The COVID-19 pandemic challenged DMC to completely reshape our workflow and services. It also made us ask the question, “How can we maintain our strong company culture while being so far apart?”
One of the ways we strengthened our DMC bonds this year was via the DMC gift exchange. For this event, each participant gives a gift and gets a gift—but you never know what you’ll end up getting! In my gift package, I decided to include a set of photos I’ve taken around Seattle with little info sections on the back. It’s meant to serve as a “virtual tour” of Seattle since we weren’t able to host our famous Yearly Office Event this summer. I thought it would be fun to share this tour on DMC’s website for all the people longing for a vacation to the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is one of the crown jewels of Seattle. Open since 1907, it’s one of the longest continually operated public markets in the United States. You can find just about anything here: the famous fish-throwing salesmen, handmade trinkets from local vendors, unique gifts, fresh produce—the list goes on. My favorite thing to get at the market has to be the bouquets of fresh flowers from around the Northwest region.
Around the corner, in Post Alley, you can find the infamous Gum Wall. Some find it gross; others (like me) find it fascinating. Either way, it’s certainly a very unique Seattle attraction.
Kerry Park
Kerry Park isn’t actually very large, but what it lacks in square footage, it more than makes up for in beauty. Located on the side of Queen Anne Hill, this park provides the “postcard view.” As in, everything you’d see in a Seattle postcard—the Space Needle, downtown Seattle, Mt. Rainier—is right in front of you. Fun fact: when I took this picture, the Space Needle was being renovated. It now has huge glass walls that lean outward, giving you an incredible (if not slightly terrifying) view of the city below.
Washington State Ferries
Did you know that Washington’s state ferry system is the largest in the United States, running 23 vessels and carrying over 24 million passengers a year? There are two ferry lines that terminate right in downtown Seattle, so taking a day trip to Bainbridge Island or the city of Bremerton is a great way to see all of the connected Puget Sound cities. You get a great view out of it, too!
Golden Gardens Park
A favorite spot for late-night summer bonfires and hammocking, Golden Gardens has one of the best beaches in Seattle. Located on the shore of the Puget Sound, beachgoers get amazing views of the Olympic Mountains across the water. Those views only get better in the evening—as the sun sets over the mountains, it casts incredible, vibrant colors over the crisp outline of the peaks.
T-Mobile Park
Formerly known as Safeco Field, T-Mobile Park is the home of the Seattle Mariners, our Major League Baseball team. Their recent performance has left a lot to be desired… but that means tickets are usually very cheap! A Mariners game makes for a great group activity and provides some amazing views. Since our region frequently gets rained on, the stadium has a fully retractable roof so the game can continue even in the wettest of weather!
Elliott Bay
The heart of Seattle lies right against the waters of Elliott Bay, part of the larger Puget Sound. Many companies offer boat tours on the water, which is a great way to get amazing views of our downtown skyline. In this photo, you can see Smith Tower where DMC’s office is located! It’s the white, narrow building with a pointed roof-line on the right edge of the skyline. When Smith Tower was built in 1914, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It even remained the tallest building on the West Coast of the U.S. until 1962, when the Space Needle overtook it.
I hope you enjoyed this brief tour of some Seattle highlights! I bought my camera when I moved here a few years ago because there is so much natural beauty in the Pacific Northwest and I wanted to try to capture it. To see more of my photography of Seattle and around the world, check out my online portfolio at georgoff.smugmug.com.
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