It opened earlier this year but despite a long, sunny summer we still hadn’t made it to the Seattle Wheel – until today! We woke to our first big frost of the winter. It had already started on the Friday evening up at the Highlands where Toby had his soccer training and it clearly continued all night because it almost looked like snow when we woke this morning. Jack Frost had been very busy.
As we lay in bed watching the local news, the news reader told everyone to make the most of today because although cold it was going to be sunny. So we decided to get up and head to Seattle to the wheel.
We got over there just ahead of opening so the queue wasn’t too bad at all. Harry and Toby desperately wanted us to go in the VIP capsule of the wheel but at a cost of $50 per person we decided against that. After a short wait we were sat in our pod ready to go. At this point both boys decided that actually they were scared and weren’t sure if they wanted to go round on the wheel after all. Good job we didn’t go for the VIP pod as that had a glass bottom – that would have really scared them!!
The pod was heated to a lovely temperature inside and the weather outside was beautiful and with that three circuits of the wheel began. The views were fantastic. There were ferries, mountains, stadiums, containers, the aquarium, the Space Needle, seals in the water – everything!
Having overcome their fear of the wheel they didn’t really want to get off. Particularly Toby who “loved it”. After leaving the wheel we decided to take a walk up to the market – although we did stop briefly for a picture or two. Can you spot Toby in the first one? The sun was too bright for him apparently!
After a tour of the market and local map shop we set off to the cool part of Seattle – Capitol Hill. It may be the hip hop happening part of town but it was a bit grubby for us and full of weirdos! On the plus side it did have a frame shop so I can now hang my birthday presents up once I have framed them up correctly.
With Harry having a soccer match in the afternoon it was soon time to head back home. As we drove through the back streets of Seattle Toby announced, “you probably won’t believe me, but I think I just saw Barack Obama’s mum”.
It’s amazing what you get to see when you spend a morning in Seattle!
More pictures here…