USA 2013 | Columbia Center Sky View Observatory

We have a thing for climbing towers / seeing cities from the top... and so we couldn't pass on taking an elevator all the way up to the Columbia Center Sky View Observatory in Seattle! Here's the view from the 73rd floor.

USA 2013 | In the sun along Puget Sound

 

One sunny afternoon I ventured to the Olympic Sculpture Park, a beautiful outdoor area that belongs to the Seattle Art Museum. The view onto Puget Sound was breathtaking and the walk back to the city center along the water was amazing. 

USA 2013 | Seattle public library

 

I knew the Seattle public library was supposed to be a beautiful building but gosh was I impressed! I spent ages walking around, just taking in the light and feeling so happy that such pretty and well thought-out places exist in the world.

USA 2013 | Seattle - Pike Place Market -

I didn't end up taking many photos at all at the Pike Place Market. I did watch the fish mongers throwing fish around for a bit, and marvelled at the beautiful (and huge) bouquets of peonies though. And got a teeny bit grossed out by the chewing gum wall. :-)

USA 2013 | Seattle - Fremont -

Mart had a temperature and wasn't feeling well that day, but the weather was so lovely and it was our last full day together before the start of his conference so I convinced him dragged him out of our hotel and we went for a walk in the Fremont neighborhood.

We had a bite to eat at the Fremont Sunday Street Market and then we wondered around the streets, popping in a few shops and spotting several of the crazy sculptures of the area. 
We kept on walking to the Gas Work park where we lied in the grass for a bit, looking out to the city center. It was a beautiful afternoon and it was lovely to watch boats going past, kids flying kites and people doing acrobatic yoga in front of the rusty pipes of the old gas making facility.

USA 2013 | Seattle - Ballard -

After reading lots of good stuff about the Ballard neighborhood (on Elephantine's blog and on Design Sponge, for example), it was one of the places at the top of our to-do list for Seattle. 
We walked into many adorable little boutiques and had the best Mexican lunch at La Carta de Oaxaca. Oh, and there was a rainbow around the sun that day in Seattle; it was the first one I had ever seen and it was very pretty!

We walked to the Ballard Locks where we were delighted to find out it was salmon spawning season. It was so cool to see them jump up the fish ladder to go back to where they were born and start the next generation. There's even an underground part where you can observe the fish while they take a rest in one of the pools before continuing their journey.