The Space Needle

It's probably the most iconic element of the Seattle skyline, so our trip to Seattle would not be complete without a visit to the Space Needle.  This was not my first trip to Seattle, nor my first visit to the Space Needle, but we went because I wanted my husband to have this experience. The weather on the day of our visit was fantastic and allowed for some spectacular views from the top of the Space Needle. 

 While not the greatest photograph, it does share with you how the majestic Mt. Rainier appeared to us on this sunny Seattle day. As I type this, it does seem like a bit of an oxymoron to say sunny and Seattle in the same sentence!

I won't kid, the tickets to go to the top of the Space Needle are not inexpensive, but we had decided in advance that this was a stop that we wanted to make and included it in our budget. (On a side-note, we were able to keep our total Seattle trip expenditures including gas, hotel, food, and adventures to less than $300!) As you can see, Bryan was excited to be at the top of the icon of the skyline!

The Space Needle has included a few photo opportunities to the experience that are included in the price of admission. The first is a photo prior to boarding the elevator. These photos are shot in front of a green screen and you have the option of selecting a background when you reach the top of the Space Needle at one of the photo kiosks.

Bryan earned points with the photographer (and me!) for this pose during the photo! The second is a selfie station on the Space Needle balcony.

There is no charge for either of these photos! Be sure to stop at the photo kiosk and have these jpg files emailed to you.

A few other tips from our time at Seattle Center. We enjoyed the play area between the Space Needle and the EMP.  We especially enjoyed playing with these chimes.

Bryan was also grateful that I knew the secret of the Seattle Monorail. We boarded the Monorail at Westlake and took the $2.25 ride to Seattle Center. Another element of the World Fair campus, this provided an efficient travel method and saved a few miles from our feet. (Something Bryan was especially thankful for as we logged more than 12 miles by foot this day!)

The EMP is also part of the Seattle Center. While we did not get to explore the museum on this trip, we look forward to exploring on a future trip. We did enjoy the unique architecture from the exterior intended to represent Jimi Hendrix smashing a guitar.