20250808_154747Seattle skyline from Columbia Sky View Observatory (August 2025)

Last summer, my partner and I took a few trips not just internationally (e.g. Denmark), but also domestically within the United States. After a restful July at home, we headed out once more for a quick, weekend getaway to Seattle, where my partner was attending a yarn festival, and I tagged along. It’d been almost a decade since I last visited Seattle (in 2017 with my family), and I was excited to return to check out more.

*note* I’ve written about Seattle and its history and culture in my 72 Hour post earlier this year, so have a look! I’ll be simply recapping all of the things we saw, did, and ate during our time in town. Even though we only had three days and two nights in Seattle, we packed a lot in!

Our flight left at 8h00, so it was an early rise-and-shine to the airport. The plane took off 45 minutes late, but in any case, it was a quick and uneventful two-and-a-half hour journey over. Soon enough, we landed in Seattle at 11h15 and took the light rail (1 Line) from the airport into the city center– journey took an extra 45 minutes, but we soon reached downtown, where we would be staying during our time in town.

20250808_105512View of Mount St. Helens from the airplane!

We grabbed a quick lunch and boba drink (just-okay, nothing to write home about) before heading to our hotel to check in. Our room was standard and no-frills, given that the hotel was popular for conference events– in fact, we saw many patrons who also attended the yarn festival, so we weren’t the only ones!

My partner was tired and wanted to rest after our early-morning flight, so she stayed behind in the hotel room while I headed out to explore Seattle in the afternoon. As mentioned, our hotel was located downtown, so we were within walking distance not only to the yarn festival, but also to many of the notable landmarks in the area.

First stop was at the Seattle Public Library, specifically the Central location. Made of glass and steel, this library opened in 2004 and is an architectural wonder representative of the digital age while also celebrating traditional print books. At 11 stories, the Central library has the capacity to hold 1.5 million books and 400 computers, perhaps even more. It’s a frequented spot for residents to read, study, and research, but it’s also become popular among visitors to enter and check out its architecture (including myself).

Upon entering the library, I was greeted with a huge, geometric slant of glass roof and plenty of natural lighting, which made the place look spacious. In fact, the library is quite large, as you can take escalator upon escalator up the 11 floors. I took the escalators to the top and explored the different sections from history to fiction and everything in between. The Central library’s design reminded me of the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, with its glass structure and slanted roof in a geometric pattern. Absolutely love it!

20250808_151858Inside the Seattle Public Library (Central)

Just a block or two away, my next stop was the Columbia Sky View Observatory. Having gotten panoramic views of Seattle from the Space Needle the last time I visited, I wanted to try out another observation deck in which I could get the Space Needle itself in the skyline.

20250808_154747Seattle skyline (with Space Needle)

Admission fee was hefty at $40 USD, but it was still worth taking the elevator up to the 73rd floor and getting sweeping views of the city (including the Space Needle, of course), as well as the scenic Puget Sound and even Mount Rainier in the distance! I was fortunate that it was clear and blue skies in that hour I went, as literally the weather turned cloudy and overcast (typical Seattle weather…) once I left.

20250808_154717Puget Sound


20250808_162027Mount Rainier in the distance

Next was a stroll along the Waterfront, with its rows of kitschy souvenir shops and restaurants, as well as the iconic Seattle Great Wheel on Pier 57. I turned inland and up the steep terrain towards Pike Place Market, stopping at the Gum Wall along the way. Gross as it may be, the Gum Wall is still a colorful and impressive piece of art– I’d placed a piece of my chewed gum the last time I visited, but alas, I saw a sign this time saying not to put gum on the wall anymore. Bummer, as I wanted to do it again!

20250808_170228Gum Wall


20250808_170413Colorful, but yuck!

I reached Pike Place Market half an hour before 17h00, and many of the stalls were either already closed or closing up shop. All the same, I strolled around its perimeter and got in line at Piroshky Piroshky, a Seattle institution since 1992 that serves Russian piroshki, a hearty baked bun that can be sweet or savory. My family and I had gotten their piroshki during our trip in 2017, and I loved it to merit a return second time around.

20250808_170949Pike Place Market


20250808_172541Piroshki on display

Piroshky Piroshky is take-out only, as it’s basically a tiny, cramped shop tucked next to the original Starbucks store (which also had a long queue). The wait took about 15 minutes, and soon, I ordered about half a dozen piroshki, both savory and sweet, to take back to my partner. I returned to the hotel half-past 17h00, where we had a light dinner in our room. I especially liked the savory piroshki, particularly the potato-mushroom and curry. Soon, it was straight to bed, exhausted after a long day of travel and sightseeing.

20250808_190415(1)Sweet and savory piroshki for dinner

More of Seattle coming soon. Stay tuned! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

56 thoughts on “Destination: Seattle, Washington (2025 Edition, Getting Views from Columbia Sky View and Visiting Pike Place Market– PART 1)”

    1. The food in Seattle was delicious! Just as much diversity as what I get in LA. Weather was blue skies and sunny, but also surprisingly hot! Turns out you can have a heatwave in the Pacific Northwest, too!

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  7. I love your view of Mount St. Helens from the plane! Too bad I didn’t know about the library when I visited Seattle in 2019! The stunning glass roof reminds me of the Louvre pyramids. Looking forward to reading more about your visit!

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    1. You’re right! The library’s architecture is reminiscent of the Louvre’s. I love that it offers so much natural lighting, to take advantage of whatever sun comes Seattle’s way. More of my Seattle series will be out this month!

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    1. I’m sure a LOT has changed in the past three decades! Even the time between my two visits (2017 and 2025), I noticed the changes! Seattle continues to change, and who knows what the city will look like in the next decade? Thanks for reading, Marion!

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  9. Seattle always looks pretty, and how lucky you were to get such good weather when you were in town. It’s also nice to see the city’s skyline from an observation deck that is not in the Space Needle. I need to remember this if I happen to visit this corner of the States one day in the future. Dinner looks so scrumptious!

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    1. When I visited Seattle for the first time in 2017, I visited the Space Needle: the views were lovely, but it’s true you can’t get views of the Space Needle itself while on its observation deck. Getting another view offers a different perspective, and I hope you can make it over to this corner of the US sometime; the Pacific Northwest is one of my favorite regions in the country! 😊

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  10. Glad you had clear weather at the top of Columbia Sky View Observatory! I love the picture with Mount Rainer in the distance, so pretty! I was just in Seattle, but only the airport so I don’t think that counts as a visit. That Piroshki looks delicious.

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    1. I hope you get to step out of the airport and visit Seattle next time! It’s such a beautiful city worth visiting in the Pacific Northwest, and one of my favorites!

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  11. Clear skies at the Columbia Sky View Observatory is such a win — that whole Seattle sprawl in one sweep is worth the wait for a good-weather day. And Pike Place is glorious chaos; we could happily lose an afternoon just watching the fish fly and following our noses. Looking forward to Part 2!

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    1. Visiting Seattle in the summer is the way to go! Perfect weather, which means perfect views and plenty of sun to enjoy as much of your stay as possible. More of my Seattle series to come this month!

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  12. Thanks for taking me back to Seattle in general and that striking library building in particular. I wish I’d known about the Columbia Sky View Observatory when we visited (or maybe it’s new?) as the views look wonderful! I’m not keen on the gum wall however and deliberately avoided it when we were there!

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    1. Based on a quick Google search, the Columbia Sky View Observatory opened in 2013 (although the building it’s housed in opened back in 1985). Definitely a fantastic place to get views of the city and beyond! The Gum Wall is fascinating, but understandably not for everyone’s tastes, haha. Thanks for reading, Sarah!

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  13. Wow, that view of Mount St. Helens from the aeroplane window is simply amazing, dear Rebecca. I also love how you can get a unique bird’s-eye perspective of the entire region from the Columbia Centre. Seattle is a beautiful city with such a stunning natural backdrop of water and mountains. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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  16. Aw I love this, I really want to visit Seattle. We were debating there or Montreal later this year and ended up going for Montreal – maybe Seattle next time. It looks beautiful, but that gum wall is pretty disgusting!!

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  18. Mm, great shot of Mount St. Helens from the plane: wonderful colours all-round. Seattle is a city that has long-appealed and everything you present here looks great. The Gum Wall certainly is a kooky oddity. Funny how it almost looks like stalactites in places. I was curious to see that they also have prominent gum walls in San Luis Obispo (California) and Greenville, Ohio. Piroshki can be decent, we’ve tried bits and bobs from across the Balkans.

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    1. I didn’t know there were other Gum Walls in the world, but that’s fascinating! Gross, but intriguing. Seattle is nothing short of delicious and diverse food, especially piroshki! Always need to get it whenever I’m in town. Thanks for reading, Leighton 😊

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  19. Love that view of Mount St. Helens from the plane. Definitely a route you’d want a window seat on! Seattle Public Library looks lovely and bright. I can see why it’s a popular space to study and work for locals.

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  20. Great views from the observatory! I didn’t realize there was a non-Space Needle option for viewing, but I really like your photo looking out toward the Space Needle instead. And how lucky to be able to see Mount Rainier! Sounds like a quick but fun visit to Seattle. I’m looking forward to seeing what else you got up to.

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    1. Yes, there are several observation decks that aren’t the Space Needle itself! Offers a beautiful view of the entire Seattle skyline, Space Needle included! More of my time in town coming soon this month!

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  21. Nice views and the sun was out. I
    have been to Seattle once but sadly we didnt get to cover much (except for Pike Place and the gum wall, which you described accurately – colorful but yuck 😀).

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