Seattle stairs are, in one important respect, at their very best during the holidays. By this time all the leaves are down on the deciduous trees, which really opens up a lot of stairway views. This was apparent on a surprisingly nice Friday, on the Thistle Street stairs (second-longest in Seattle at 367 steps). So if friends or family will be visiting over the holidays, try the stairs!
These stairs are part of the "Fauntleroy and Morgan Junction" stairway walk in West Seattle. This route, as well as the "Alki from Above" stairway walk, will not only provide great views across Puget Sound; they also give a sense of the power of recent winter storms. You'll see many logs piled high up the shore, and many others still floating around.
For additional (and better) pictures of this route in a variety of seasons, consult the book and/or click here.
This photo shows how the leaves are down for the winter; of course there are also nice views on either side of these trees! (iPhone photo)
Storm-tossed logs in Puget Sound (iPhone photo)