Let It Snow, Seattle!

When you think of Seattle, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The Space Needle? Sure. Mt. Rainier? Maybe. Rain? Definitely! But when Seattle gets a dusting of snow instead of a dousing of rain, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the wonder.

Where better to take a stroll on a cold winter’s morning than Pioneer Square, the city’s oldest neighborhood? Just don’t be surprised, if you hail from a snowbelt region like I do, to see Seattleites use an umbrella for both rain and snow (see the photo below), even in the wind.

Popular for its low-rise brick buildings and pedestrian mall-park, the 20-block area of Pioneer Square provides a peek into Seattle’s fabled past – including this ghost sign of a local brew that was a Seattle favorite for over a century, Rainier Beer.

Even more legendary than the beer itself were the clever, quirky commercials touting the beverage.

The quirkiness continues in Occidental Park with its blend of local art and diverse patrons. Four totem poles, including a human figure with open arms, are surrounded by leafy trees cloaked in colorful sweaters.

Here, too, you’ll find the Seattle Firefighters Memorial Sculpture, honoring fallen firefighters from the time of the devastating Great Fire that consumed the business district and waterfront in 1889.

To view more local artwork in Pioneer Square, stop in at Glasshouse Studio which offers visitors the chance to watch glassblowers honing their craft.

At the end of a day of play in Seattle’s snow, it’s time to ward off the winter chill with a cup of you-know-what. We are in Seattle after all. And they call the Big Apple the City That Never Sleeps . . .

What are your favorite winter activities, Wanderboomers?

If it takes you longer than 10 seconds to recognize this icon, then count yourself among the few not hooked on public television’s hottest show sensation since Upstairs, Downstairs and Brideshead Revisited: Masterpiece Theater’s Downton Abbey.

At its heart, this period melodrama speaks of romance – the will-they-or-won’t-they drama between Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley as well as Anna and Bates, the head housemaid and the Earl of Grantham’s valet.

The romance extends beyond the characters’ conflicts to the lush landscapes of the English countryside, the period costumes, and a time when life was less hurried and more well-mannered.

My travel money is on Wanderboomers who will want to check out the beauty of Highclere Castle for themselves, perhaps hoping to live vicariously through the lives of Downton Abbey’s characters, perhaps wistfully reflecting on times past, or perhaps imagining how it would feel to call this castle home.

Highclere Castle, Gardens and Grounds is celebrating an Easter Opening, 7 days a week, between April 1st and Sunday April 15th. May dates follow from the 6th – 8th, and in June from the 3rd – 7th. Summer dates begin July 1st and end September 13th.

Admission to the castle is by pre-booked tickets, available for purchase after February 1st 2012.

Photo credits: flicker, top two photos by JBUK_Planet, bottom right by HerryLawford

For the final travel post in my “Best of 2011” series, I’m sharing my favorite personal travel photo of the past year.

A few moments before the shot was taken on the island of Santa Cruz, this giant tortoise had been munching away on a few apples nearby.  As it raised its head, the tortoise extended its leathery neck toward fellow visitor, 10-year-old Jesse. The curiosity of the tortoise toward its human visitor and Jesse’s surprise to be the object of that curiosity captures the wonder of my Galapagos Islands adventure.

What was one of your most memorable travels moments in 2011, Wanderboomers?