Looking east across Lake Washington
For the entire three weeks I have lived in Seattle, the skies have remained cloudlessly blue, completely disregarding the city’s reputation.
I’m aware this sunny state may not last, but for now it provides an incredible backdrop when I stumble across a spot where the elevation and streets align to provide a vantage point with views to the east or west, across the water and to the mountains in the background.
Biking gives me a chance to take in these grand lookouts, as well as the smaller, hidden sights of a city, in ways other transport options don’t. In a car, the spots are gone by the time they register. Walking allows time to savor a spot, but I’m less likely to venture far enough on unfamiliar paths to stumble across the wonderful unknowns.
Stairs of mystery
The main reason I decided to start this blog was to document my time exploring my new city, and (if I have the legs and lungs to tackle it) exploring by bike gives me a chance to find the small, unexpected spots that I love in cities. I’ll drive to hit the big destinations, the tourist spots and well-loved local parks. But biking gives me a chance to find little corners few see.
I’ve already documented how much difficulty I’ve had with the topography as I attempt to bike it. However, Seattle’s vertical nature also gives it a striking character, especially as I’m coming from an essentially flat city. Parks cover the sides of hills, and from a sunlit-bathed street at the top of the hill the entry to the park’s trails is a long staircase, descending deep into shadow. From just outside, the stairs pose a mystery – what’s at the end? Most of my brain says the obvious: nice little walking trails in a wooded urban greenspace. But a little part of my brain remembers the scary bits of the fairy tales of my youth, and puts the monsters in the darkness. I assume I’m not the only one in Seattle who has had this feeling. After all, this is the city with a troll under a bridge.
Flo Ware Park
This week, I twice rode from Mt. Baker to the University of Washington for class. The first time, I rode past this this park entrance without stopping, but it stuck in my brain. The next day, I stopped to grab a photo. The brightly-colored entry gate is for Flo Ware Park, a small park with a playground, unremarkable except for this loving artwork to the park’s namesake. It turns out Flo Ware was a community activist whose name might otherwise have faded away if not for the bright display.
As often as I can, I’m going to try to document the small spots like these I find on my rides in Seattle as well as the more well-known sights. I want to share what I stumble across as I ride as well as my experience of how easy or difficult it is to experience the various landmarks of Seattle by bike.
