Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, Washington
My vacation itinerary always includes a cemetery or two…or three. Sure, I love checking out the art scene in a new city, historical sites, shopping and eating. I’m a foodie too, definitely. But you see an entirely different side of a place when you visit its graves, don’t you think?
Piano or harpsichord? Either way it’s lovely.
On my recent trip to Seattle, I did my usual vacation prep and Mapquested cemeteries in the area. There are about six, but with the coffee and the chocolate and the glass museums and the history and… did I mention the chocolate? I only had time for Lake View. What a jewel!
I wondered who left the flower, descendant or art lover.
These gnarly, twisted trees were everywhere.
Lake View was established back in 1872 and sits up on Capital Hill northeast of downtown Seattle. One of those cool, old neighborhoods that just oozes character has grown up around it so it’s a bit of a twisty trek to get there. But worth it! The monuments are a great mix of styles, old and new, East and West.
This one says, “The more people I meet, the more I love my cat.” You’ve got to love a tombstone with a sense of humor!
Great name. Beautiful calligraphy.
A murder of crows claims the cemetery grounds and every monument in them. The birds are smart and wary and hard to get a decent picture of, but their raucous chatter never stopped.
Keeping watch over her domain.
He knew his grave would end up being a perch for crows anyway.
December 3rd, 2012 at 9:52 PM
This is just wonderful — glad you enjoyed Lake View Cemetery! Another good one for gravesites of Seattle pioneers is Mt. Pleasant on Queen Anne Hill. That’s the big hill straight north of the Space Needle.
December 5th, 2012 at 8:00 AM
Thanks for the tip about Mt. Pleasant. I definitely want to go back to Seattle. We were headed on to Olympic National park so only spent a couple days in the city. We saw and did some awesome things, but I’m sure it was only the tip of the iceberg. I’ll check out by your site. Thanks for stopping and commenting on mine.
December 3rd, 2012 at 10:35 PM
What a lovely set here – those trees are amazing! The piano/harpsicord is a stunning monument.
December 5th, 2012 at 8:07 AM
Aren’t those trees fabulous?! I wish I knew what they were. They must not grow around here, because I’d never seen one in the Midwest. There were gorgeous holly trees full of berries, cypress and a few palms too. Really, one of the most beautifully landscaped cemeteries I’ve ever been in.
December 5th, 2012 at 9:24 PM
The climate in Seattle is pretty close to a rainforest – there really are some amazing trees there – that cemetery looked really fascinating.
December 8th, 2012 at 10:53 AM
Oh yeah, during our eight days in the region, I think we spent two days out of our raincoats.