Frost was inch thick and the grass was crunchy underfoot but I braved the deep freeze that has descended upon Seattle and made my way down to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks with my brother and sister-in-law. It was so cold that the smoke from the fireworks hung in the sky (probably wishing for thermal undies) and the Space Needle was enveloped in smoke for most of the display, but I managed to get a few fun photos to share.
Now back indoors to take the chill off with some homemade Glühwein.
Happy New Year. Let’s make it a good one!
xxx Ailsa
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About ailsapm
Hi there! I’m Ailsa Prideaux-Mooney. I’ve lived in many places, and travelled to many more. I had a lot of fun getting there and being there, wherever there happened to be at the time. I climbed a castle wall in Czesky Krumlov, abseiled down cliffs to go caving in the west of Ireland, slept on the beach in Paros, got chased by a swarm of bees in Vourvourou (ok that wasn’t fun, but it was exciting), learned flower arranging in Tokyo, found myself in the middle of a riot in Seoul, learned to snowboard in Salzburg, got lost in a labyrinth in Budapest and had my ice cream stolen by a gull in Cornwall.
And I’m just getting started.
If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read so far, I’d love you to follow my travelogue - wheresmybackpack.com - and remember, anyone who tries to tell you it’s a small world hasn’t tried to see it all.
Where's my backpack? 
Best fireworks I have seen in a while, happy New Year 😀
Totally worth braving the bitter cold, Arnold. Happy New Year right back! xxx
Cheers 🙂
Really great shots, both the fireworks and the photos… 🙂 🙂 😉
Happy New Year to You and Yours… 🙂
You too, ledrakenoir! xxx
These pictures are really enchanting, Ailsa. May this New Year be as magic as the pictures you took on the first minutes of it…
Wish you a healthy, careless and creative 2013!
– Dauw –
Ooh, how lovely, Dauw, I wish the very same for you too. xxx Ailsa
What a glorious celebration. Welcome to 2013, may it bring you all you wish for.
Hurrah, I think it’s going to be a good year, nuvofelt! 🙂
Great photos!
Thanks Jess, Happy New Year to you!
Back here in Manchester, the Council were too poor to pay for a fireworks display so a local business man chipped in £20,000 and a good time was had by all !!!
Oh Pauline, what a generous gesture from Gary Gore (you inspired me to read more about the event!) I remember seeing New Year’s fireworks in Albert Square one year, so glad Manchester got to celebrate the onset of 2013 Gangnam Style! 🙂
Great photos .
Happy new year !
You too, summerfield84 🙂
I love the last shot of the fireworks around the Space Needle, a lovely way to ring in the new year. Happy New Year Ailsa!
That one was taken early on, before the smoke got in the way! Happy New Year to you too, Georgia!
Love the last photo. Stunning! Happy new year to you.
I was happy I got at least one clear shot of the fireworks before the smoke started gathering! Happy New Year to you also, Colline 🙂
Thanks for the visuals! My audio was supplied by various parties along the river here, lots of booms big and small…
Happy New Year!
Wishing you lots of fun and inspiration for 2013, EhkStream! xxx Ailsa
Love that last photo Ailsa. Happy New Year to you too. – Suzan –
Saved the best for last, Suzan, even though it was one of the first shots I took before all the smoke got going. Here’s to a wonderful 2013. xxx Ailsa
Ailsa … that last photo – is a killer … Happy New Year to you and everybody around you.
Say hello to Seattle from me … maybe I will be back one time more.
Seattle says hello back, viveka! Happy New Year to you too! xxx Ailsa
fantastic photos!
Thanks Ruth! xxx
Love the last one!
It’s my fave too, ididitforjohnny, it was one of the first shots I took last night.
Well done. Kudos to you, and happy New Year!
Great fireworks shots.
Thanks Lyle, Happy New Year. xxx
It looks spectacular! happy 2013!
It was a lot of fun, Gilly, hope your New Year is filled with joy and wonder! xxx Ailsa
Wonderful! I feel them booming! YAY 2013!
YAY indeed, I think it’s going to be a good year, vastlycurious! xxx
From the looks of those fireworks shots, you’re getting quite comfortable with the LX7. Haopy New Year to you, too.
Here’s to a splendid 2013!
AMAZING SHOTS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Happy New Year to you too Francine.
Have a wonderful 2013, Ailsa!!
You too, Vlad, may it be filled with adventure, laughter and a liberal sprinkle of romance! xxx Ailsa
Lovely fireworks, even if they did have to perform without thermal undies! And gluhwein. Ah, gluhwein. Happy new year!
Ahh, lots of Glühwein, hic! Happy New Year to you too, newpillowbook 🙂
That looks like a wonderful show – Happy New Year!
You too, Meg! xxx
We watched fireworks in Gatlinburg, where they dropped a ball from their Space Needle, too. But its needle doesn’t compare to Seattle’s, and we had a little warmer weather. But not much. It started to rain soon after. Happy New Year!
Ooh, New Years in the heart of the Smokies, sounds romantic! Happy New Year to you too!
Great photos, Ailsa! It’s been a while since I’ve been in Seattle for New Year’s Eve (I grew up there), so I really appreciate seeing it through your eyes. Happy New Year!!
A pretty great place to grow up, colormusing, I love Seattle. Happy New Year to you too. xxx
So worth the frozen trip. Happy 2013!
*Gem*
Totally worth it! Happy 2013 to you too. xxx
Absolutely stunning! Happy New Year 🙂
Thanks, petit4chocolatier, hope you had a wonderful New Year too! xxx
Great shots! Happy New Year.
p.s. did you use a tripod?
Happy New Year to you too, Penny. I couldn’t be bothered lugging my tripod along, so I just used a wall to help steady myself. 🙂
Spectacular! Such a gorgeous view. Happy New Year!
You too, Angelia! xxx
Looks like it’s going to be a sparkling 2013!!! Great photos!! Thanks.
I love sparkles – hope there are many of them in the coming year! 🙂 Ailsa
Stunning photos especially the last one.
Best blogging wishes for 2013
Back atcha, my friend, let’s promise each other to have lots and lots of fun this year! 🙂
I’ll second that…
I love Seattle. Super-psyched to spend a few days there in 2 weeks and again in February. Nice job with the fireworks & Needle.
Bring your winter woollies, Kevin, it’s pretty chilly up here at the moment – but judging by your Wyoming photos it’s pretty cold there too! Happy New Year. 🙂
I haven’t been to Seattle in the winter before – only spring & summer. But I’m sure it’s much warmer than here. It’ll be a good in-between before I fly to Honduras for 3 weeks!
Honduras? Take me with you! 🙂
Well sure!!!!! Buy a ticket! 😉
reckon it’s time for another trip to Seattle. too bad we missed the fireworks though – but these are great shots!!
Thanks LubbyGirl, yes, indeed, get planning your trip, I love Seattle. xxx
Wonderful photos! Whoo-hoo!! It has been chilly here for sure. Glad you came to watch the show…so you could share it with the rest of us. Next year I was thinking I’d take the 11:35 ferry from Bainbridge Island across to downtown Seattle. It’s a 35 minute ride. On the way the Space Needle’s right in the middle of the skyline – perfect view of the midnight display from the water. Then get off and go ride Seattle’s Great Wheel – wheee! Happy New Year.
That sounds like a fun plan – if I’m in town next NYE I might join you 🙂
Absolutely fabulous shots! 🙂
Thanks so much, msj, it was a fun display! Happy New Year. xxx
I enjoy your flair for both writing and photography. Well done! And I can’t help thinking of Frasier when I see that infamous Seattle Tower, which now I know is the Space Needle. Thanks for the education 🙂
Ahh, yes, Frasier, filmed many miles from Seattle, princessprattles. I was at the Seattle Museum of History and Industry recently and had to laugh, because one of their exhibits featured the set of Frasier, with its fake Seattle skyline. 🙂
i love the last photo.. so amazing!
Thanks starlight, I was really happy with how it turned out. Happy New Year! xxx
That last shot is just fabulous. It looks like it’s from outer space, doesn’t it?
You’re right, Melissa, the Space Needle usually looks pretty alien anyway, but with the lights surrounding it, it looks like its straight out of a Star Wars movie! 🙂
It would be cool to see fireworks from inside the Space Needle, providing it has bomb proof glass.
They actually had the restaurant open, Mark, the one at the top of the Needle, I bet it would have been an interesting spot to see in the New Year.
Nice fireworks in Seattle.I live in Port Townsend not so far from the Seattle.Happy New Year in 2013
Happy New Year to you too, Rima!
Beautiful
Ah, Gluhwein! What memories!
Happy New Year!
Haha, oh yes, the memories Gluhwein brings back! Happy New Year to you too! xxx
beautiful shots! You captured the festive spirit of the New Year.
Glad you enjoyed it, hipmamamedia, Happy New Year to you!
Fantastic! I watched the Space Needle fireworks from a warmer spot…at home…in front of my tv! Sounds like you had a great time
It was an awful lot of fun, Peggy, but it was also very, very cold – thank goodness for Gluhwein! 🙂
Fantistic!
Glad to reconnect with you this year …
•.★♥★Happy New Year to You & Yours!★♥★.•
Eliz
Happy New Year to you too, Eliz, hope it’s going well for you so far! xxx Ailsa
LOVE that last photo!
Great pics, Ailsa! How on earth did you get such great shots? Are you sing a DSL digital camera or just a point and shoot, and what setting(s) did you use? All the best for 2013. You have a lovely blog.
Hi Doreen, for this one I was using the Panasonic TM90 with 28mm wide angle lens. I use it primarily for video but it takes pretty decent stills too if you don’t want to carry another camera along. We had a great view from where we were; the Needle was towering, unobstructed, right in front of us. Happy New Year to you, glad you found my travelogue! xxx