Space Needle, Seattle

By Kin Enriquez -

I love Googie architecture - the retro-futuristic movement influenced by the Space Age, the Atomic Age and cars blending together to create a whimsical form. Think Jetsons and Jimmy Neutron. Or Futurama. Along with the Theme Building in Los Angeles International Airport, the the most notable example of this architecture - also known as Ray-Gun Gothic - is the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.

I had the chance to visit Seattle during my second trip to the US this year, and I spent a weekend in the city before I flew to Manila from St Louis. The Space Needle was one of the landmarks that I checked out. Aside from my interest to its unique architecture it also coincided with my sort of tradition - visiting the highest structure of the city I am in, so it's a twofer. Movie buff may also identify the landmark in movies such as Chronicle, Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me, and of course, Sleepless in Seattle. 

The Space Needle and the Seattle skyline at night, taken from Kerry Park
The Space Needle was constructed in 1961, for the 1962 World's Fair. At present its height, measuring 605 feet high,would not be very impressive. Macau Tower stands at 1,108 feet, and Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai towers at 1535 feet. Even the Gateway Arch is a tad taller, at 630 feet. Still, the Space Needle earned the distinction of being the tallest structure west of the Mississippi at the time of its construction. The copycats of China may be taller now, but the Needle started it all. 

At the elevator
I visited the landmark with my kumpare Mark (whose family was my host during my visit), and his kid (and my goddaughter) Leela on a Sunday morning. I was lucky because the weather cooperated during the visit, the infamous Seattle rain did not show up until almost sundown. The previous night the family brought me to Kerry Park, which is located in the hilly part of Seattle, where one can view the postcard-perfect Seattle skyline with the Space Needle prominently at the center. 

Space Needle observation deck
After getting the tickets we fell in line to the elevators, which then whisked us up at 10 kilometers per hour up to the observation deck. The view was spectacular - with the 360-degree panorama of the Seattle skyline, the Puget Sound and the islands beyond it, and at the distance, Mt. Rainier, a very prominent, massive (and also one of the most dangerous in the world) volcano.

Part of the Seattle skyline as seen from the observation deck

I went around the deck several times to view and admire Seattle from above, trying to pinpoint and identify parts of the city while doing so. Just below the observation deck was a revolving restaurant called SkyCity. We didn't go in, as it would require reservations weeks in advance, but I bet it would be a great experience to dine at 500 feet up. We all went down after I had my fill exploring around. 

How to Get There
The Space Needle is located in Seattle Center, at 400 Broad St. You can't miss this landmark.

Useful Info
The Space Needle is open everyday, from 10am-11pm Monday to Thursday, 9:30am-11:30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 9:30am-11pm on Sunday. Tickets cost $21 for adults, $12 for kids. Website: spaceneedle.com 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Golden Tara of Agusan

By Kin Enriquez -
Image
One of the main reasons why I am always drawn to museums when I travel is that I would want to see, in real life, the fascinating things that I've only read in books or have seen in the films, such as archaeological artifacts or the paintings of Van Gogh and Dali . Museums give you access to all that. I majored in History when I was an undergraduate in the University of the Philippines. As such, I am always excited to see artifacts and historical curiosities that I encounter during my travels. But sometimes, they also make me sad, like when I saw the Golden Tara of Agusan in the Field Museum in Chicago.  The reverse of the Golden Tara The Golden Tara is a gold statue of a Hindu-Malayan deity discovered in 1917 in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, in southern Philippines. Weighing about four pounds, the 21-karat gold statue depicts a woman deity sitting cross-legged, ornamented with a headdress and various accruements in the arms and legs. It was dated to early 13
Read more

Off the Beaten Track: Mapun, Tawi-Tawi

By Kin Enriquez -
Image
Guest post by Mara Ione Sarail Mapun? Where is that?” I get this question a lot when people ask me about my hometown. I’d ramble on and on the island (its location and the culture and the pretty spots...) but since the place is not really in any of the Philippines tourist spots and is in the middle of nowhere, I might as well talk about Atlantis instead. But the island does exist.  Mapun Tawi-Tawi or Cagayan de Sulu) is an island municipality in the Sulu Sea on the southwestern extreme of the Philippines, located very close to Sabah. Or from the way I see it on the Philippine map, the island is located on the Philippine’s “armpit”. Mapun is a volcanic island. The picture above shows Mt. Nanggoy, an inactive volcano near the Sapah Lake. The most popular tourist attraction in Mapun would be the three crater lakes on the west part of the island. Legend says that the three lakes were once volcanoes that erupted together. The first two, Danao and Singuwang, becam
Read more

How To Track Your Travels with Google Location History

By Kin Enriquez -
Image
Ever traveled to a place then forgot the name of that small shop that sells the best tasting cronuts you've ever had? Or have you ever wanted to retrace your steps in your travels, down to the smallest alleyways you passed along the way but couldn't? Here's a travel tool that enables you to do that - so well that it's cool and scary at the same time: the Google Location History. I use the service - which you need to enable on your mobile phone and Google account - to look back at my travels and generate some cool maps that retrace my steps during my trips. Google Maps, by itself, is an incredibly useful app already; I cannot count how many times I've used it when traveling to find my hostel, the nearest subway station, that cronut place. Having location history enable, made it cooler and more useful. Take a look at these examples: The top photo shows my movements around Singapore during my trip there in September, It basically showed my movements in t
Read more