Seattle

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Seattle is my home town, but after being away for more than 10 years, I've learned to view it with the eyes of a tourist. It's a beautiful, green city, surrounded by sea, lakes, and mountains. With 240 overcast days per year, Seattle is the most overcast city in the United States. But on a warm, clear summer day, Seattle may be one of the most breathtaking cities in the world.

Recommended activities for a one-week visit:

Space Needle
Science Center
Experience Music Project
Waterfront
Harbor Cruise
Pike Place Market
Aquarium
Zoo
Underground Seattle Tour
Snoqualmie Falls
Winery Tour

In the summer, you might enjoy a visit to Mount Rainier, Victoria Island (Canada), or the San Juan Islands. In the winter, you can ski at a nearby slope like Snoqualmie Pass.

Space Needle

The Space Needle is the landmark structure that defines Seattle's skyline, built in 1962 for the World's Fair. The 360-degree viewing platform at the top gives you a clear view of the city and the harbor.

The Space Needle's reflection in the Experience Music Project building.

Downtown Seattle, viewed from Kerry Park.

Map of Seattle to the south, including Mt. Rainier.

Lake Union as viewed from the Space Needle.

The Seahawks stadium, as viewed from the Space Needle.

The 3 radio towers of Queen Anne, as viewed from the Space Needle.

Pacific Science Center

The Pacific Science Center mainly holds exhibits for kids, but there is plenty to keep adults occupied for a few hours, including the planetarium, an absolutely amazing butterfly sanctuary (you get to walk around in a warm room surrounded by hundreds of calm, colorful butterflies), and an IMAX theatre. And some of the kids' exhibits can be fun too if you give them a chance!

Butterfly at the Seattle Science Center Tropical Butterfly House.

Brownish-orangish butterfly. Pacific Science Center.

Yellow butterfly. Pacific Science Center.

Butterfly at the Seattle Science Center Tropical Butterfly House. It's hard to distinguish the butterfly from a yellow leaf.

Children creating a huge bubble at the Pacific Science Center.

Combustion demo at the Pacific Science Center.

Dinosaur exhibit at the Pacific Science Center.

Touch aquarium at the Pacific Science Center.

Live cockroaches at the Pacific Science Center.

Kids watching a dinosaur video at the Pacific Science Center.

Experience Music Project

The Experience Music Project is a fun museum & more, for music-lovers of all tastes. There are rooms devoted to Rock, Soul, Punk Rock, Northwest Music (e.g., grunge), Disco, Jimi Hendrix, Techniques in Music Recording, Guitars, and more. You can't imagine the variety of artifacts they've collected, and they keep the viewing interesting by including videos and interactive elements. It's easy to spend 5+ hours here. (Info: www.emplive.com)

Experience Music Project. Viewed from Monorail.

The top of the Experience Music Project as seen from the Space Needle deck. I've heard that it's supposed to look like a smashed guitar.

Guitar statue at the Experience Music Project.

Waterfront

You can walk or take a streetcar along Seattle's charming waterfront. Popular destinations include the aquarium and harbor cruise (both described below), as well as Ye Old Curiosity Shop, a fascinating shop is more like a museum funded by purchases. The Ye Old Curiosity Shop collection includes two mummies, various old entertainment machines (fortune teller, personality detecter, ...), and much more.

View of downtown Seattle from Elliott Bay.

The aquarium building, as seen from Elliott Bay.

Front of Ye Old Curiosity Shop. The totem poles kind of look like a big Pi symbol.

Harbor Cruise

From Pier 56 on Seattle's waterfront, you can take a cruise of Elliot Bay. This 90-minute trip will give you lovely views of the city and teach you about Seattle's history and industry.

Harbor Cruise in Elliott Bay. View of downtown Seattle.

Harbor Cruise in Elliott Bay. Big ship that we passed.

Harbor Cruise in Elliott Bay. Shipping cranes in West Seattle.

Pike Place Market

This collection of specialty shops is very, very cool. The main floor principally contains stalls selling produce and overpriced tourist merchandise. But if you head downstairs to the two floors known as Down Under, you'll find used antiques, novelty items, bookstores, a magic shop, goods from India, Egypt, Pakistan, Africa, China, and more. And the prices Down Under are quite decent.

Aquarium

The Seattle Aquarium contains an incredible sea dragon exhibit (this is an intricate animal related to the sea horse, amazingly graceful, almost plant-like in appearance), an exhibit where you can touch animals like starfish and anenomes, sea mammals (seals, sea lions, otters), sea birds (including adorable puffins), sharks, a domed room with fish on all sides, and sea animals from around the world.

Seattle Aquarium. This species of fish is called the Mandarin Goby.

Seattle Aquarium. Two otters that love to play together.

Seattle Aquarium. Glass-walled dome with fish.

Zoo

Seattle's zoo, the Woodland Park Zoo, is quite good. The overwhelming crowd pleaser is the playful baby elephant, Hansa. The animals, coming from all contents on the globe, are kept in settings that are natural enough for the animals to feel comfortable while still giving clear views for the visitors.

Woodland Park Zoo. Hansa, the baby elephant.

Woodland Park Zoo. Hansa, the baby elephant, and her parents. She is vaccuuming the hay from her mother's back.

Woodland Park Zoo. Some simian species, I'm not sure what.

Woodland Park Zoo. Chimpanzee holding stick that he would chew on from time to time.

Woodland Park Zoo. Plaque commemorating Jimi Hendrix in the African Savanna exhibit. This is the only formal recognition given to Hendrix by his hometown, the City of Seattle.

Underground Seattle Tour

Seattle was swampy when the first western settlers arrived in the late 1800s, but this did not deter them. They built downtown (at present-day Pioneer Square) right at sea level, leading to periodic flooding. Eventually, the land was filled in and Seattle rested on 10-30 feet of new dirt. The old downtown was buried, and you can visit it on the Underground Tour of Seattle, while learning about the history of the city.

Seattle Underground Tour. Old bathroom. Note the height of the tank.

Seattle Underground Tour. Jericho Inn Mission sign.

Seattle Underground Tour. Photo of 19th century downtown Seattle.

Seattle Underground Tour. Picture of late 19th century building. Building still stands. The floor that was formerly the ground floor is now the basement.

Seattle Underground Tour. Picture of Seattle after the Great Fire of 1889.

Seattle Underground Tour. This floor, now the basement of a building, was once the ground level floor.

Seattle Underground Tour. This wooden pipe formed part of Seattle's 19th century sewer system.

Snoqualmie Falls

This grand waterfall, less than an hour's drive from Seattle, is 270 feet tall -- 100 feet taller the Niagara Falls. The surrounding scenery is spectacularly green and mountainous, the air so pure. On a nice day, you can take a pleasant hike down to the bottom of the falls.

Snoqualmie Falls. Pathway to the base of the falls.

Trees and clouds near the Snoqualmie Falls.

Grass and trees near the Snoqualmie Falls.

Old train near the Snoqualmie Falls. No longer in service.

Snoqualmie Falls. Hydroelectric power plant.

River at the base of the Snoqualmie Falls.

Winery Tour

Washington State is a up-and-coming contender in the world of fine wine. While the grapes are typically grown in Eastern Washington, some wineries do the production near the Seattle area, including the Chateau Ste. Michele and Columbia wineries. Below are pictures of Chateau Ste. Michele, which offers many daily tours.

Chateau Ste. Michele winery. Wall full of awards.

Chateau Ste. Michele winery. Wooden barrels.

Chateau Ste. Michele winery. Room in which the wine is bottled.

Chateau Ste. Michele winery. Metal barrels.

Chateau Ste. Michele winery. This wine is $200 for a half-bottle.

Peacock on the grounds of the Chateau Ste. Michele winery.

Chateau Ste. Michele winery. Tasting room.

Eve Andersson (eve@eveandersson.com)

Comments

I love the pictures
Hi Eve, I think your pictures are very good! And also as I was there while you took them, they take me back to those special and pretty places that I will never forget. See you soon hopefully!!!

-- Lissette Giron

Green pictures
Someday, someday, I will found a renown university in the beautiful city Seattle. It is my destiny, fortold to me upon my creation, when the Gods assembled my bones from Calcium pill supplements (as seen on TV.)
Beautiful pictures of Seattle, Eve. I wonder if you know a good location in the emerald city for the future university?

-- Dave Bacon

Thanks for memories
hey eve, I was watching your pictures because I was showing my family were I had went as a field trip. I am 12 years old and I currently attend Ellen Ochoa Middle School in Pasco Washington im going in to 7th. Last year in the 6th grade our shool's band class got a grant to visit the emp not to mention the seattle FOOD Court!!! and the science center hopfully my school's band classes could go again this coming year your pictures brought a story to tell so thanks a lot,
Juan L.
ps. our band teacher is Mr. Mancanelli and we went on Friday, May 16 our pictures are GREAT!!!!!!

-- Jr. L

great site
Love the pictures,im a Seattle native also,born and raised on Capitol Hill in the 40s went to Issac I Stevens grade school,Meany Jr. High and Garfield High ,now living in Long Beach Wa. & Palm Springs Ca.Old cars and photography are my hobbies.thanks again i really enjoyed your site. Gene Cox Check out my old car http://community.webtv.net/buick47/Buick47

-- eugene cox

John Harris
Hey,
I love your site. It gave me a chance to see my home town again. I guess I got a little homesick and started doing a litte surfing on the web to see some pics and well, it brought me to you. Thanks, it did me a lot of good to see it again!

-- John Harris

Very Nice
I love the photos on your site, and while I was visiting Seattle I had wondered about those glass panes on the sidewalks of the city.. now I wish I had known about the underground area! It looks really interesting! Thanks for the photos from the area, next time I go back I'll know where to visit..

-- Mary O

Stunning Pictures!
I am a Washington State native and seeing your pictures of Seattle makes me want to jump on the first plane back. Unfortunately, I won't have that pleasure until 2007 for my reunion. But how lovely to show my family and friends here in England where I come from. Thank you for taking brilliant photos and sharing them with all of us.

-- April Boyd

Beautiful Seattle
I moved to Seattle right after Mount St Helens erupted in 1980. Originally from Baltimore MD and it was not a hard city to adapt to with all the lucious greenery that one gets to view on a daily basis. My girls loved seattle in and made friends right away. I especially loved the underground tour. Seeing those pictures again brought back good memories. I tell all my friends & family to visit the underground as that is the real history of Seattle. Thanks for sharing the history of the underground with such clear, vivid and concise pictures. I took that tour all over again just seeing it on the internet.

-- Barbara I. Parsons

Wow!
Thanks, for the great pictures. I was able to show my friends where i used to live, because i now live in kansas state.

-- Katie Naumann

My husband and I just returned from Seattle. We were able to catch the exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls. You're pictures are wonderful!
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-- Gina Chevalier

I lived in Seattle from 1991-94 and 2000-2001. I miss it so much. My daughter who is now 13 was born in Swedish Hospital May 20, 1994.
Image: l_16371ac423c465f135dd34193b907f0d.jpg

-- Teri Allen

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