Seattle Stairway Walk #3 - Fremont Peak Park

Our last "Stairway Walk" post was about the Fremont area of Seattle. Another part of Fremont we've discovered but haven't posted about previously is the Peak Park. If we've ever seen a hidden, almost secret, park, this is it. You may need GPS coordinates to locate this place! Once there, it's pretty cool.  More on the design later.

Phases of the moon in concrete but we are not quite sure why.

The stairs ... a "must have" for our current
walking projects.

Pathway to the view

We do not know the story about the stones.
However, read about the myth below.

Perhaps there was a sign at the Park that told the story
but, if so, we missed it.

Panorama of the view from the Park looking
mostly to the west, over the Ballard Bridge
toward Salmon Bay. Too much haze and cloud to
see the Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Ballard Bridge

Lucky timing. We were able to catch the draw span
open.

This Park is relatively new. The design is by GGLO -- on their website they describe themselves this way: "By integrating key disciplines under one roof and measuring our success by the quality of our relationships, we have established ourselves as one of the foremost design firms on the West Coast."  The Seattle Parks website says this about Peak Park:  "Fremont Peak Park is a new public park located in the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle . The site is comprised of three residential lots with a magnificent view of the various Seattle neighborhoods, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains . Envisioned as a neighborhood ‘walk to’ park, the GGLO Landscape Architecture group was charged with master planning a peaceful urban oasis that valued the existing vegetation and integrated art and the history of the Fremont neighborhood. The master plan process included a series of workshops and meetings with the Park stakeholders to assess opportunities, develop concepts and alternatives, and create a final master plan.

Using the metaphor of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, the park and its walls symbolize a remnant of the famed maze of King Minos. A silver thread, or stainless steel band, winds and meanders through a discovery sequence: from the entry as a spool, then in-laid in the main promenade and through the meadow, ensuingly as a metal ribbon around the trees in the woodland and culminating at the view terrace, where a stunning view of the Olympics ends the journey. The integrated art was created in collaboration with Laura Haddad, a local artist."

We are fairly certain (ha ha) that you are familiar with the Myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. However, we were not and, for your convenience, will share this explanation.  It's an interesting myth.

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Taking a Break - For those of you who follow the blog regularly, we are taking a break for a few days. See you again soon with more posts on John's Island.

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.