So many family and friends have asked about the Seattle Great Wheel that I have created this blog post. Wikipedia sez, “The Seattle Great Wheel is a giant Ferris wheel at Pier 57 on Elliott Bay in Seattle, Washington, United States. With an overall height of 175 feet (53.3 m), it became the tallest Ferris wheel on the west coast of the United States when it opened on June 29, 2012.”
Photo Credit: Joe Lourenco.
Yelp rates the attraction as a 3.5 out of 4 stars. Elite yelper Kate S. sez,
I had a friend visiting from out of town. He’s been to Seattle about 7 times now and when it comes to entertaining city activities it can sometimes be tricky to figure out what to do when someone has already “done it all.” Thank goodness the wheel just opened last month!
We got there 20 minutes before opening on a gloriously sunny day. 10 am rolled around and the gates were still closed. 10:05 nothing. 10:10 nothing. 10:15 and they finally get the line moving — my only serious complaint. Which doesn’t count for much because I would rather they take their time and make sure all the safety stuff is in working order before putting me in a large glass box that goes stupid high over the sound.
The “gondolas” are temperature controlled, comfy, and a wee bit on the short side (I banged my head kind of fiercely when entering). The views are great! When the weather is clear you can see a surprisingly good amount. The dip down towards Elliot Bay is slightly disconcerting the first time you go down. After 3 semi-slow revolutions they start unloading folks again — so 15-20 minutes total from start to finish. Totally worth the $13 price tag. I was happy enough with the experience that I’d gladly go again. The Seattle Great Wheel is seriously a lovely addition to the water front.
Suzy and I haven’t been yet, but I’m sure that we will with family and/or friends eventually.
The Bis Key Chronicles 
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