Postcard 22.2: Seattle, Washington

A few days after the wedding, I spent my last few nights in Seattle cruising around town with the newly married couple, revisiting many of the spots we’d frequent as college students and seeing some new — at least for me — attractions, including the Chihuly glass exhibit near the Space Needle.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Lilly suggested visiting the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum — a permanent museum showcasing the beautiful, intricate glass artwork of Dale Chihuly (a fellow University of Washington graduate!). I’m somewhat familiar with his style since I’ve visited his traveling exhibits at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Ariz. a few times. It never ceases to amaze me how unique and innovative his pieces are.

The Chihuly Garden and Glass museum far exceeded all my expectations.

Each room represented the different forms and styles of his pieces, starting with a trip back in time to his early days of Native American trade baskets, followed by a swim with deep sea creatures in an ominous underwater galaxy.

My favorite was the room with the glass ceiling — also known as the Persian room — that exhibited the glass figures of colorful flower shapes and sea creatures. This must be what it feels like to be a tiny fish in a vast ocean, I thought as I looked up at bright lights peeking through the spaces between the glass sculptures that resembled jellyfish.

Unfortunately, the Glasshouse — a 40-foot-tall glass structure displaying a long string of a colorful glass design — was closed thanks to a corporate meeting, so we didn’t get a chance to go inside, but from the outside, it looked absolutely stunning! That was probably enough for me to know how impressive it was.

Fortunately, the outside garden area was already an exhibit itself, with additional glass pieces amidst the lush backdrop of trees and plants and even the Space Needle towering over the museum.

Chihuly Garden and Glass offered a modern-day spin on a traditional art museum, where art enthusiasts and non-art fans alike can appreciate the fine detail — from the bends and twists to the lines that add depth — and just the simple aesthetic beauty behind the pieces.

Ivar’s

That night, the choice was up to me as to where we would go to dinner, and I couldn’t think of any other place to go than Ivar’s, one of my favorite seafood restaurants I would frequent as a college student. I mean, how could you leave Seattle without eating some of the finest seafood around?

The location I would typically go to was in the University District of Seattle, but the one we went to tonight was right at the pier. The restaurant’s peaceful atmosphere — with dim lighting and large windows that showed off views of the shimmering city lights reflecting off the calm waters of Elliott Bay — made me all the more nostalgic of my time in Seattle.

I ordered the grilled Washingon coho salmon dish off the restaurant’s dinner menu. The salmon — drizzled with a sweet sauce — was served over lightly seasoned potatoes, portobello mushrooms and French onion sausage — a unique, but perfectly delicious pairing. Each bite confirmed why eating seafood in Seattle — for both tourists and residents — is an absolute necessity.

Kerry Hill Park

After dinner, we drove to Kerry Hill Park — a small park in the Queen Anne district primarily used as a lookout point for that ever-so-famous view of the Seattle skyline. And on a clear day, Mt. Rainier can be seen behind the highrises, making for amazing photo ops.

Lilly and Anthony waited in the car while I hopped out to take in the view and snap my photos. I was literally the only person there, likely because it was raining. But it was such a blissful moment for me as I gazed out at the twinkling lights amidst the peaceful sound of rain falling on my umbrella.

This was my last chance to absorb it all and reminisce on what a meaningful place Seattle is and always has been for me.

Molly Moon’s

In my book, no matter how full I am, there’s always room for dessert, especially ice cream. Our final stop was Molly Moon’s in Queen Anne.

I first discovered this insanely delicious ice cream chain in Seattle sometime during my last year of college. The nearest location was about a mile away from my townhouse, so it was convenient enough for a quick stop when passing through the Wallingford area.

The flavors here are unlike any others you would find at a typical ice cream shop. My personal favorites: balsamic strawberry, salted caramel, Earl Grey and honey lavendar. The unusual flavors add to the quirky charm of this ice cream shop. But one thing’s for sure: an order isn’t complete without getting it in a crunchy, tasty waffle cone.