A Stormy Night Atop the Space Needle

Kristina, Kandice, Jeremy and I concluded our day by ascending to the top of the Space Needle. Built in 1962 for the World's Fair, the Space Needle has been a symbol of Seattle and a major landmark for the Pacific Northwest for 50 years. (The tiny white circles in this photo aren't stars. They're raindrops!)

We ascended the Space Needle via a glass elevator that provided a panoramic view of the city. At the top of the Space Needle is a 360-degree observation deck. In the day time, visitors can see snow-capped Mount Ranier in the south. The Cascade Mountains can be seen in the east and the Olympic Mountains in the west. Visitors may use the Swarovski telescopes to get a closer view of the bustling city below.

When the Space Needle was built in 1962, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It is now the seventh tallest building in the city of Seattle. It is surprising that no one was killed during the construction of the tower. In 1999, the Space Needle was named a historic landmark by Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board.

Also at the top of the Space Needle is the Skycity Restaurant, which serves brunch on weekends, lunch during the week and dinner nightly. There's also a snack bar that features Starbucks coffee and Seattle dogs. A Seattle dog is a hot dog served with cream cheese, grilled onions and bacon.

The Puget Sound and Elliot Bay can be seen from the observation deck. In this photo, you can see a ferry crossing Elliot Bay in the distance.

The Space Needle was built to withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour and earthquakes of up to 9.1 magnitude. There are 25 lightning rods on the roof to prevent lightning damage. On the night that we were there, Seattle was experiencing a rainstorm. It was so windy and cold that we couldn't go on one side of the observation deck because we were afraid we would get blown away.

The Space Needle is located near Seattle Center at 400 Broad Street, Seattle, WA. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. during the week and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. General admission tickets to the observation deck are $19.00 per person. Tickets for children 4 to 12 years old cost $12.00 per child. Tickets for seniors 65 years and older are $17.00 per person.

This is a photo of my daughter, Kandice, and her fiance, Jeremy, standing beneath the Space Needle. They plan to be married on June 1, 2012 in Hawaii. Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!