Our cruise to Alaska was departing in the late afternoon, so we woke up early on Sunday to squeeze in more Seattle sight-seeing. Chihuly Garden and Glass is located right next to the Space Needle, but when we tried to see it on Saturday evening, it was closed for a private event.

I have to say, this would be an amazing place to have a private event. When we got married at the Aria in Las Vegas, one of the locations that we could have held a our ceremony, was at the Chihuly Gallery in the hotel. At the time, it seemed like an odd place to have a wedding. Then again, I shouldn't talk, since we paid extra to get married in the Aria's gym. No kidding, there were treadmills in a room behind us that we could see through a glass window. 

Look closely...

We picked it, because the entrance to the spa/gym has a lounge with an amazing fireplace, which is what we faced during our ceremony. The fireplace was grand and romantic, but in hindsight, I bet the couples that picked the Chihuly Gallery had spectacular photos.

We arrived at Chihuly Garden and Glass thirty-minutes before the gallery opened and there was already a large group of people waiting. Admission was 22.00 a person.

Back to Vegas, prior to visiting Seattle, my only experience with Dale Chihuly work, has been the magnificent flower sculptures at Bellagio. At Chihuly Garden and Glass, there is an installation similar to the Bellagio flowers.

The first exhibits focused on vases. They were just a warm up for the wondrous and colorful sculptures soon to come.

This explosion of color, that continued through the remainder of the gallery, started here.

This enormous sculpture was inspired by the ocean. It's so pretty.

The boat below, filled with sculptures, reminds me of something out of a Cirque Du Soleil production. And the colors and shapes reminded me of those kits where you can grow crystals in an aquarium. Magic Rocks. Did you ever have one as a kid? 

My favorite part of Chihuly Garden and Glass, was the garden, where glass plants coexist with real plants. The designs made me think of a Dr. Seuss illustration: utterly whimsical. My favorite piece in the entire gallery is the enormous yellow tree.  

If you're visiting the Space Needle ( and if you're a tourist in Seattle, of course you are), make sure to buy a bundle ticket which gives you a discount for visiting both the Space Needle and  Chihuly Garden and Glass in the same day. Chihuly Garden and Glass is an extraordinary experience; a must-do. It's small, plan just 1-2 hours to tour, which makes it easy to combine with other attractions, like the Space Needle.