Seattle

Spotlight: Seattle is not the capital of the state of Washington. That honor belongs to Olympia - a city not even 1/10 the size of Seattle. Seattle's nearly 800,000 residents make it the 18th largest city, and 15th most populous metropolitan area (4.15 million residents) in the nation. Situated on an isthmus between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the country. It is also well positioned as a port city (the fourth largest in North America), protected from the full fury of ocean waves, yet ideally situated to travel to ports in Canada and north-eastern Asia. 

Seattle (from the top of the Space Needle)

The area where Seattle is located has been inhabited by Native American tribes (such as the Duwamish) for about 4,000 years. The first European settlers to arrive were the Denny Party, led by Arthur A. Denny, in 1851. They established a settlement on the site of modern-day Seattle and christened it in honor of Chief Seattle - a prominent leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. Logging became the region's first major industry. Later, the city became a major shipbuilding hub, serving as the gateway to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. Following WWII, the city continued to thrive with the growth of Boeing - a local aircraft manufacturer. In the 1980's the city received another economic boon when Microsoft chose it as its new headquarters. 

Activities: The Seattle Underground Tour explores the interconnected tunnels of the famous Seattle Underground - remnants of the city that existed prior to the Great Fire of 1889. When the city was rebuilt, the city architects decided to raise the level of the city so that they could install a sewage system - eliminating some of the major health hazards that plagued most frontier towns. The remnants of the city were entombed underneath, preserving a time capsule to the past. During Prohibition, several of these underground tunnels hosted "speakeasies", adding another chapter to Seattle's underground history. The Tour takes visitors on a humorous 75-minute jaunt along subterranean sidewalks, past abandoned storefronts, then above ground through historic Pioneer Square (Seattle's birthplace), before diving back underground for more views of the entombed city.

Tunnels below Seattle

Access door to Seattle's Underground

The Firefighter Memorial at Pioneer Square

- Location: 614 1st Ave. in Pioneer Square between Cherry and James Street

- Hours: 10 am - 6 pm: Tours start on the hour every day, all year (except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; limited hours on Christmas Eve); additional tours are added on the "half hour" from June to September

- Cost: adults: $30; Military, Students, Seniors - $27; Youth (7-17) - $20; Children (6 and under) - $10

- Things You Should Know: The ground is somewhat rough, with uneven steps, so wear appropriate footwear.

- Rating: 3.5 stars

Activities: Wings Over Washington is a VR style tour of Washington aboard Seattle's "Flying Theater" (similar to Disney's Soaring Over California), as you soar over Washington as a "spirit eagle" with a bird's-eye view of this beautiful state. The ride gives your aerial vistas of Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier, The San Juan Islands, Snoqualmie Falls, the Tieton River, the Walla Walla Valley Balloon Stampede and the Seattle Great Wheel. The Miners Landing Pier Pass gives you access to five activities on Pier 57: Wings Over Washington, the Carousel, the Seattle Great Wheel (the tallest Ferris Wheel (175 feet tall) on the West Coast), the Salish Sea Boat Tour (a one-hour cruise and audio tour of the bay aboard a catamaran), and Sasquatch (a state-of-the-art VR ride to delve into the Legend of Sasquatch).

Entrance to Wings Over Washington

Seattle Great Wheel

View from inside the Seattle Great Wheel

- Location: Pier 57 - Miner's Landing; 1301 Alaskan Way

- Hours: 11 am - 9 pm: Tours start on the hour every day, all year (except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; limited hours on Christmas Eve); additional tours are added on the "half hour" from June to September

- Cost: Wings Over Washington costs: $25/adult, $22/senor, $20/youth; The 5-in-1 Miners Landing Pier Pass costs: $99/adult, $89/senior, $79/youth

- Things You Should Know: Riders must be 42 inches tall to ride on the attractions.

- If you want to go on multiple rides, but don't want the entire 5-in-1 Pier Pass, we were able to purchase discounted tickets for just 2 of the rides.

- Rating: 4 stars

Activities: Chihuly Garden and Glass is probably the most unique place we visited in Seattle. The galleries and garden display the amazing artwork of Dale Chihuly, including drawings, glass sculptures, architectural installations, and other items from his collection. The Garden features a colorful display of trees and plants that compliment the exhibits. The Glasshouse features a 100-foot sculpture with vibrant red, orange and yellow hues. The Galleries are filled with an eclectic array of Chihuly's work, created over four decades of experimentation with color, form and light. The venue has live glass demonstrations, a theater (showing short films documenting Chihuly's work process), and The Bar. Chihuly Garden and Glass has made environmental sustainability a priority, earning the LEED Silver certification upon opening in 2012. It is also dedicated to promoting the next generation of artists through financial and "in-kind support" of youth arts programs, school arts education and scholarships for individual artists.

One of Chihuly's works of art

Another Chihuly original

A Chihuly landscape

The Chihuly Garden

- Location: 305 Harrison St. (near the Space Needle); Space Needle parking is used for both venues.

- Hours: Mon.- Thurs.: 9:30 am - 8 pm; Fri.-Sat.: 9:30 am to 9:30 pm; Sun.: 9:30 am to 9 pm.; Plan on staying 1-2 hours on this self-paced tour

- Cost: $40-45/General admission, $35-40/senor, $35-40/child (5-12); Combined tickets with the Space Needle are $74/General admission (also includes an IMAX experience)

- Things You Should Know: Service animals are the only animals permitted into the exhibit.

- Although photos are encouraged, selfie-sticks, tripods and camera extenders are not permitted. Also, large bags, large strollers and suitcases are also prohibited in the galleries.

- Talking on cell phones inside the galleries is prohibited.

- Rating: 5 stars

Activities: At 605 feet, the Space Needle is probably the most famous landmark in Seattle. It was built to function as the centerpiece of the 1962 World's Fair, whose theme was "The Age of Space." The Top House features floor-to-ceiling glass windows, providing visitors the only 360-degree view of the city, including vistas of nearby Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges. An outdoor Observation Deck includes open-air glass walls and glass benches. The world's first (and only) revolving glass floor on the Loupe Level allows unique views of the Needle's structure and the city below. In 2025, the Needle opened the first all-glass, double deck outdoor elevator in North America. For those looking for a unique dining experience, try the SkyCity restaurant. 

The Seattle Space Needle

A twilight view of Seattle

A view from the revolving glass floor

- Location: 400 Broad St.

- Hours: Mon.- Thurs.: 9:00 am - 9 pm; Fri.-Sat.: 9:00 am to 10:00 pm; Sun.: 9:00 am to 9:30 pm.

- Cost: $35-$55/General admission; Combined tickets with Chihuly Garden and Glass are $74/General admission (also includes an IMAX experience)

- Things You Should Know: The price to the Space Needle varies dramatically based on whether your reservation is during peak times or off-peak times. Weekends and sunset slots command high rates, while early mornings or weekdays are much cheaper.

- Rating: 4.5 stars

Activities: The Museum of Pop Culture has a variety of exhibits, both long-term and short-term. The exhibits range from music, to movies, to fantasy, to video games, etc. One of the permanent exhibits is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, whose inductees range from movies (the Princess Bride), to directors (George Lucas), to fictional characters (Godzilla), to authors (J.R.R. Tolkien), to games (Dungeons & Dragons). Although it's expensive, the memorabilia is worth the price of admission to Sci-Fi and Fantasy fans.

Some Science Fiction and Fantasy
Hall of Fame inductees

Indiana Jones memorabilia

Sci-Fi guns exhibit

- Location: 325 5th Ave.

- Hours: Mon.- Fri.: 10:00 am - 5 pm; Sat.-Sun.: 8:30 am to 5 pm.

- Cost: $35-$45/General admission

- Things You Should Know: - Like many Seattle attractions, the MOPOP has variable ticket prices based on peak hours and non-peak hours. If you want cheap tickets, go on a weekday rather than a weekend. You can also get discount prices with the Seattle CityPASS.

- Rating: 3 stars

Nearby: Bainbridge Island is the name of both the city and the large island in Puget Sound, about 10 miles west of downtown Seattle. The city (pop. 25,000) is considered a suburb of Seattle, and is "connected" to the mainland by car via a 35-minute transport aboard Washington State Ferries. One of the charms of Bainbridge Island is that it has a small-town atmosphere despite its close proximity to the largest city in the state. It was also the birthplace of Pickleball. 

Seattle as seen from the Washington State Ferry

     Some of the highlights of our daytrip to Bainbridge include: Bloedel Reserve (beautiful hike where we got to see a woodpecker hard at work - 4 stars); Madison Diner (Eggs Crab Benedict - delicious and unique - 4.5 stars); the Great Forest (we only had time for a short hike - 3.5 stars); the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial (a reminder of how war fans the flames of fear and racism - 3 stars); Faye Bainbridge beach park (a peaceful, isolated beach with lots of logs and pebbles - 2.5 stars); and Main Street (shopping - 2.5 stars). 

Faye Bainbridge beach park

Bloedel Reserve

Japanese American Exclusion Memorial

The Great Forest

Things You Should Know: - We left Seattle first thing in the morning, to maximize our time, but arrived at the Bloedel Reserve before it opened (which isn't until 10:00 am in the offseason). Luckily we had a back-up plan and hung out at the Faye Bainbridge beach park for an hour until it opened.

- It is a hassle to get back on the ferry headed back to Seattle - especially if you wait until evening. However, if you aren't in a rush to get back, the last ferry doesn't leave until after midnight.

- Leavenworth is a small German town about 135 miles east of Seattle (as the car drives). Leavenworth is a tourist town, especially in October, when thousands of tourists show up for Octoberfest. The main activity is to stroll down Main Street, perusing the specialty shops selling hats, brats, beer, nutcrackers, etc. Our two favorites stores were the Kris Kringle shop (everything Christmas), and the Gingerbread shop (selling delicious gingerbread desserts) - (3 stars).

Main Street in Leavenworth

The Kris Kringle Store

- Snoqualmie Falls is a 268 foot waterfall less than 30 miles east of Seattle. The falls, located in a 2-acre park, have appeared on the TV show Twin Peaks, and attract more than 1.5 million visitors annually. The flow of the falls is regulated by the Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Park, which diverts most of the river, but is occasionally high enough to flow over the entire precipice. (4 stars).

Snoqualmie Falls