Last week I took a family vacation up north for a cruise to Alaska; and as usual, I took advantage of the opportunity to take photos of new places. The trip took us first to Seattle where we boarded our boat and then to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria in British Columbia. It was an amazing trip.
Besides the family fun and quality time, these places offer unique photographic opportunities; from the urban cityscapes of downtown Seattle, the rugged wilderness of Alaska and the sublimely beautiful gardens in Victoria B.C., everything was enjoyable, fun and awe inspiring.
“A picture is worth a thousand words” – and so I will write about the places we went and the photos I took, hoping that those that can make the trip know what to expect; and for those that for any reason can’t make the trip, at least see the beautiful places we traveled to.
Our trip began with our stay in Seattle. Downtown Seattle is a bustling town filled with tons of things to do and enjoy. Sadly the one day we spent walking its streets was not nearly enough to explore this urban ecosystem; still, we managed to find a few of its most iconic places and even a few of its “hidden attractions”. We went to the iconic Space Needle, the EMP museum, the famous Pike’s Place Market, rode the Great Wheel and saw the infamous Gum Wall.
Space Needle
The Space Needle is an observation tower, a landmark and an icon of Seattle. It was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World’s Fair and it now houses an observation deck and a rotating restaurant. The view we saw at the top was amazing and many visitors frequent this attraction yearly.
EMP Museum
Another attraction we saw while on Seattle was the EMP Museum, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. The EMP Museum is home to many exhibits, interactive activity stations, sound sculpture, and various educational resources including a star wars, sci-fi, horror, fantasy and music exhibits.
Pike Place Market
Down at the waterfront stands the popular Pike Place Market. Pike Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers’ markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants. The Market is built on the edge of a steep hill, and consists of several lower levels located below the main level; it is very easy to get lost in it, amongst all the shops and busy vendors. The market is usually full of people walking about, buying and selling all sorts of goods and it’s always full of people, almost to a claustrophobic degree; still, it is the best place to get the freshest ingredients and weirdest of curiosities.
Gum Wall
After having dinner at one of the many restaurants in the market area, we took a walk through Post Street right under Pike Market and came out at the infamous Gum Wall; a place – like the very name implies – where the walls are filled, top to bottom, with used chewing gum. Not an attraction to be enjoyed by the squeamish or germophobes; the colorful walls host a great variety of gum blobs of all sizes and colors. The street was filled with tourists and locals alike that were busy contributing their own pieces to the huge tapestry of gum blobs lining the walls of the alley; many even building intricate works of art using only gum and the wall as their canvas.
The Great Wheel
Our final stop was at the Great Wheel; a giant Ferris wheel, overlooking Elliott Bay. A ride on the Great Wheel is a fun way to get a look at the Seattle cityscape and Bay from above; the ride is comfortable and offers a unique perspective of the bay area and – depending on the weather – some fun photo ops. The ride was nice and the surrounding area is fun to explore as well, with many shops and restaurants and even a carousel for the kids – and those of us that are kids at heart – to enjoy. In the evening we came back to the area to take night photos of the great wheel in motion, it was very fun.
In conclusion, Seattle was a very enjoyable city for us; we had fun, saw the museums, enjoyed the market, met and made new friends – a small shout out to Laura, I hope you’re enjoying the photos –. I wish I get the chance to go back to explore more of the city and take more photos of this charming place.
In my next article, I will write about our stop at Ketchikan and the things we saw there. Thanks for reading.
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