Chihuly Garden and Glass. The Pike Street Market in Seattle, Camera Batteries and Driving in Big Cities

Today we took a day trip to Seattle, which is about 60 miles north of Olympia on I-5.  I knew we wanted to see the Pike Street Market but did not know what else to go see.  So we turned to our friend Google typed "what to see in Seattle WA."


Among the many attractions was one that sounded intriguing called the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit that is within the shadow of the Space Needle.  This was a real lucky discovery for us because we had never seen anything like it.


Dale Chihuly is a glass blower/glass artist who has broken (now that's an interesting choice of words on my part) all the rules of glass blowing. He has innovated where others fear to tread.

This building houses the exhibit.  Much of his work emulates objects that he has seen in everyday life.  I think you will enjoy the photos.

Here the artist recreated in glass what he saw in the basket to the right.  Pieces about 3/4ths of this size were on sale in the museum shop for between $6,000 to $8,000.

This is a ceiling.  Young viewers who bend more easily than do I were looking at this artwork while lying on their backs. 

On our way out of the exhibit we stopped to talk with one of the guards and we asked him how often the pieces are cleaned?  We expected to hear something like once a year.  Turns out that the pieces are dusted or cleaned with forced air, and each evening one piece is selected for a complete cleaning.  Gee.  I wonder is that company is insured?

 Sandy's favorite piece.

And then my camera battery died....................


Chihuly's artwork continued into an outdoor flower and vegetation garden.  It was truly stunning.  But you will just have to visit Seattle to see it. 


I also could not get any photos of the Pike Street Market either.  My camera battery is not available at drug stores.  But Sandy and I like the one here in Olympia better.  Pike Street Market is too crowded and has way too much crap for sale. 


We had lunch at a wonderful restaurant and then headed home.
We did ride the monorail, which enabled us to get from our parking lot to downtown and the market. 


Seattle is a big city with a crowded downtown, rush hour traffic and lots of congestion; and it remind me that I prefer to drive in less populated areas.