USA/WA: Seattle – Space Needle
Space Needle Tower is the iconic symbol of Seattle. It’s an observation tower built for the 1962 World Fair in the very center of the city. 605 ft (184 m) high, the Space Needle was built to withstand 200 mph winds and 9.0 earthquakes (although I am not sure how it will handle the lava from a potential Mount Rainier eruption). The observation deck on top is a major tourist attraction – or so it was before 2020. It was closed from 2017 to 2018 for major renovations and then reopened to a huge fanfare as the symbol of Seattle and the entire Northwest. But it’s closed and dead now in the city that is seemingly dead as well amidst the pandemic and demonstrations.
