Seattle Skyline

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that 2010 is already upon us, and that Christmas came and went so fast.

2009 held some great memories for me. It held some sad ones as well. I don't spend a lot of time reflecting on the past, admittedly. Life just seems too busy to have the time to do so. In fact, I really need to start thinking about my plans for 2010 so that I can begin preparing! So many trips to plan and so little time! Yosemite? The Canadian Rockies? The Southwest? Alaska? The Sierras? Death Valley? I don't know. But I need to start thinking about it.

How about you? Any interesting plans for the new year? I hope so. And I hope you have a lot of fun experiencing them!

December brought a lot of fun my way. Shortly before Christmas, I turned a year older and celebrated the weekend in downtown Seattle. Rain kept the camera in its bag, but that's OK. It had plenty of other opportunities to come out. Those opportunities included Snoqualmie Falls (see previous post), Leavenworth, and these pictures of the Seattle skyline across Elliott Bay from West Seattle.

I find Seattle to be a fun place to photograph in the winter months, particularly during cold spells. Cold temperatures mean clear air and excellent visibility.

I enjoyed three different locations for these images; the pullout off Admiral Way, Hamilton Park off California Ave., and various viewpoints along Harbor Ave. near Alki Point. I'm not sure which of these are my favorite. They each have something different to offer and are all worth visiting.

The pullout off Admiral Way offers a fantastic view point of the city. I particularly like this angle in late afternoon during the winter months as the low angle of the sun reflects off the downtown buildings in almost blinding fashion.

Hamilton Park is located on California Ave, just before it begins to wind down to Harbor Avenue. It offers a great vantage of sunset over the city and, because of its high vantage, offers separation of the ferry boats and other maritime vessels in Elliott Bay. OK, maybe this one is my favorite!

Harbor Avenue is the road that stretches from the West Seattle Freeway north along Elliott Bay to Alki Point. It offers many, many viewpoints - especially as it nears Alki Point. From Hamilton Park, simply follow California Ave. north as it winds down to the waterfront and intersects Harbor Ave near Salty's. Turn left and head towards the point.

The views near Alki Point across Elliott Bay really add perspective to the buildings and skyline of downtown Seattle. Unlike Hamilton Park directly above, you are now looking UP at the buildings across the water. I find this location particularly pleasing after sunset as the city lights begin to come on. Other opportunities tend to arise here as well, such as wildlife, boats, divers, etc.

I have many other parks I want to visit yet, including Kerry Park with its famous view of The Space Needle and the city. But these are my favorite locations in West Seattle. I hope you like them too.

There should still be many opportunities yet this winter to get out and photograph or simply enjoy some of the fine views around Seattle. I hope you find the time to do so!