Keeping Up With the Locals When Visiting Seattle, Washington
Seattle is a survivor. It is built on the backs of hearty stock�and not the plummeting kind. While no longer the boomtown of recent years past, it looks a little more familiar these days.
Now the pressure is off. Seattle does not need to behave like a metropolitan princess to impress out-of-towners and new-to-towners. Seattle can put away the latest heels and handbag. It eschews trends faster than LA and NYC can come up with them. It can finally dig out the mud boots and parka and wear both with pride.
Fortunately, you can too.
Local tourism is in style. It is couple-friendly, single friendly and family friendly. If it was considered pass�© by the in crowd only a year or two ago, it is hot again now. This is a list of what the locals are rediscovering. And if the locals like it, you know it has to be good.
Pike Place Market
85 Pike Street (First and Pine): Go window-shopping for veggies. There is a reason why locals shop here for the best produce in all of Seattle. Go find out for yourself. It is free, time consuming and entertaining. Yes, they still throw fish. Open 7 days a week, 10AM-6PM M-S and 11AM to 5PM on Sundays.
Say hello to Rachel, the bronze piggy bank. Slip her a dollar or two. Rachel collects donations for the Market Foundation and was created by artist Georgia Gerber. Don’t get dizzy reading all the tiles on the floor.
Make sure you save time to explore the lower levels of the market. You can lose yourself amongst dusty treasures or stare in bewilderment at a pair of shoes that once belonged to the tallest known man.
The best view in the market is at Lowell’s of Sleepless in Seattle fame. The food is decent. The view is breathtaking at dusk. 206-622-2036
A trip to the market is not complete without mini-doughnuts (cinnamon sugar) and roasted cashews. Facing the pig from inside the market go right – past the flying fish – and take a left down the hallway. Follow your nose.
Seattle Aquarium
1483 Alaskan Way on Pier 59 of the downtown Seattle waterfront. (206) 386-4300. The Seattle Aquarium is quick, fun and on the historic pier defined waterfront. It is near the Pike Place Market, which makes it a convenient detour after perusing through piles of produce. Call for IMAX�® Dome information and Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center Info. Open year round, 9:30AM to 7PM during summer and 10AM to 5PM off peak. Admission is $12 adults, $8 youth (6-18) and $5 children (3-5). Children under 2 are free.
Waterfall Garden Park
219 Second Ave. S, (Near Pioneer Square). Built in 1977, the thoughtful setting is a surprise in a concrete box. You don’t even notice the rushing water until you are already there. It is a free distraction for tourists and businesspeople in downtown alike. There are a few tables and chairs. It is a great place to take your lunch and recharge your batteries during the late spring and summer.
Underground Tour
608 First Avenue (between Yessler & Cherry in Pioneer Square) Call for tour info (206) 682-4646.
The tour starts in Doc Maynard’s bar. This is a 90-minute trek through the underworld of Seattle. You will go below street level and wind through the ghostly former first floors of various historical buildings. The tabloid style history lesson is worth double the admission price: Keep a sense of humor. $11 for adults, $9 for children.
Golden Gardens Park
8499 Seaview Place Northwest (In Ballard). Run by the Seattle Parks and Recreation department, Golden Gardens is a summertime favorite for all locals. The sandy beach can get crowded at times, but the trails, picnic areas, fire rings, play areas and off leash dog area make the park worth the battle for parking. Park hours are 4AM to 11:30PM. Free.
Woodland Park Zoo
5500 Phinney Avenue North (206) 684-4800 Seattleites believe that the Woodland Park Zoo is one of the prettiest Zoos in the entire country. Every effort has been made to minimize the “zoo” appearance and maximize natural habitats. Whether playing stroller derby in the late summer or bundling up with hot cocoa in the winter, the zoo offers a fantastic year round experience. The recent birth of a baby elephant has brought many locals back to the zoo. Zoo Hours are 9:30 AM until 6 PM in the warmer months (zoo closes earlier in winter). Non-resident pricing: Adult $10., Youth $7, children under 2 are free. Zoo parking is $3.50.
Seattle Center
With acres and acres of attractions to keep you busy, Seattle Center gives a nod to old-fashioned small town fun. This pedestrian wonderland was created for the 1962 World’s Fair and includes fountains, gardens, sculptures and some pretty large attractions:
Pacific Science Center 200 Second Avenue N (206) 443-2001. Summer hours: 10AM to 6PM every day, 10AM to 5PM the rest of the year – open till 6PM on weekends. Extensive admission combinations (exhibits & IMAXÃ?®) available. General adult admission $10, Children $7. 24 Hr. IMAXÃ?® Information is available by calling: (206) 443-IMAX.
The Children’s Museum 305 Harrison Street, (206) 441-1768. Hours M-F 10AM to 5PM, weekends open till 6PM. Admission is $7.50 per person.
Seattle Center House 305 Harrison Street (206) 684-7200 Casual Dining / Food Court. Sunday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Admission: Free.
Experience Music Project 325 5th Ave. N. (206) 367-5483 (ask for visitor services) Hours Sunday to Thursday 10AM to 5PM, Friday and Saturday open till 9PM. Admission is $19.95 for adults, $15.95 for seniors and $14.95 for children.
The Fun Forest Amusement Park 305 Harrison Street, (206) 728-1586. Open 7 days a week at Noon in summertime (spring/fall hours are Saturday and Sunday only – call for hours). Entertainment Pavilion is open year round.
The Space Needle 400 Broad Street (206) 905-2100. Open 7 days a week at 10 AM. Admission is $13 adult and $6 children to ride the elevator to the observation deck. Free admission if holding reservations for the SkyCity revolving restaurant.
Ride the Ducks
Northeast corner of 5th and Broad Street near the Experience Music Project. (206) 441-3825. One of the strangest sights in Seattle is the amphibious WWII Ducks plowing down the city streets filled with smiling people. Reservations are recommended for this wacky land and water tour of Seattle. Ride length is approximately 90 minutes. Available daily. Summer hours are 9:30 AM – 7 PM. Winter hours are: 11:30 AM – 5 PM. Ducks depart every hour. Admission is $23 for Adults and $13for kids (plus tax).
Museums
Museum culture never goes out of style. Still, it is impressive how many locals are inspired to visit their forgotten centers of culture. Not just dot.com party rental halls any more, museums in Seattle offer escapism out of the rain.
Seattle Art Museum: 100 University Street, Downtown. (206) 654-3255. Will be closing its doors on January 5th, 2006 to plan for a reopening in Spring 2007 with a new and expanded venue. During construction the Asian Art Museum (1400 East Prospect Street ) will be hosting a variety of exhibitions starting on January 14th, 2006. Call for updated times, exhibitions and ticket pricing or visit www.seattleartmusuem.com.
Frye Art Museum: 704 Terry Ave. (206) 622-9250. Rotating exhibits of 19th and 20th century art. Admission: Free. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10AM to 5PM. Sunday 12 to 4PM. Thursdays open till 8PM.
Museum of Flight: 9404 E Marginal Way South (206) 764-5700. Admission: Adults $14.00 youth (5-17) $7.50, children 4 and under are free. Complimentary guided tours. Open daily 10AM to 5PM. Open Thursdays until 9PM.
Argosy Cruise Harbor Tour
Pier 55 on Seattle’s historic waterfront. (206) 623-1445. See Seattle by sea in this hour-long tour of Elliot Bay and the harbor. Park under the Alaskan Way viaduct. Book online and save 5% (www.argosycruises.com) Admission: Adult prices range from $13.75 off-season to $17.75 peak. Children range from $6.25 to $7.75 (tax not included).
Freemont Freebies – the Troll, Lenin and the Rocket
Troll: North 36th Street. Four Seattle artists sculpted the troll that hides under the north end of the Aurora Bridge. No trip to Seattle is complete without a photo with, near or on the troll. He does not seem to mind, as he is too busy destroying a full size Volkswagen Beetle in his left hand.
Lenin: Freemont Avenue. The largest statue of Vladimir Lenin in the United States. After the cold war, Lenin moved to the warmth of Freemont. Political statement or just a large bronze? You make the call. Find out if he is still for sale.
Rocket: 35th and Evanston. The Rocket sits poised upward, ready to take off.
City Pass Seattle – www.citypass.com – is a great way to experience the highlights of Seattle. A $42.00 adult pass will give you access to the Space Needle, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, Pacific Science Center, Woodland Park Zoo, Museum of Flight and Seattle Aquarium. Combine that with a few of the freebies listed above, and you have a mini-tour package for under $50.
