Seattle Seahawks Stadium

View of the Seattle Seahawks Stadium - now know as Qwest Field. The Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains can be seen in the background. Photo taken near the Amazon.com campus on north Beacon Hill.

Sailing Regatta on Lake Union in Seattle

It's fun to watch the sailing regatta on Lake Union, near downtown Seattle. This view is from Gasworks Park bordering the lake.

Downtown Seattle after Sunset

Downtown Seattle after sunset (April 2002). Note the orange top on the Space Needle to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Seattle World's Fair held in 1962.

Port of Seattle

Huge cranes line the port of Seattle. Mt. Rainier is visible in the distance.

Boats docked along the Seattle waterfront

Yachts and other cool boats are docked along the Seattle waterfront. In the distance you can see Safeco Field and Mt. Rainier on a clear day.

Seattle Waterfront

The Seattle waterfront is a fun play to visit on a sunny day. There are shops, restaurants, condos, boats, and the Seattle Aquarium along the waterfront. The views of Puget Sound and the mountains from the pier are spectacular.

What type of Hummingbird is that?

It's an Anna's Hummingbird. You can see these tiny birds visiting hummingbird feeders throughout the winter in Seattle. The back is covered with irridescent green feathers and the throat is grey (female) or reddish-pink (male). The green and grey coloration helps them blend into the trees and bushes. I watched hummingbirds feeding in the backyard during the snowfall on Christmas day.

Aurora Bridge (George Washington Memorial Bridge)

Aurora Bridge (George Washington Memorial Bridge) was dedicated on February 22, 1932. The nearly 3,000-foot, steel cantilever structure spans Lake Union between the Fremont and Queen Anne neighborhoods as part of U.S. Highway 99. The bridge has spectacular views of Lake Union, First Hill and Mt. Rainier to the south. To the north the bridge overlooks the artsy Fremont neighborhood - home to the Fremont Troll. In 2006, the Aurora Bridge carried over 100,000 vehicles a day.

This photo was taken from the Fremont Bridge - looking south towards First Hill.

Space Needle at Seattle Center

The Space Needle - built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair - is a unique Seattle landmark and a favorite destination point for visitors. The circular observation deck and restaurant provide amazing views of the waterfront, mountains, downtown Seattle, and surrounding neighborhoods.

Passion Flower at Bradner Gardens Park

Bradner Gardens Park has many beautiful planting including this passion flower covering a fence next to the basketball court. Some species of passion flower are pollinated by hummingbirds and bumble bees. Honey bees favor this variety in the park.

Windmill at Bradner Gardens Park

The landmark feature of Bradner Gardens Park is a working windmill.

Bradner Gardens Park

The Bradner Gardens Park in the Mount Baker neighborhood is a great place for community gatherings. Children and adults from the area cellebrated Halloween in the park on a cold sunny day this fall.

The city park features beautiful public gardens, including a lovely childrens garden and P-path for avid gardeners. A new play area and basketball court bring kids in the neighborhood together for fun and exercise. The park has a stunning view of downtown Seattle and the Olympic mountains.

International Fountain at the Seattle Center

Disney Imagineering suggested the International Fountain be scrapped in the late 1980s which brought on protests from stubborn locals. In 1995, the fountain was remodeled with 150 mist nozzles, 77 fleur-de-lis, 56 micro shooters and four super-shooters.

We love the fountain and our kids enjoying playing in it on a hot summer day.

Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge

Check out the Fremont Troll lurking under the Aurora Bridge. That's a real VW bug under his huge hand! Notice the shiny metal hubcap used for his left eye. The troll sculpture is 18 feet tall and is a great place to pose for a photo.

The Fremont Troll was sculpted by four Seattle area artists for the Fremont Arts Council.

Yachts on Seattle waterfront

The Seattle waterfront hosts a lot of cool boats from yachts to cruise ships. This photo was taken on a beautiful summer day near downtown Seattle.

Smith Tower in Pioneer Square

Years ago, the classic Smith Tower was the tallest building in Seattle, but now it looks small next to the newer Seattle skyscrapers. In fact, Smith Tower was one of the world’s first skyscrapers and for a time was the tallest office building in the world outside New York City. Built in 1914, the Smith Tower remained the tallest building west of the Mississippi River for almost 50 years. The original cost of construction for this 42 story building was $1.5 million. (www.smithtower.com)

The photo was captured near the Amazon.com campus on north Beacon Hill.

Space Needle at night

This is a classic view of the Seattle Space Needle at night. Note the unique orange top.

Orange Space Needle

Why is the Space Needle orange? For those of you around Seattle during the Worlds Fair in 1962, this photo might bring back fond memories. The top of the Needle was originally painted “Galaxy Gold” – a bright orange color. For it’s 40th anniversary in 2002 it was repainted the original color for the month of April. Check out Mt. Rainier in the background.

Space Needle in downtown Seattle

The Space Needle is a Seattle landmark that can be seen clearly from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill. I captured this photo around sunset using a digital camera mounted on a steady tripod. The depth of field and long exposure time gave this image a nice 3-dimensional look.

Mt. Rainier viewed from Colman Park

Mt. Rainier is visible from many locations around Seattle. This view of Mt. Rainier was captured from Colman Park in the Mount Baker neighborhood of Seattle. Lake Washington is visible in the foreground.

View of Lake Union from the Aurora Bridge

If you take the time to get out of your car and walk around Seattle you will notice some amazing sights. This view of Seattle, featuring Lake Union and Mt. Rainier, was captured high up on the Aurora Bridge - between Fremont and Queen Anne neighborhoods. It's an amazing view on a clear day!

Yes, this is a real photo - no image manipulation was required. The photo was captured using a Canon SLR digital camera mounted on a very steady tripod. The best time to capture a photo from this vantage point is in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, the natural light is best around rush hour. The auto, truck and bus traffic makes the bridge vibrate like crazy. The buses also generate a lot of wind as they speed past, so you have to hold on tight to the camera equipment.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where I worked for over a decade, is in the center of the photo. The Aurora Bridge is officially named the "George Washington Memorial Bridge" -- but nobody seems to use this name. The Aurora Bridge is 167 ft (51 m) above the water. The bridge crosses the Lake Union section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.