Destination - Seattle

“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.”
Chief Seattle,

Downtown Seattle

When my husband and I were first married we lived very near to Seattle and used to go there quite often.  I have to say that it has been many years since I have visited the city.  I get to Washington at least once a year, my family is there, and we have a cabin in the southern part of the state.  My sister lives in Seattle, but she usually comes down to visit us when we are there, so we haven’t ventured north for quite a few years.  I plan to remedy that in the next few years, we need to get back to Seattle and reconnect.  It is a beautiful city. 

Seattle Skyline & Mt. Rainier

A trivia fact:  The term Skid Row actually originated in Seattle.  The loggers used to slide their cut logs down from the top of the hills in Seattle to the water, where they would be shipped from there.

Since I hadn’t been there for many years, I did some online research to see if some of the things I remember in the past are still around.  And I have assembled a list of things to do while visiting the city of Seattle.  Here is my list:

Pike Place Market Entrance

1.   Pike Place Market, which is a place I always enjoyed wandering around.  You can sample some wonderful cheeses, get fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood.  There are shops with all sorts of interesting things to purchase, as well as some nice restaurants.  And you can see flying Salmon.  The fish hockers jockey for your business by throwing large salmons through the air in front of you.  Don’t worry, they won’t hit you, but it is fun to watch.  Also, you may hear someone say “I’ll meet you at the pig.”  The pig is a famous statue at the market and is often used as a meeting place for families that get separated in the course of shopping, or friends who are meeting up for lunch at one of the area restaurants.

Pioneer Square

2.   Pioneer Square is at the southern end of downtown area of Seattle.  Did you know that in 1914 the tallest structure west of the Mississippi was located in downtown Seattle? Smith Tower has long since been eclipsed by Seattle skyscrapers. Many of the buildings here are made of brick and house an eclectic mix of upscale boutiques, coffee houses, bars, and funky gift shops to buy souvenirs. And don't forget to have your picture taken next to the totem pole. This icon of Native American art was erected to commemorate the man who gave this city its name: Chief Seattle. If you're into the art scene, make sure to be at Pioneer Square on the first Thursday of the month; local artisans, performers and craftspeople turn out en masse to sell their work and to entertain. In addition, the galleries and restaurants extend their hours past the normal closing time.  A word of caution, the area has become slightly run down and may not be safe at night.

Seattle Ferry and skyline

3.   Catch a ferry to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton.  The ferry system in Seattle is fantastic, they run daily on schedule and go to many destinations.  The crossing to Bainbridge Island is only a half hour and you catch it at the docks in downtown Seattle.  When you arrive on the island you can rent a bike or walk into town where there are shops, galleries and dining options.  When you are ready to return just hop on the ferry back.  These ferries do hold cars as well, so if you have your own car you can take the ferry to Bremerton and explore that area for the day.  My favorite town there is Gig Harbor, which reminds me a lot of Sausalito in California.  It’s an artist community on the water, with lots of sailboats in the harbor.  Any ferry ride you take will get you out on the water and you will have some beautiful views of the Seattle skyline as well as the Olympic Mountains.  Another alternative would be to take the ferry to the San Juan Islands and spend a day or two there, they are certainly worth a visit.

Freemont Troll - That is a Volkswagen he's holding onto

4.  Explore the Fremont neighborhood, it's an especially fun neighborhood and easy to walk around.   Take the #26 bus from 3rd and Pine downtown and you'll be there in about 15 minutes.  There are plenty of places to shop and eat, or you can stroll along the ship canal. On summer Sundays Fremont has a big outdoor/indoor market with food, crafts, antiques, you name it.   Also, make sure you find the Fremont Troll under the bridge.  This is one of the more offbeat and enormous works of public art.  The Troll resides beneath the Aurora Bridge and was built in 1990.  The statue has a hubcap for an eye and is clutching a VW Beetle with one of its hands.  It's a fun landmark, and easy to reach taking Fremont Ave. to N. 36th  Ave. and it is right under the bridge.

Lower Queen Anne Hill

5.   Queen Anne Hill is a great neighborhood to explore. The main street at the top of the hill has an array of restaurants to sample the Pacific Northwest cuisine, trendy boutiques and funky cafes. From Kerry Park you can enjoy gorgeous views of the city.  There views at sunset are the best in the city. The residential section is a mix of old mansions and modern architecture. Linking the upper and lower neighborhoods is a series of pedestrian staircases. You can buy a map of these stairways at  Queen Anne Books.



Monorail and Space Needle

6.   Space Needle and World’s Fairground area.  In 1962 Seattle held a World’s Fair.  My family drove up to it, and it is one of my favorite memories.  We stayed for several days, and had a great time.  The Space Needle and Monorail were built for the fair.  You can take the monorail from downtown Seattle to the Space Needle.  It runs every 10 minutes.  A visit to Seattle just wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the top of the Space Needle.  At a height of 605 feet, the Space Needle boasts a fabulous 360 degree view that includes Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound and the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, as well as the view of the city of Seattle below.  The restaurant inside the needle rotates, so if you spend an hour you will make it all the way around and see the entire view.  The Space Needle is open 365 days a year and is located next to the Pacific Science Center and the Experience Music Project.

Discovery Park

7.   If you get overloaded with the urban scene, Discovery Park awaits. It is Seattle’s largest park with 534 acres of woods, meadows, and two miles of protected tidal beaches. Starting at the Visitors Center you can take a three mile hiking loop through beautiful forest and then out to a bluff overlooking Elliot Bay and the Olympic Mountains. Those with extra energy can hike down the beach and check out the lighthouse. The park is also home to the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, where you can check out Native American cultural activities and art exhibits.  The #24 W Magnolia bus from 4th and Pike will get you there in about 25 minutes, for those without a car.

Myrtle Edwards Park

8.  Both the Olympic Sculpture Garden and Myrtle Edwards Park are worth checking out.  The Olympic Sculpture Garden, with free admission,  is located at the end of the the waterfront near Pier 70 and is adjacent Myrtle Edwards Park, which has gorgeous paths and gardens along the waterfront.  The park has 1.25 miles of winding bike and pedestrian paths along Elliott Bay. The park offers picnic tables, a fishing pier, picnic areas and Seattle waterfront views of Puget Sound.

Seattle Art Museum

There are many other things to do in Seattle.  There is the Seattle Art Museum which is downtown on 1st and Union, the SAM Sculpture Garden & Cafe overlooking Puget Sound and which connects to Myrtle Edwards park, and the Asian Art Museum in north Capital Hill, and the Frye Museum on lower Capital Hill is always free. There is a nice aquarium, you can take a tour of Boeing, which is close by.   You can take a Underground tour of the city, and see where the shops were before the city was built above it.  You can drive across the world’s longest floating bridge, or you could take the Victoria Clipper and spend a day in Victoria, Canada.  If you plan to do that, make sure you have your passports with you, Canada is another country.

There are wonderful and diverse neighborhoods to explore  like Fremont, Ballard, Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Belltown, Queen Anne, Magnolia, Madrona and Madison Park. Each of these neighborhoods has it's own special character and all are crammed with shops and restaurants, especially Capital Hill in the area between Pine & Madison, from 15th to Broadway, which is now the busiest and most vibrant cafe/club scene in the city. It's also where the famous Elliot Bay Book Co. moved when it left Pioneer Square.   Or go for a swim in Lake Washington.  If you take Madison St. from one end to the other (it crosses diagonally across town), you go from the downtown waterfront to Madison Park, a neighborhood on Lake Washington. There's a nice beach there, with changing rooms & a lifeguard, where you can sunbathe and swim. Or you could turn left about halfway there and explore the Arboretum.

If you make your trip in May you might want to take in the Seattle International Film Festival, it is one of the biggest in the world.  It lasts weeks and shows hundreds of films. Or take in a play while in town.Seattle is one of the biggest theatre cities in the country, right up there with Chicago. The big ones are the Seattle Repertory Theatre and ACT, as well as quite a few fringe theaters.  So check out what is playing.  Seattle is famous for its coffee, so coffeehouses are everywhere.

But no matter what you decide to do while there, make sure you take the time to enjoy the wonderful clean air, the green trees, the wonderful Puget Sound, and say hello to the people up there for me.  I plan to get back there as soon as possible, it's a great city. 

*pictures taken from the internet