Tat’s Bizarre Travels

Tacoma, WA – Dale Chihuly’s Bridge of Glass connects Tacoma proper with the Museum of Glass. And if it wasn’t for the Bridge of Glass, the Museum of Glass would be like any other museum out there. In fact, I’d give a pass on the museum and just head on over to the bridge. It will save you the entrance fee and the only (slightly) unique thing you’ll see inside the museum is a team of glass blowers making giant apples, or other a sundry chakies to sell at the museum store.

The Bridge of Glass, however, is worth the visit. It’s not a bridge made of glass, like I desperately hoped (in my mind I pictured a giant amorphous Chihuly glass bridge that you could walk on and somehow withstood the elements and thousands of people walking on it), but instead it’s filled with Chihuly glass well worth a small fortune. Although slightly disappointing, because it’s filled with glass instead of made out if it, you’ll get over it as you see the plethora of Chihuly in a row and overhead.

When starting from the museum and heading to Tacoma the Bridge has a solid wall of vessels of all shapes and sizes. Some are cute, some are crazy, but all have that bizarre Chihuly/crazy eye patch feel. I especially liked the charubs he likes to attach to vaguely baroque pieces. I wasn’t too hot on the whole vessel section, especially since this is where I came to realize that I wouldn’t be walking on a bridge of glass, but the next section of the bridge was AWESOME!

Though not as great as walking on a large blown piece of glass (yeah, I was that disappointed) the section closest to Tacoma has a ceiling filled with the strange jellyfish/sea creature like pieces Chihuly is known for. It’s especially awesome because, unlike the vessels, it begins to create an environment… and it makes everyone walk with their heads tilted back. I loved looking at all of the shapes, and even though it was an overcast day the light through the glass was stunning. The pieces were also piled into the case so there were layers and layers of glass crating interesting juxtapositions. It would have been nice to walk on it!!!

So the next time you’re in Tacoma visiting the Giant Coffee Pot stop by the Bridge of Glass. Or if you’re in Seattle with people who want to take you on a cultural experience of the area have them take you to the bridge and then hop on over to the Coffee Pot. Wait till eventing though, the Coffee Pot doesn’t open until 8.