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Wayfaring Architect

Travel, Design, and Creative Living - Through the Lens of an Architect

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About

Wayfaring (noun): traveling by foot, moving through places with intention

Architect (noun): one who designs and shapes the built environment

Where travel, design, & creative living Intersect

An architect looking up at the stained glass and plants inside the Royal Greenhouse in Brussels Belgium

Based in San Francisco, I’m Heather Snow, a licensed architect, solo female traveler, and dog mom. I explore cities, landscapes, and everyday places through travel, design, and creative living.

I’m drawn to walking as a way of understanding places. Whether in San Francisco or abroad, I experience destinations at street level, paying attention to architecture, neighborhoods, and the small details that shape how a place feels.

On this blog, you’ll find travel guides, walking routes, and road trip itineraries alongside reflections on design, studio life, and what it’s like working as an architect. I also share creative resources inspired by my work and travels.

One of my San Francisco walking routes was featured in The San Francisco Standard, where I was named one of the City’s “walking influencers.” They even branded my route up to Twin Peaks as the “Butt Burner.”

To see my architectural work, visit SNOW architecture. 

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    The Spheres deserve their own architectural detour The Spheres deserve their own architectural detour in Seattle.

Designed by NBBJ and opened in 2018, these intersecting glass and steel domes feel part futuristic greenhouse, part public art object, and part very surreal workplace. From the outside, they sit in the city like giant transparent bubbles. Inside, it is all stairs, layered walkways, living plant walls, and a full cloud-forest ecosystem.

It is rare to find a building that feels like it was built just for enjoyment, and that is what I loved most about the Spheres. You are walking through lush plants and sculptural circulation while Amazon employees are casually working on laptops nearby.
Favorite details: the wood walkway, the giant bird’s nest, the way the structure disappears into the planting, and the feeling of being inside a botanical conservatory from the future.

My recommendation: make a reservation ahead of time if you want to go inside — or find a friend who works at Amazon and can bring you as a guest.  I was lucky to be able to do that, and no, we did not coordinate our outfits.
    Some of my favorite moments in Seattle were the bu Some of my favorite moments in Seattle were the buildings I went inside. 

This one is the Seattle library, designed by Rem Koolhaas/OMA with LMN Architects.  The library is one of my favorite architectural experience in Seattle — not just because of the diamond-shaped glass and steel exterior, but because of how much there is to discover inside.

Neon yellow escalators, exposed circulation, the book spiral, the red floor, skyline views from the reading room, and so many beautifully coordinated technical details hiding in plain sight. It is one of those buildings that rewards wandering slowly.

My recommendation: take the escalators to the top, then meander your way down through the ramps, reading rooms, and unexpected spaces.
    Whidbey Island Day Trip - part 2 Spent the aftern Whidbey Island Day Trip - part 2

Spent the afternoon at Deception Pass. It’s a short hike down to North Beach. Then we continued on across the Deception Pass Bridge and back. Hiked part of the Goose Rock Perimeter trail before heading back to Seattle. The bridge is 180’ above the fast swirling currents below and the water really is turquoise in real life. I was uneasy walking on the bridge but everyone else seemed fine (including Pepper). 

You need a Discovery Pass to explore Deception Pass and dogs are allowed on leash.
    Day Trip to Whidbey Island - part 1 My favorite d Day Trip to Whidbey Island - part 1

My favorite day trip during my month in Seattle was to Whidbey Island. We took the Mukilteo Ferry to Clinton and started the day with a beach walk at Double Bluff Beach. Next was lunch in the adorable town of Coupeville.
    Would you trade homes with someone for an entire m Would you trade homes with someone for an entire month?

I did — and spent July living in Seattle through a @homeexchangecom. I swapped my San Francisco condo for a house in Ballard, brought Pepper with me, worked remotely, and explored the city slowly. I also got to spend time with friends and experience Seattle as if I was living there, not just visiting. 

Some things surprised me: how much more driving I did, how much I appreciated having a yard (maybe not a surprise), and how seeing another city’s everyday life made me appreciate my own neighborhood back home. 

I finally went through all my photos from the month and have a lot more to post about my month in Seattle, but here’s a little preview into what July looked like.
    One night in Ashland… On my recent road trip bet One night in Ashland… 

On my recent road trip between San Francisco and Seattle I was looking for a place to break up the long drive along I-5. Ashland, Oregon was exactly what I needed. Easy to get to, walkable, beautiful, and perfect for a road trip stop that felt like a mini-vacation. 
I wandered the historic downtown, had dinner along Ashland Creek, and let Pepper burn off her road trip energy at the Ashland Dog Park - along a creek! 
I stayed at the @ashlandspringshotel right in the heart of downtown and loved being able to walk straight from the hotel into downtown for dinner.
    After leaving Salt Lake City, I had a very quick t After leaving Salt Lake City, I had a very quick turnaround to prepare for my PNW summer - one day back in San Francisco to unpack, repack, and get my home ready for a month long home exchange, then two days on the road heading north to Seattle (with an overnight stop in Ashland). 

Before leaving SLC, I had the chance to visit @backcountry and choose some gear for my summer of hiking and exploring (gifted as part of my @hellotravelcon and @travelgoodsassociation experience)

Backcountry was the perfect stop before heading into the Pacific Northwest. I picked up an Osprey daypack and a The North Face vest to prepare for the hiking and cool morning walks I knew were ahead. 

Both have already become part of my everyday adventures - from road trips to hikes to exploring a new city at a slower pace. 

Thanks @backcountry for helping me gear up for this next chapter. 

1 - Hiking with @thespicypuppy and my new gear at Deception Pass
2 - Seattle views
3 - Pink triangle on Twin Peaks for pride in SF 
4 - Ashland
5&6 - Salt Lake City
7 - Backcountry store in SLC 
8 - Deception Pass
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