s probably normal, right?

I don’t know if we should tell them that the Seattle Supersonics are no more. The graffiti in honor of that team can stop now, guys.

Sorry.

This was my only regret for the day. Even though I peeked inside the museum to check prices, I didn’t go for it. I think the adult tickets were $24. And, looking back on it, I should have done it! When else am I going to get to see King Tut?!

I love all things Egyptian History, so I really blew it by being cheap today. Maybe I can bump into Tut in another city and finally pay my dues.

Oooo, we’re getting even closer now! Just around the corner from the Pacific Science Center is a beautiful art sculpture. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but this thing is massive!

Can you see the little people underneath?

There were even some high school kids wearing rock climbing shoes who were scaling this monster. Pretty cool. It made me want to get a pair of shoes and join in. Luckily, no rock climbing shoe stores were in sight.

I hear that those things are expensive.

Now that we are so close, please indulge a few photos of one of my favorite landmarks in one of my favorite cities!

I’ve actually never been to the top, and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on too much. Maybe someday, when some fun people are with me to enjoy such a view, I will be willing to pay the ticket for the elevator up.

This is a statement for all those ladies in my life. Let’s go to Seattle! I’m game! I even know where we can eat lunch.

As to be expected on a beautiful summer day, the Space Needle and its surrounding areas were packed with people. I was able to give my feet a rest for a few minutes by grabbing a park bench to watch everyone.

Very, very fascinating indeed.

I love that the Space Needle isn’t just about the needle. The area is surrounded with gardens and shops galore. This is a pretty neat part of town called Seattle Center. Lots of events are constantly going on here. You could easily spend an entire day in just in these few blocks.

I’ve seen this glass artist’s work before here in Phoenix! This is work by Dale Chihuly. And he is awesome. Apparently, Seattle seems to think so, too.

People-watching is fun on its own, but adding some festive Mayan music to my stop just made everything better. I love how alive this city is at every corner.

And, for just $18, you can go inside these cool buildings to enjoy the EMP Museum. They do music, sci-fi, and pop culture exhibits. I bet it would be fun to check it out.

And not just because they presently have Captain Kirk’s chair on display…

I was simply blown away by the cool design of these buildings. How did they do that?!

With a slightly-overcast layer, the shadows played beautifully on the incredible lines of this building. You can see the monorail tracks coming out the bottom. Can you imagine how cool it would be to ride through a museum on the monorail?

No, I didn’t do it. But that is another thing us gaggle of girls could do together! Hint hint!

The reflective characteristics were so pretty on this exterior surface. What is that even made of?!

Don’t worry, I only have about forty more pictures of this museum today.

Just kidding. This is the last one. Isn’t that cool with the Space Needle in the background? I took a ton of pictures today. I’m glad that my camera can keep up.

Inside Seattle Center, several cute shops were present. I loved the clean design of this one in particular. I wonder if they rent rooms above?

And yet another cool Chihuly design spurting up from the ground. I love it! Can you imagine how long it would take to blow the glass for each leaf?!

I thought it would be cool to check out the monorail but decided to continue on-foot. I love the art deco period of style that was going on. And I love that font for the sign!

Hi, Monorail! You came about because of Seattle hosting the World’s Fair in 1962. In fact, the monorail is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! This guy carries about two million passengers every year. Which means, at $2.25 a pop, they are doing juuuuuuust fine.

Here is a map of Seattle Center. We are standing just to the left of the Space Needle near the monorail entrance. See it? You are here!

And this gives you an idea of its proximity to Pikes Place Market, Pioneer Square, Convention Center, and other prominent landmarks throughout the city. We will see many of them on our Seattle tour!

I decided to follow the monorail tracks as I departed Seattle Center. Tomorrow, we will continue our exploration of Seattle by heading south towards Pioneer Square! Such a neat area…you won’t want to miss it!