Articles with Seattle

Amazon Spheres, Seattle’s Unique Architectural Wonder

A picture with Seattle’s Space Needle easily identifies it as being a photo of Seattle. Another unique architectural feature in Seattle was completed in March of 2016, the Amazon Spheres. While it was not completed on the inside for almost two more years, the Spheres have become another recognizable symbol of Seattle and is worth visiting. A trip to the top of the Space Needle will set one back as much as $37.50 per person. However, a visit to the…

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One Trip, Four Airports: Seattle, Doha, Nairobi, and Lilongwe

Traveling to Africa from the Seattle area is never direct. I was going to Africa for the third time, and the journey would be long and tiring. The first time I went to Africa I connected through London. The second time I traveled through New York. This time I though I would try a different approach and headed to Doha in the Middle East. While Seattle is my home airport, I was traveling with a new-to-me airline, Qatar, so I…

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Seattle’s Cheshiahud Loop: South Lake Union to Fremont

Last week I described the first half of our walk around Lake Union known as the Cheshiahud Loop. We started at the north end of the lake at Gasworks Park. From the park we traveled east and walked along the east side of the lake. This week I will share about the rest of our walk as we continued back to Gasworks Park. As we got closer to the south end of Lake Union, we came across a more industrial…

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Seattle’s Cheshiahud Loop: Pipes, Bridges, and Houseboats

Travel articles often suggest that one needs to look at their own region through the eyes of a tourist. Since I am not always traveling to distant places to write about, I often look around the Seattle community to find experiences and places to share. That recently led me to discover Cheshiahud Loop, a route that goes all the way around Lake Union. The online information stated it was a six and a half mile walk. We figured that would…

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Ballard Locks: Boats, Salmon, Gardens and History

Seattle is a city practically surrounded by water. To the west is Puget Sound while to the east is Lake Washington. Water activities are an important part of life here. Historically the early pioneers used the waterways for transportation. As a result one of the early decisions was to connect Lake Washington to Puget Sound by digging a canal. When they realized that Lake Washington was higher in elevation than Puget Sound, they knew they needed to built locks for…

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Cherry Blossoms Beckon to the University of Washington

One of the spring rituals one hears about in Seattle is the blooming of the cherry trees at the University of Washington. In an area known as the Quad, cherry trees line the four sides. When they bloom in mid-March, locals enjoy the spectacular display. My wife and I had never visited the University to see this show so when the clouds seemed to be clearing on a Tuesday afternoon, we decided this was the day we would check out…

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Climate Pledge Arena: Seattle’s Newest Wonder

On a recent newscast in the Seattle area, the newscaster referred to the newly opened Climate Pledge Arena as Seattle’s newest wonder. While I don’t normally think of sports arenas as wonders, I thought it was an interesting comment on this renewed arena. Seattle has had a football field, a baseball field, and now is excited to have a hockey and basketball arena. The opening of Climate Pledge Arena has been a big deal for the city of Seattle. For…

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The Calming Oasis of Seattle’s Community Gardens

In many cities there are large botanical gardens to explore. The Pacific Northwest is blessed to have a number of such excellent, well known gardens. These include the sweeping Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, the Seattle Japanese Garden near the University, and the Rhododendron Species Garden in Federal Way. However, it is also good to take note of the smaller community gardens throughout the region. These may not be so large and well manicured, but they can offer an opportunity…

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The Celebration of Seattle’s Nordic Cultural Heritage

There are a number of great museums in the Seattle area. From the Seattle Art Museum to the Museum of History and Industry, the area is blessed with a wealth of interesting places to visit. One museum that is a little off the beaten trail is the Nordic Museum in the Ballard area. This museum celebrates the history and culture of the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries, or as some would say the Scandinavian countries, are located in northern Europe.…

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Seattle Gardens to Visit in the Winter and Year Round

Visiting a garden during the winter may seem like an unusual activity. After all, gardens in the winter don’t usually have many flowers to look at and enjoy. However, gardens are more than just flowers. A winter visit to a garden can reveal aspects of a garden that colorful flowers might distract from. Furthermore, a winter visit will likely mean less people, helpful during our pandemic year. The Seattle Chinese Garden, which is on the northern edge of South Seattle…

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