Thursday, June 11, 2015

Seattle 1997 & 2001

Well, perusing through all of those pictures of the mountains of Nepal really got me into the mood for mountains, especially since I am trying to organize a trip with my son this summer in the Rockies - particularly Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons, hopefully among other places.

And reminiscing lately on some times from my own past also put me in the mood to reflect on Seattle, which was surprisingly influential in my life on many levels that might be obvious and not so obvious - particularly not so obvious to others outside of myself. You see, it was from Seattle that much of my favorite music right to the present day came from, or at least had it's roots. And it was from a trip to Seattle and the surrounding area (particularly the San Juan Islands- we visited and camped out at Orcas Island, specifically).

I do not know why I was expecting Seattle to be more of a miserable place than it was. It had always sounded like a grimy place, a tough city with a lot of foul weather. The music, although I was a fan, also seemed to have an edge that betrayed a certain roughness and tough life.

Boy, was I wrong about that!

Seattle was a city of beauty, particularly among North American cities. It had the Space Needle, and the surrounding area is a fun and pleasant place to spend some time in. There are these weird arches (I really should look up what they are called, and what their original purpose was - as I forgot), and a wonderful water fountain. Also, the Experience Music Project is there, which is almost like the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. There are other charming neighborhoods in Seattle to visit, as well, and tons of cool music and other places. And numerous green parks for the locals to enjoy, which we got to visit, as well.

But the real charm of Seattle is the surrounding area, graced with such incredible natural beauty as it is. There is Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountain range dominates the landscape across the water, to the west. To the east, there are the majestic Cascade Mountains, enormous snow-capped peaks. There are forests nearby with enormous trees, not much smaller than the Redwoods in California. And everywhere you look, there are numerous different shades of green. After all, there is a reason that Seattle earned the nickname "The Emerald City."

The last time that I got a clear view of soaring, snow-capped peaks, it was in October of 2001, the last time that I was in the Pacific Northwest.

There were two trips to Seattle and that region that I took in my life, and both were very memorable.

After both trips, I felt ready to make a move there, or at least to somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. The lifestyle that I observed there appealed to me, being more relaxed, more laid back, then that of where I lived in New Jersey. There were also wonderful opportunities to do outdoor activities which I already enjoyed, including, but not limited to, hiking and camping.

Plus, the music and the scenery!

If you are not sure what I am talking about when referring to the incredible scenery of Seattle and the immediate surrounding region, take a look at some of these pictures below:




blood red sky

Photo courtesy of mriggen's Flickr page -  blood red sky: https://www.flickr.com/photos/riggenransom/6891303882
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/




Downtown Seattle

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Miske's Flickr page -  Downtown Seattle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmiske/16528903070
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0



Downtown Seattle

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Von Arnim Flickr page -  Downtown Seattle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffany98101/15623134190
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/


Seattle Center Dusk + Mt. Rainier

Photo courtesy of Andrew E. Larsen Flickr page -  Seattle Center Dusk + Mt. Rainier: https://www.flickr.com/photos/papalars/2691957294
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0


Downtown Seattle (Night)

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Miske Flickr page - Downtown Seattle (Night): https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmiske/16519601767
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/



sunset

Photo courtesy of kirk.petersen's Flickr page - sunset: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kirkpetersen/360352519
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/


Aerial of Seattle Center and downtown at sunset, 2000

Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives Flickr page - Aerial of Seattle Center and downtown at sunset, 2000: https://www.flickr.com/photos/seattlemunicipalarchives/3795224217
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/



Space Needle with skyline and Mount Rainier at sunset, 2000

Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives Flickr page - Space Needle with skyline and Mount Rainier at sunset, 2000: https://www.flickr.com/photos/seattlemunicipalarchives/3293292089
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/




Pike Market at night

Photo courtesy of Argonz's Flickr page -  Pike Market at night: https://www.flickr.com/photos/argonz/6715645753
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/



Being There

Photo courtesy of Josh Sniffen's Flickr page -  Being There: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sniffen/8435571493
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/



Mt. Rainier

Photo courtesy of JOHNNY LAI's Flickr page -  Mt. Rainier: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnylcy/11046164986
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/





2008-05-30-Rainier-GRCC-Sunset-HDR-BW-8x10

Photo courtesy of Mike Deal's Flickr page - 2008-05-30-Rainier-GRCC-Sunset-HDR-BW-8x10: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zonedancer/3956987136
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/




Another GRCC Rainier sunset...

Photo courtesy of Mike Deal's Flickr page - Another GRCC Rainier sunset...: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zonedancer/4792002349
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/





Bainbridge Island / Seattle

Photo courtesy of Terri Stewart's Flickr page - Bainbridge Island / Seattle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cloakedmonk/14591833702
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/





Mt Constance, at sunset

Photo courtesy of Peter Stevens Follow Mt Constance, at sunset: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nordique/3427580247
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

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