You can’t get higher on the West Coast for a view of the majestic mountains and glistening sun on Puget Sound than the Sky View Observatory at Columbia Center. Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, it is easy to get to and costs only $12.50 for adults and $9 for seniors, military, student and kids aged 6-12 (free for kids under 6). This treasure is located 73 flights up - the highest public observatory on the West Coast.
We arrived shortly before lunchtime and were stunned by the views of the iconic Space Needle (which looked quite small from our vantage point) and the former highest building west of the Mississippi, Smith Tower (tiny). This recently remodeled observatory has plenty of glass so
there is always a 360 view. Mt. Rainier to the south, ferry boats traveling on the Sound with the Olympics Mountain range to the west, snowcapped Cascades Range to the east, and the Seattle Great Wheel to the north.
Lunch time? The Sky View Café offers an array of sandwiches, soups, and microbrews. Owned and operated by Ravishing Radish Catering, the Sky View also features Ravishing Red or Ravishing White wines made especially for them. I enjoyed the turkey sandwich and fresh squash soup. The white wine was a perfect pairing - crisp with a just a light taste of fruit. Just sit at the counter, soak up the views and enjoy your lunch. And - you must try their desserts, of which there is never a shortage.
After lunch I roamed around and took over 300 pictures! The observatory is open till 8 pm, so my next trip up the Observatory will be for sunset photos. This is a must-see for visitors as well as residents who want to see our beautiful city from a new perspective.
About our guest contributor:
Michael Fagin is a freelance travel writer who has traveled across Canada and visited all the major Canadian wine regions. Mr. Fagin is currently touring the Pacific Northwest enjoying the wine country, dining, and hiking the region. While he is not writing Mr. Fagin is a weather forecaster for West Coast Weather, LLC forecasting weather for the West Coast of the US as well as on an international basis.
