I wasn’t sure of what to expect from Seattle. I had just come off a great time in California and had really liked Oregon as well – so I felt like I was almost due for a let down. And I was (thankfully), very wrong. I absolutely loved being in Seattle. Pike Place Market was everything I hoped it would be and more. The people watching, as well as watching the guys throwing the fish and interacting with the crowd, Piroshky, Piroshky, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, the Original Starbucks – I mean, c’mon, it’s awesome. The Space Needle provided incredible views (and I’m thankful I wasn’t able to go up until early evening). It was drivable and it was walkable and I had a total blast.

The Space Needle is an icon, there’s no doubt about that – but the area around it is so much fun as well – there are a ton of things to do, especially for kids, who all seemed to be having a blast in the process. This is a must-see if you’re in the area, for sure.

The Olympic Sculpture Park is a pretty short walk from the Space Needle and totally worth it, if only to check out a great piece by Alexander Calder – and that backdrop sure doesn’t hurt, either.

While I have never been the biggest Nirvana fan, I did think a visit was worth it. While the house is beautiful, walking along Lake Washington was even better. If you’ve seen any of my posts before, you know that I’m a fan of street art, and I loved these two bottom pieces.

That sky…

The Ferris Wheel and the stadiums tend to jump out at you here, but if you look through that haze, that’s Mt. Rainier in the distance (I’ll have a post coming soon about my visit to Mt. Rainier…)

Loved seeing the container ships in the same vicinity of the sailboats and the Original Starbucks in Pike Place Market is pretty darn cool as well…

So this dude is Taho Kakutani (had to do a little research there), and let me tell you something – he is phenomenal at his job. Not only is he able to throw the fish well, but he is just really great at interacting with the crowds and at the very minimum, seeming to have fun while doing it. I was truly impressed with all that he was doing – especially knowing that dealing with the crowds like they do could become incredibly difficult. He did it all with a smile on his face the entire time.

Absolutely loved the totems that could be found around town…

While I got to Seattle relatively early and got shots of these iconic signs early on, I knew I needed to get back later – and I’m so glad that I did. I absolutely love the way these came out, even though I had to leave earlier than I originally wanted due to some unforeseen issues – but those unforeseen issues led me back to my car, which was parked nearer to the Space Needle. I wasn’t expecting this whatsoever, and what a pleasant surprise, to see the sky just totally beyond cooperative for this:

Plain and simple, I absolutely loved Seattle and I’d go back in a heartbeat…