International Fountain was created for the Seattle World's Fair. Made of concrete and stainless…read moresteel. Sitting at what was the center of the fair. Among "The Boulevards of the World." Once the fair was over, popularity of this site overall dwindled. However, like all good things, this had a refresh. They did a rebuild in 95 where they made the fountain more user friendly and interactive. It was meant to be that way from the get go, but how it was initially designed did not really look like that. They took out the protruding nozzles and the rocks to make it look like the moon so that people could touch and play with it. Fitting, as this did replace a playground. I happened upon the place early morning and found it already had a multitude of people around it. Enjoying the weather. I took my pictures, which really did not do this justice. The fountain really wasn't magical at that point of the day.

This is an awesome fountain at the Seattle Center Park near…read morethe Space Needle. I was amazed at the water pressure and rhythm with musical accompaniment! Kids and adults were playing in it like it was a summer day. What's not to love about watching people have fun frolicking for free?!?

We unexpectedly found ourselves here as a result of needing something to do later at night. We…read morearrived 30 minutes before the cut off for that night at 7:30pm. We rode up to the 73rd floor with a few other people and an "elevator operator" who was friendly. When the doors opened we were greeted with spectacular views of the entire city! We arrived before sunset and we were able to take our time moving around the 73rd floor as it wasn't crowded at all. We were able to take tons of photos at a leisurely pace and we got to see some great sites such as Mt Rainier, Space Needle and the stadium where the big FIFA game was playing. A few days later, we went to the Space Needle which is a completely different vibe. We enjoyed both experiences ultimately but the Columbia Observation Deck was especially nice because it wasn't crowded and the sunsets views were just breathtaking. We also like the relaxed feel of having drinks and bites at the observatory. The Space Needle was so crowded and much louder and more rushed. Definitely plan to come here to watch the sunset when you're in town.

My visit to the Columbia Tower Observatory on the 73rd floor was nothing short of amazing. The…read moreviews are absolutely breathtaking--truly one of those experiences where you find yourself stopping just to take it all in. Seeing Seattle from that height gives you a completely new appreciation for the city and its surroundings. What made the visit even more enjoyable was the staff. Every employee I encountered was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and genuinely pleasant. Their warmth made the experience feel even more special, and it was clear they take pride in creating a positive atmosphere for visitors. One observation I did have relates to the elevator experience. It has been two years since my last visit, and unfortunately, the elevator's video system is still not functioning. I remember when the observatory first opened, and the video played during the ride up--it added an engaging and memorable element to the experience. Without it, the ride feels noticeably less enjoyable. Interestingly, others seemed to feel the same way. I mentioned how long the video system has been out of service while riding up, and a couple riding up with us--visiting from Australia--commented that it would have been nice to have something to watch during the ascent. As an alternative, it might be a wonderful opportunity for the elevator operator to share a few interesting facts during the ride up. A brief, engaging introduction--highlighting that this is the tallest building in Seattle, along with a bit of history about when it was built and facts about its tenants--could really enhance the experience and help pass the time in a meaningful way. Additionally, with all three video screens currently not working and visibly cracked, addressing this issue would make a noticeable difference. Either repairing or replacing the screens--or even temporarily covering them--would create a much more polished and welcoming feel for visitors and help elevate the overall experience.

If you love the movie up then you're going to love visiting the Edith Macefield's house which is…read moreinspired by the movie. We have been here three times and this visit they had colored the house red and black. It kind of gave like Asian vibes. But this house is nestled in between two buildings. Parking is very sparse. So if you are doing a quick visit you could Park across the street. Or you could partake in the street parking in that area. But be warned it is a busy area. Pro tip make sure you bring some balloons to take memorable pictures in front of the house.

The house that inspired the movie 'Up.'…read more A super cute house with a great story. Wedged between two larger buildings stands the Up house and it sure is easy to miss. We actually had to drive around again because we missed it the first time. A quick stop, but worth the visit for such a powerful story and inspiration for a wonderful movie.

Cool neighborhood you got here. I was staying across the 5 but I came up here every night. I'll…read moretell what I got to check out. The Pine Box Happy hour pizza was just OK, but the draft beer selection was great, I loved listening to the old-school punk, and the atmosphere was sui generis. Cool bartenders, too. I wish that I lived near a place like this. Donna's Great happy hour deals in this little bar. I could see coming back here. My friends in the area had never heard of Donna's. Stoup I got to drink a Jimothy beer! Bartender was nice. Very spacious, and I appreciated the food truck. Noodle Cart Thank you for the vegan options. Spicy peanut noodles with tofu, please! Yeah, that hit the spot. Elysian My cat is named Zephyrus, and I got to drink the Zephyrus Pilsner here! I think that she would approve. BTW, I used to be a brewer, so you can trust me. My colleague calls Seattle "Millennial Paradise". Well, I declare that Cap Hill is safe for Gen Xers as well. Thank you for your hospitality. "This Is Shangrila"

It was Tuesday morning and it had just rained. Dark clouds already passed through…read more Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam songs fit my mood. I walked along Broadway. The asphalt and sidewalks were damp. Metal hatch covers, slippery. The grass and trees were watered. It's about time. Coffee shops were open. Bars were closed. The streets were quiet. People were still sleeping or just waking up. I wanted to reminisce. Contemplate. Recharge. Dream. Find inspiration. It always works when I'm here. ----- Cookie cutter mixed-use developments have taken over Broadway. They lack character and personality. I love old buildings, Beaux-Arts style buildings. Sign up for a Seattle Architecture Foundation tour if you're interested in Craftsman, Queen Anne, and Tudor homes. They're hiding around the residential areas. Old money. Capitol Hill is a historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood. You'll see rainbow-painted sidewalks. Flags on windows and walls. Pride festivals are held here in the summer. Nightlife is quite the experience. "When I was 21, it was a very good year." ;) Makeup on. Nails done. High heels. Looking cute. Dancing, laughing, drinking, staying up late. How did I get home? Smartphones weren't mainstream yet...Thank you very much, Universe! The music scene. Macklemore and Sir Mix-a-Lot filmed their music videos up here. The Jimi Hendrix statue. Neumos. Kpop Nara. Spin Cycle. Live music in bars and lounges. Public art is sprinkled everywhere: Dance Steps, tile patterns along storefronts, murals on buildings. Portland has Powell's. We have Elliott Bay Bookstore Co., my favorite bookstore. The first Starbucks Reserve Roastery is here. I forget which street they're on--Shall we play the Pike or Pine game? :p I'd rather go to a local mom-and-pop coffee shop though. Plenty of restaurants to choose from. Seattle Central College students must be fed. Dick's and Tacos Chukis are my cheap eats. M2M and QFC are grocery stores off Broadway. Trader Joe's and Safeway are further out. Cal Anderson Park. The Waterworks fountain is here as well as a baseball field, a tennis court, and a basketball court. The Capitol Hill Farmers Market pops up just north of the park on Denny Way. Volunteer Park. It has the conservatory, an amphitheater, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Isamu Noguchi's "Black Sun", The Water Tower, and a reservoir (love those sunsets). The park was named in commemoration of the volunteer soldiers of the Spanish-American War. Not sure if a name change is in the works but a controversial plaque was quietly removed in 2021. Lake View Cemetery is north of Volunteer Park. Pay your respects to Bruce and Brandon Lee. Kikisoblu (Princess Angeline), daughter of Chief Sealth, is here. John Nordstrom (Flagship store is off Pine between 5th & 6th. I love Nordy's!). Madame Lou Graham (Take Bill Speidel's Underground Tour if you want to learn more about her). The Denny Party. Doc Maynard. Thomas Mercer. Henry Yesler. Carson Boren. Do these names sound familiar to you? Yep, street names in Seattle. Transportation options include the Sound Transit light rail, the First Hill Streetcar, and Metro buses. I don't recommend driving here unless you absolutely have to. This is a high density area and not vehicle-friendly. You'll spend much of your time driving in circles trying to find a parking spot and when you do, you'll have to pay a pretty penny. I keep my head on a swivel. Earbuds out. On Capitol Hill you're dealing with bikes, scooters, vehicles, uneven sidewalks, buses, garbage, ambulance, construction, street cars, delivery trucks, escalators, stairs, dog poop. I've been yelled at, unprovoked, by druggies and homeless people so many times I can't even keep count. It's an unfortunate reality but I won't stop going to Capitol Hill though. The good outweighs the bad.

"What Goes Up Must Come Down" by Catherine Mayer is a public art piece located in front of the…read moreFederal Reserve Building on the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Spring Street. It is essentially a large paddleball sculpture, which evokes a similar feeling to my thoughts on the Giant Red Twin Popsicle sculpture in Belltown. Both seem to bring a whimsical vibe to its otherwise dull surroundings. This is a nice piece of pop art that is worth checking out. Also, walk further down the block on 2nd Avenue as there is a Botero "Adam" statue on the other side of the building to view.

A fun and family-friendly activity to do in Seattle, WA...The Ballard Locks!! And, it's FREE!…read more It's a popular spot to watch boats pass between the saltwater of Puget Sound and the freshwater of the Lake Union/Lake Washington, using a system of chambers to raise or lower them. The locks help boats move between the higher freshwater lakes and the lower Puget Sound, adjusting the water levels to let them pass smoothly. Watching the water levels rise and fall to guide boats through is very cool to watch! There's a Fish Ladder with a subterranean viewing area that allows you to watch salmon and sometimes seals and sea lions as they migrate upstream. Best viewing times mid-June to September. Unfortunately, we were there too early but I saw a sea lion. Lots of green trees and beautiful botanical gardens. There's a small marina. There's paid self parking. I would definitely want to come back!

One of my favorite historical spots in Ballard. There are boats being lifted in the locks,…read moresometimes kayaks, sometimes tugboats, gardens, walking trails and more. Be sure and visit the fish ladder in season when the fish are jumping. Off season, check out the harbor seals bobbing around. The gift shop and small museum is worth a visit too. There are picnic spots, benches, and a blue heron rookery along the waterway.

Ever get tired of seeing neat older buildings in once one-house neighborhoods razed and boring…read morecondos and townhouses replace them? Wonder why the City of Seattle does so little to protect them? You have not be familiar with it, but Historic Seattle shares your concern(s) and been saving buildings of historic/aesthetic value for some time now: (1) Queen Anne High School (now condos, but they saved the outside and preserved the integrity of the interior), (2) the oddly modernist Egan House (which I saw as part of a Historic Seattle-sponsored tour) above I-5, (3) Cadillac Hotel (now the Klondike Gold Rush Historical Museum run by the U.S. Parks Service), (4) Church of Christ (now Town Hall!), and (5) the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. Both the Egan House and Good Shepherd Center are actually owned by HSP. Sometimes to save a historic building, HSP has had to actually move them! For example, it was instrumental in moving a group of 1890s-era workers' cottages from Chinatown to the Ballard Avenue Historic District. The beautiful Italianate house near Half Price Books on Capitol Hill, now an attorney's office, was originally at Pike and Boren. Washington Hall was one of the focus of its efforts (and was as of mid January 2009 was designated as a Historic Landmark by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board), thus hopefully being saved from the demolition ball. Currently the organization is trying to save bungalow courts on Capitol Hill from being razed. The non-profit organization is housed in the 102-year-old Dearborn House mansion on First Hill and sponsors tours and lectures throughout the year. There is a library in the basement that is open to the public (which I have not had the opportunity to visit). Late this month, an exhibition on the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest at MOHAI will open. One of the major annual events its sponsors is the Bungalow Fair (the next one, in late September 2009, will offer a tour of Ravenna bungalows as well as a contemporary Arts and Crafts exhibition and related lectures at Town Hall). Other events include tours of notable houses ("tea and tour") in the area. I am not sure how large a membership base it has, but there are a number of volunteer openings, apparently, at this very active but not very well-known--to the general public--civic organization. http://www.historicseattle.org/default.aspx http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2009197262_historic100.html http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008609127_pacificpbuilt11.html http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/landmark-theater/Content?oid=813227 http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/01/09/washington_hall_is_now_a_histo

I really enjoyed coming here, and I'm convinced that arriving right at sunset (aka golden hour)…read moremade the experience even better! The lighting truly added to the beauty of the scenery Parking was super easy to find in one of the nearby neighborhood streets. From there, it was just a short walk and quick street crossing to reach the tower. Even from the outside, it's so pretty, with lots of flowers, greenery, and plants surrounding it. Great photo spots already! Once you head inside, there are two staircases you can choose from, but both lead to the top. I won't lie, climbing them felt like quite the workout, so you might be a little out of breath once you reach the top lol. At the top, the inside itself is pretty plain, not much going on. But looking out the windows, completely different story!! The views are stunning. From the window closest to the stairs you can see Seattle's skyline and even the Space Needle. Another window gives you a beautiful view of all the greenery, trees, and the nearby park. Simple but still so pretty :) Overall, I'd definitely recommend visiting at least once, especially during golden hour!

Landmark in Seattle, Washington…read more.. The Volunteer Park Water Tower was 106 steps up... Inside the tower... It was chilly in the morning and I was by myself. Haha! It was quiet and deserted. I went quickly because I was getting scared... I don't remember how I found out about this free attraction. I do remember that it had a beautiful view of the city... Yes - through the metal gratings on the windows I could see the Space Needle and downtown Seattle! There were informative signs on the walls at the top floor of the Water Tower, including the history and the goals for Volunteer Park. I was happy to complete a Bucket List item! It was interesting, scenic, and helped me to burn off some calories!