A visit to the Space Needle

There are few things that get people more riled up than the emotion they feel for their hometowns. In fact, one of my favorite podcasts (Paperclipping Roundtable) just did an excellent episode on just this very topic.  

In case you hadn't noticed by now, I live in Seattle. (I really mean that. I live within the city limits. And I pay the taxes to prove it.)

 And I love it. 

But I have to make a confession. I've lived in Seattle city proper for over ten years now. And I've lived in the greater Seattle metro area off and on since the third grade. There are tons to things to do here in the city. And I've done a lot of them.

I've been on the Underground tour, on the ferries, to the farmers markets (okay people, one more time. It's Pike Place Market. Not Pike's Place. There is no possessive here. It's just the name of the street. Pike Market or Pike Street are the only acceptable substitutes. Ahem.). I've been to the museums and the aquarium and most of the parks and beaches. I've hung out with the Troll and watched fireworks from Gasworks Park. I've dodged hipsters in Belltown and yuppies on Queen Anne and admired the clothing of goths and drag queens on Broadway. I've seen the Westlake Tree lighting ceremony and dealt with the traffic fallout from the Microsoft annual meeting. I've scowled at the weird blobby EMP (though the design has kind of grown on me) and protested the addition of a second stadium and that stupid soon to be built waterfront tunnel. I've ridden the street car (RIP) and the trolley and the monorail. I've been to Bumbershoot and Folklife and the Seattle Square and I've even been to an artwalk.

I mean, you know this. I blog about this stuff all the time. But you may have noticed one little eentsy teentsy omission from that list o'stuff.

Um.... Until last month I'd never been to the top of the Space Needle. True facts. My only defense? It's a tourist thing, which is normally to be avoided at all costs. Right?

Oh the shame. 

Anyway... I got free tickets to go from work, so I decided that there were no more excuses. I gathered my courage, my pride, and my 50 mm lens and my sweetie and away we went. To get there, I took the iconic monorail (which I never usually ride as it is always full of tourists and doesn't work with my transit pass). If you can get a window seat, you can get a pretty nice view.

A bit of a wait in line later, and up we went. The elevator ride was similar to that of the Eiffel Tower, but the elevator itself was a wee bit smaller.  

Did I ever mention I have a thing about heights? In that they kind of freak me out a little (but I'm working on it).

The sun was just setting and the day had been clear (but cold). 

The view was pretty amazing.

Also, PSA to all the people living in Belltown: All those tourists can see into your bedroom windows. Between the super cool viewfinders and all the telephoto lenses, best keep those curtains shut next time. Scandalous!

So... how can you not fall in love with that view? 

I'm really glad I took the opportunity to get over my snobbery and go to the needle to take some photos. I had such a great time, crazy tourist spectacle aside. (Avoid the gift shop. It is a trap. But you know this, right?)

Seattle, I love you, and I'm never ever moving. Mwah.