| By :
Gera Dym
Twenty minutes from the city is the wilderness that was Seattle and has always been close to its heart. One of many nearby is Raging River, just east of the little town of Issaquah at the foot of the Cascade Range. Nearness to the woods and mountains is one of Seattle's most attractive qualities. Lake Washington Boulevard is part of the extensive and beautiful boulevard system through which one can become acquainted with the city and its surroundings. Wooded Seward Park on its peninsula projecting into the lake appears in the distance, with Mercer Island floating to the east. Beyond each bend, other views and surprises are waiting. Broad, dramatic panoramas of Lake Washington, Mercer Island, Seward Park, and Mount Rainier are enjoyed from higher vantage points such as Thirtieth Avenue South and South Dearborn Street. The ever changing effects of sky and water add to the pleasure, and snow-covered Mount Rainier is an eloquent reminder of the unconquered surrounding wilderness. The first Floating Bridge has been an impressive man-made landmark since it was build 1940. Madrona Beach is one of many public bathing beaches that are part of the city parks and available to all. Distant Mount Baker and the Cascade Range are visible beyond the foothills arising from the lake. The bathing beaches are centers of summer activities and seem unusually quiet during other seasons. However, this off-season solitude may make them more attractive to the casual visitor. Leschi district viewed from the Floating Bridge is a typical scene of residences and apartments fringing the lake. Changing from an area of cottages to multiple residences because of favorable zoning and property values, the waterfront has become relatively crowded. Each apartment has sought to reach farther into the lake than its predecessors. Private docks are common, and almost no waterfront resident is without his boat. Twisting, colorful madrona trees rising on the bluff along Magnolia Boulevard are characteristic of the Puget Sound country. The boulevard, bordering a fine middle-class residential area, looks out upon Elliott Bay, the great salt-water harbor and sea entrance that made maritime development possible. Shipping and boating activities are constantly evident. Beyond are man made Harbor Island and West Seattle, and, to the west, the islands of Vashon and Bainbridge. Here has been unfolded much of the story of Seattle. Driving along Queen Anne Boulevard provides another experience in motion that helps one to know city. The panoramic view progresses from the water and distant mountains to the rectangular patterns of the central business district. Contrasting size and scale relationships produce varying textures from nearby foliage and buildings to distant skylines of West Seattle and Beacon Hill, separated by industrial Harbor Island and the Duwamish Waterway. The decorative retaining wall at Eighth Avenue West was designed by architect W. R. Willcox in 1912. The linear pattern of the navy piers at Smith Cove contrast with the downtown skyline and distant borders of Elliott Bay as seen from the Magnolia School play-field. Several architectural landmarks are visible in the downtown skyline. Smith Tower is the most prominent and is most often associated with Seattle as a symbol and landmark. All of Elliott Bay is visible, from Duwamish Head at the extreme right to the many waterfront piers. One hundred and ten years of growth have changed this scene from complete wilderness to one of the world's beautiful metropolitan areas.
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