Seattle Tourist Days

Our mini-vacation to Seattle wasn't all for soccer!  While George worked from the hotel, I played Seattle tourist!

First Stop - Pike Street market.

Every time I've ever been there it has been full of people and this day was no exception but I did get some fun shots of unusual vegetables and fruits!

Rainbow carrots

Garlic spears

 

Witches finger grapes

Rambutan

 Thanks to my handy dandy Seattle Tourist Maps app, it was easy to walk along the pier to the Olympic Sculpture Garden where I got my first view of the Space Needle.

 

The whole garden was interesting to explore as I made my way up the hill to the Seattle Center. 

 

In 1989 George and I brought our young family to Seattle and took them up to the restaurant on the top of the Space Needle.  I have one vivid memory of that excursion.  As often happens the waiter came and asked us if we wanted something to drink before he brought a menu.  Without thinking or asking for the menu we ordered 6 glasses of orange juice.  Later we learned that each glass cost $8!  We had spent $48 on orange juice!   George and I will never forget that!

Of course now, 27 years later I spent $48 just to go up to the observation deck!  They did include a visit to the Chihuly Glass Garden in the price.  I'd always wanted to see his work and it was even more amazing that I thought it would be. 

From the guide book, "The artworks demonstrate how he pushed the boundaries of glass as an art medium in concept, execution and presentation."  These photographs don't do it justice.  

 

The vivid colors, the life and movement, the sheer joy in the pieces....

 

It is just delightful!   These boats are life size with beach-ball size glass.  Heavily influenced by the sea, these blue shapes looks as if they could be something alive under the ocean.

A favorite is the "Persian Ceiling Room".

And the beauty and wonder continue outside into the garden.  I absolutely loved it!

Then it was up the elevator to the viewing platform of the Space Needle where I could see back to Century Link Fields!

 

I had noticed this rather unusual looking gentlemen and heard him speaking Spanish.  I noticed that people were asking for his autograph and taking selfies with him.  I finally asked someone who he was.  

Turns out he is Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio also known as El Pibe ("The Kid")  a Colombian former football player. His distinctive blond hair, coupled with his flamboyant technique on the ball, made him one of Colombia's most recognizable footballers and arguably, one of the most recognizable footballers around the globe historically.

Here's how he looked when he played.  My boys recognized him instantly when I texted them his photo. Soccer just followed me around all day!

On Thursday before the USA game, George did get to be a tourist too.

 

We went to a couple of parks and to the locks where we spent a few hours watching boats go through!  It was busy on a Thursday afternoon.  Summer traffic can take hours as the boats line up on both sides of the locks.   To save time multiple boats can go through at once. 

Fun way to pass the time until time to go to the USA game!