Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle

During our three-day childcare gig with Sofia, we spent one morning in Seattle, which is just 17 miles from Issaquah. We specifically wanted to see the Seattle Art Museum's new Olympic Sculpture Park. We packed up Sofia and the stroller and expected a warm, sunny day. We got to Seattle and it was overcast and a chilly breeze was blowing in off the sound. We were not dressed for that weather and ended up wrapping Sofi in a little blanket I had thrown in thinking I would cover her car seat while the car was parked so it wouldn't be so hot when we put her in it!

The park consists of former industrial land near the waterfront that has been reclaimed and planted to encourage wildlife. A Z-shaped pathway leads up a hill from Elliott Bay to the park's pavilion at the top of the hill, with sculptures all along the way. Near the bottom is "Schubert Sonata" by Mark de Suvero.

"Seattle Cloud Cover" by Teresita Fernandez is screened glass that overlays the view of the city in an ethereal ribbon of undulating color.

On the left is one of three large "Safety Cones" by Dennis Oppenheim.

Ray and Sofia paused for a quick photo under Alexander Calder's "Eagle".

One of my favorite pieces is Claes Oldenberg's "Eraser", which looks like a huge version of an old-fashioned typewriter eraser that has escaped one of the nearby office buildings and is racing, hellbent, toward the freeway.

It was nice to get inside the pavilion and out of the cold wind. Inside was a temporary exhibit, created especially for the pavilion by Geoff McFetridge called "in the Mind". Sofia was quite taken with it.

I'm looking forward to going back on a warmer day!