Fodor's Expert Review Seattle Great Wheel

Want to hitch a ride to a soaring Seattle vantage point above the water? At the end of Pier 57, just steps from Pike Place Market and the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Great Wheel is a 175-foot (about 17 stories tall) Ferris wheel. As you round the top, enjoy views of the city skyline, Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, and Mt. Rainier (on a clear day, of course). Rides are slow and smooth, lasting 15 to 20 minutes, with three revolutions total. Each climate-controlled gondola can hold six people (up to eight if some are children) and, generally speaking, parties will be able to sit together. The Seattle Great Wheel is also clad in more than 500,000 LED lights that put on an after-dark light show on summer weekends until 10 pm. Advance tickets are recommended—you'll still have to wait in line, but the line is a lot shorter.