A walk at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle

I love going on walks. It’s one of my favorite activities since childhood. And luckily, I’ve always lived in neighborhoods where a park was just a stone’s throw away.

I still remember waking up early in the morning and heading to I-Block Park in C.R. Park (Delhi, India), or my neighborhood park in A-Block, Kalkaji, whenever I was in a rush. Those quiet morning walks were such a grounding part of my routine. 

So, when I moved to Seattle, one of the first things I did was, yes, you guessed it, find a park. When I lived in Capitol Hill, my go-to was Volunteer Park, even though it was a 10-minute bus ride from home. The closest one was Cal Anderson Park, but the walking trails often smelled of weed, so I usually avoided it. 

It was only when I moved to Belltown that I finally found my park. 

I had visited Olympic Sculpture Park before as a tourist, but once I started living in Belltown, it became part of my daily rhythm. I began noticing the tiniest things, the little quirks, the seasonal changes, the colors shifting with the weather. The views were sometimes breathtaking, sometimes plain, but always peaceful. 

And it wasn’t just the park itself. It was the entire walk leading up to it; The cute little pea patch on Vine Street, the leading lines of the rail tracks, the ferry terminal that reminds me of my Victoria trip every time I pass it, and the gorgeous graffiti that represents everything about the Puget Sound. 

I don’t go there every day, partly because I’ve become a bit lazy (working on it!), and partly because I don’t enjoy the wet, rainy uphill walk. But whenever the day is dry, I head there, and each walk gives me something beautiful to take back. Sometimes it’s a memory. Sometimes it’s a photo captured on my phone or camera. 

I also love how I can simply observe and enjoy nature in peace. Some days I’m searching for birds; other days I’m just watching whatever wildlife appears. Like today: I saw a lonely sea lion swimming beside a fishing boat, three Anna’s hummingbirds chasing each other, Pacific madrone trees in full bloom, and in the distance, the Christmas lights on top of the Space Needle shining brightly. 

If this inspires you to take a walk at the Olympic Sculpture Park, I recommend bringing your binoculars, you never know what you might spot. 

Here are some of my favorite photos of the park in all seasons, shapes, and forms: the artwork, the wildlife I’ve encountered, and the ever-changing views. 

Let me know if you have a place like this, some core memory or a new corner of your adult life that has become “yours.” 

Golden hour at Olympic Sculpture Park

Birds & Wildlife spotted from the Olympic Sculpture Park

These are some of the species I usually spot on my walks, but there are so many missing from this list, like my recent sighting of a flight of Black Turnstones and a flock of Bushtits. I also see Moon Jellies and sea lions every now and then, along with winter migratory birds and the occasional orca from very far away… yes, you heard that right 😉