Rattlesnake Lake...

was our first stop! This Tucsonian was awake and alive for the crisp and startling temperatures of 45 degrees. Yes, my blood has thinned out for sure, but it felt so good after a hot summer and we've had a pretty warm winter in Arizona. Immediately I notice the vegetation and the vast difference in trees and moss growing all around. So used to dry land and cacti, the lush greenery was revitalizing. Even the damp, cloudy sky felt more like being enveloped in a cocoon. I had the feeling as though I had really traveled to a whole new universe. Unusual tree stumps littered the sandy shore of the lake and my children delighted in climbing them. This was land made for fairy tales and spooky ghost stories.

Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls is an extremely popular destination and it is not far from Rattlesnake Lake. The good thing about traveling in January in Seattle is that it's the off season. Was it crowded? Well, it was full of people, but very manageable. I was able to get a good view of the Falls. I was hoping to get out my tripod and take a shot with slow shutter speed, but it was way to busy for that. Snoqualmie gets about 1.5 million visitors a year, so I was grateful for the shot I captured. It has a lovely gift & coffee shop and we enjoyed lattes and ice cream afterwards. Christmas decorations were still up and it just made the whole experience that much more festive. Snoqualmie has a history dating back to several thousand years ago and it's worth researching and then viewing for your own eyes.

Pike Place Market

The Magic of Seattle!

Is it where all the tourists go? Yes! Is it still fun? Yes! This historic public market is swarming with shoppers, fresh fish, goodies and sights. It has an energy of cheer and it's just plain enjoyable. We tasted candied salmon, bought delicious chocolate chip cookies and sampled fresh fruit from local farmers. Over priced? You betcha! BUT...lots and lots of fun. You must walk through and peak at all the vendors and the goodies they offer. It's part of the experience. I was dying for a lobster roll, but never was able to get my hands on one. It's my mission to go back and taste a fresh lobster roll. The original Starbucks is across the street and if I had been more patient, I might have stood in line for a macchiato, but I didn't think the kids would understand Mom's coffee addiction. Plus, it was raining. It's rained everyday we were there. They don't lie when they say it rains a lot. I honestly don't know how anyone gets any work done in Seattle because it made me want to go to sleep. By 11am I was ready to crawl back in bed with a book and zonk out. If I lived there and had a fireplace I'd never leave my house. They had more rain in a week than Tucson probably receives in a whole year. Although the weather calmed me like a chamomile tea, I still found the change invigorating.

The Space Needle

As a cultural focal point for the 1962 World's Fair, which had "The Age of Space" as its theme, the Space Needle was constructed. It sits 500 feet above Seattle and has a 360 view of the city once you reach the top. It also offers a rotating glass floor, so you can see all the way to the bottom. Again, in this January off season, lines were very manageable. I thought we would have to wait hours to get to the top, but lines were maybe 10-15 minutes. It's a quick and easy elevator ride to the top. Once you are at the top, there's an enclosed deck you can walk around and view the entire city. It's positively breathtaking, but if you don't like heights it can also put a little shake in your legs. It could cause you to swoon a bit. They offer food and beverage, which is pretty pricey, so we opted for the McDonalds directly across the street for our lunchtime snack. We also bought a City Pass for much of our sightseeing excursions to save on ticket prices. I highly recommend doing this, especially if you are traveling with kids. A quick run up to the top and a quick run down to say we did it! A must see and do in Seattle.

The Gum Wall

It's not really a wall...

it's an entire alleyway of gum! It's completely disgusting and so disgusting you gotta see it! The gum wall is a long dark alleyway of gum. What more can I say?! Thousands of pieces of gum stuck to the walls and ground. If you're a germaphobe....skip this.

Discovery Park

In the Magnolia neighborhood, Discovery Park is a 534-acre park situated along the shores of Puget Sound. It is the biggest public park in the city. We didn't spend much time at the park. I would have liked to have been there longer, but it was wet, rainy, cloudy and we weren't able to view the skyline, but prime for a black and white photo.

Amazon Spheres

The Amazon Spheres...

are the Amazon headquarters in Seattle. We didn't know, but if you'd like to go inside you need to make a reservation 2 weeks in advance. Inside is an urban rainforest. Here in Tucson we have the Biosphere, which may or may not have been similar. My next trip I'll be sure to book a ticket. Still a sight to see from the outside and made me wonder what's going on in there??? On a side note, I did not see one Amazon truck outside. LOL!

In Summary...

Seattle is a phenomenal place to visit. We were there 5 days and I felt like we didn't even scratch the surface. We wanted to see Mt. Saint Helen and we ran out of time. We took a day to zip up to Cannon Beach and it was extremely cold and windy, so not the best really for enjoying the beach, but we sat down at Wayfarer and enjoyed the freshest of Fish and Chips. The rain also stopped us from our cruise we had planned. The biggest disappointment of the trip is we never spotted Bigfoot! I thought maybe I would come home with an award winning shot of this fantastical creature, but no such luck. Instead, I'm back to headshots. However, we stayed in a marvelous 2 bedroom guest house in Sea Tac and with incredible amenities we were cozy. Seattle has coffee everywhere and an afternoon cafe hit the spot on those cold afternoons. There is an endless world to explore in the Pacific Northwest and I look forward to when I can explore it during a different season. Seattle has my heart.