"More Seattle Photos from Columbia Center Skyview" Top 5 Page for this destination Seattle Travelogue by glabah

On a clear day, you will find that the Columbia Center Skyview is a great place to see Seattle and environs. The ideal day will be just after it rained (knocking all the pollution out of the air) but not cloudy.

It so happened that my visit on May 28, early in the morning, was about as an ideal day as can be had for viewing pleasure from this high up.

I'm guessing these two ferries are operating the Bremerton Ferry route, but that is a hazardous guess at best. The Washington State Ferries from downtown Seattle are certainly one of the interesting activities available on the Seattle waterfront. They are also quite cheap, as a walk-on passenger to either route currently pays less than $7 for the entire round trip. Naturally, it costs much, much more if you take your car with you.

Seattle waterfront including port of Seattle

Seattle is still very much a port city, as can be seen here from the Columbia Center Skyview.

The port and downtown are right next to eachother, rather than have the port facilities moved to a very distant location. This serves as a continuing reminder of Seattle's industrial past.

It also provides quite a number of jobs, particularly when you include the large industrial area in the background.

cruise ship at Seattle waterfront, w/ Olympic Mts.

While some of the cruise ship traffic is now located somewhat to the north in the Magnolia neighborhood, there are still occasional cruise ship visits directly to the Seattle waterfront.

This view of Seattle and Puget Sound from the Columbia Center Skyview also features a wide expanse of the Olympic Mountains.

Seattle North Watefront, Magnolia area, downtown

While the Columbia Center Skyview does not allow an extensive view to the north, due to offices on the north side of the building, it is possible to see north-ish.

Here, it is possible to see the cruise ship from the above photo (lower left corner) and more cruise ships in the distance (center of photo). Above those cruise ships is the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, where you will find Discovery Park.

The Olympic mountains are in the far distance.

It is also possible to see the green thread that makes up the chain of parks going between the Seattle Waterfront and Interbay: Olympic Sculpture Park and Myrtle Edwards Park and Elliott Bay Park.

Mount Rainier and Seattle Traffic on Interstate 5

It was quite clear on May 28, 2009, and from Columbia Center Skyview it was possible to see Mount Rainier, with southern Seattle, Lake Washington, and the traffic on Interstate 5 in the foreground.

King Street Station south side of Seattle downtown

Located on the south side of downtown Seattle, King Street Station is the center for Amtrak and Sounder commuter rail service. In this view from Columbia Center Skyview, it is possible to see a few of the passenger trains in the station.

view directly east to Cascade Mountains, Belleview

Looking east from Columbia Center Skyview, it is possible to see Belleview, Lake Washington, and the Cascade Mountains.

Looking Northwest from Columbia Center Skyview

While the Columbia Center Skyview does not allow an extensive view to the north, due to offices on the north side of the building, it is possible to see north-ish.

Here is the view looking northwest, with the Cascade mountains in the distance and Lake Washington.