‘Space Needle’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Gatlingburg Space Needle {Tennessee}

April 13, 2015 · Narrative

Looking for a great view of the Tennessee landscapes and the beautiful Smoky Mountains? Be sure to visit the Space Needle in Gatlinburg.

I have to finish posting about the rest of our Tennessee trip so I can finally get all the photos off my phone and into a photo album. I think after today, there are three more posts and then we can finally close the book on Spring Break 2014.

When we visited the Ripley’s Aquarium in downtown Gatlinburg on our first night, I spied the Space Needle and asked one of the employees about it. I am all for visiting a place that would give us stunning views and photo opps.

I am not so much in for the height aspect, but sometimes you just have to suck it up.

So I did.

It was opened to visitors in 1969, and rises 407 feet in the air. After paying your admission, you take a short elevator ride to the top observation deck. Once there, you’re free to stay there as along as you want, and the views of downtown Gatlinburg, and, of course, the Smoky Mountains are amazing. When it was built, it was the second tallest tower in the state; it is now the fifth tallest.

There are many free view finders located around the 360 degree deck, and there is also quite a bit of history to read up on while you are there as well. The tower took over a year to make and weighs over four million pounds.

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Review: Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar {Seattle, WA}

January 15, 2013 · Narrative

When Sarah and I were choosing our return flights from our trip to Seattle for a Starbucks event almost two years ago (ack!), we purposely chose a later flight. It meant we would land back at our home airport at around 6 am, and then I took the car service home, changed, and went straight to work. Which was pretty killer.

But it also meant that it bought us an afternoon of sightseeing around downtown Seattle. Nearly seven hours, to be exact. Since this was the first trip to Seattle for both of us, we couldn’t not do it, right?

After our last bit of the Starbucks’ obligations ended, we checked out of our hotel room, left our suitcases with the front desk, and headed off in search of adventure.

Mostly the food kind.

By way of Pike Place.

When we happened upon Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar (judge nothing by their web site, it’s lacking in a severe way), it was pure happenstance. We had just bought piroshkies from Piroshky Piroshky, and honestly just wanted a place to sit down and dig in. We ended up walking down a little alley way and found an outdoor courtyard with tons of available seating.

As it was part of the Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar, we came by our seats honestly.

By buying multiple Diet Cokes. (This was long before I gave up Diet Coke)

After we polished off our food, we took a quick look at the Oyster Bar’s menu.

And, well, when it comes to oysters, it’s really hard for me to say no.

Sarah too.

And so we took our party of two inside to one of their well-worn, deliciously broken-in booths and started to order off the fun paper-bag menus.

I swear we seriously just ate our way through Pike Place.

And it was, like, the most fun ever.

When we ordered the Oysters Rockefeller, our very cute, affable waiter, Trenton, said that they were made to order and it would be about twenty minutes.

“Is that ok?”

But of course.

And then we busied ourselves doing what most food bloggers do.

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Playing Tourist: Seattle’s Market Theater Gum Wall

May 24, 2011 · Narrative

When Sarah and I were planning our trip to Seattle a few weeks ago, I asked one of the local Starbucks reps that we were working with to suggest a few off-the-beaten path things for us to do and visit while we were there. As soon as I saw her mention of Seattle’s gum wall, I was so in. I mean, visiting the Space Needle is a given. But a disgusting gum wall? Even better. Sarah, on the other hand, needed a bit more convincing. And that was before we knew it was voted the second germiest tourist attraction in 2009 (the Blarney Stone took top honors).

We knew the general area where it was, but not an exact location. As soon as I saw this graffiti-filled alleyway, I knew we were in the right place.

And I was right.

I thought it was awesome. In a disgusting sort of way. My inner germophobe might have been hurling just a bit, but it was just one of those fun things to cross off our virtual bucket list. Even though Sarah still swears this never appeared on her bucket list, I bet she’s secretly glad we went anyway.

It’s across the alley way from a little club, in the vicinity of a theater, and the start of a ghost tour (totally missed that! we’ll just have to go back). Back in 2008, Jennifer Aniston actually filmed a scene from Love Happens right by this very wall. If disgusting gum walls are your thing, there is another one in Cali that bears checking out. That one has been around a lot longer, with its inception dating somewhere around WWII. By comparison, the Seattle one “officially” started in 1999, after locals were unsuccessful in getting people to stop putting gum there.

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