SEATTLE, WA - WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN? |
There is so very much to do in Seattle that it's really impossible to cover it all on one page, but I'll try! Since we are a one-income family, we try to do things frugally. So, this is "Seattle on the Cheap"!
Seattle Mariner's Tour: This is great! We got to sit in Ichiro's seat, kick back in the owner's suite, see the locker rooms, walk around the whole place, and learn so much! The tour starts and ends in their store where there is a lot to see (and expensive stuff to buy!). $7 for adults; $5 for kids. Call ahead and ask which days Bob is going to be giving the tour. He's the best!
The Children's Museum of Seattle: We went here because Mom got some very inexpensive passes on eBay. I thought it was going to just be for the little kids, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were plenty of things for the 2-10 crowd, but there were also things for us older kids to do. I liked the music studio where I got to play different instruments and sing. The Japanese exhibit was great, too, and I made a lot of drawings. I liked painting Japanese letters, too. It's on the bottom floor of the food building in the Seattle Center. Mom: Annual passes are $60, but "Educator's Passes" are only $45. Bring your homeschool letter.
Pacific Science Center: If you're going to go, get an annual pass. We don't know anyone who just goes once. It's fantastic. The very best time to go is when the Toy Fest is going on. We got to test out the new video games and rate them. David spent almost all his time there, but Dad said it was okay because we were going to do the other things another day. One time we went, they were testing candy. It was so sour! Bring a dollar to make an art creation with markers. If you get the annual pass, then you can see the IMAX films for no extra charge. The Lewis & Clark one was very good. They also have special exhibits all the time. We got to tour the Titanic one and touch an iceberg! Plus, we got to pretend we were one of the people on the Titanic (they assigned us so we didn't get to pick). The butterfly house is very good, too. Another time, we got to try snowboarding on an indoor machine. It was a fake hill covered with white carpet that moved. That was my favorite! One thing I didn't like were the cricket cookies. They were real!! Gross! There is a bug room with live bugs. Yucch. Elisha liked those. The see through bee hive was really interesting. I found the queen without any help. If you can only do one thing in Seattle, do this. Mom: There's a carpool lot across the street that is only about $5 to park for the whole day if you have 3 or more. Bring your own lunch, or hike down the street to McDonald's. The food inside is expensive. Only $75 for an annual pass, or $100 for a Gold pass which gets 5 friends in each time you go! $100 for a whole year for your family and taking your friends is a great price. PLUS, you get reciprocal admission at OMSI Portland and the Science World British Columbia(Vancouver). If it's just two of you and you don't want the annual pass, you can get a free children's admission with adult purchase here.
The Monorail: If they've never ridden one, your kids might enjoy the short ride on the downtown monorail. If they've been to Disneyland, it's not going to be a big deal. $3 for adults; $1.50 for kids (round trip).
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The Fountains in Seattle Center: This is a great place to eat your lunch and play on a warm day. Because we usually bring our lunch when we go places, this is a good find. The fountains are pretty, and Lizzie likes to play in them. Free.
Seattle Underground Tour: This is very strange. It was an interesting history lesson about Seattle. It's not too much walking, but I think the littler kids might not be as interested. There were interesting facts such as who invented the flush toilet, where "Skid Road" came from, and how Seattle started. A good thing to do once. $10 adults, $5 children. There's a neat second-hand shop right next tour. A lot of the stuff is priced for tourists, but if you dig, you'll find some good bargains and interesting stuff.
Klondike Gold-Rush Museum: Mom said we could count this toward our Washington State History requirements so I agreed to go. I'm glad I did. It's pretty much just a "look" museum, but they had some interesting things. The movie was okay, and explained things so that even Lizzie could understand them. Their website says they offer some hands-on things, but none of these was available while we were there. It says there are walking tours at 10:00 am in the summer, so we might have to go back. I would want to see the gold panning demonstrations. One thing you can do is get a stamp. You can buy the stamp collecting book there, or bring your own. It's kind of like a kids' passport and I thought it was a good idea. Free.
Waterfall Garden: Mom: Oh, how wonderful to discover this little park! It's very tiny and  tucked inbetween the street and a building. We almost missed it. It's a manmade waterfall with a walkway near it. There are maybe a dozen tables with chairs to sit and eat lunch or just rest. Beautiful flowers and a very peaceful feeling. Second Avenue South -x- South Main Street. Free.
The Space Needle: The Space Needle is like Mt. Fuji; if you don't go to it while you're there, you're destined to return. It's very cool. Once we got there, however, I realized just how high it was. The observation deck is 520 feet up. That's about 500 feet higher than my comfort level :-(. David isn't afraid of anything, so he and Yuka (our exchange student) planned to go up. Here's the best way: make reservations at the restaurant. The restaurant has its own elevator so you don't have to wait in line (or not much of one anyway). You also can take as long as you want. David stayed up there an hour so they could make the full revolution. A kids' meal is $12.95, and lunch for an adult is $25. That might seem like a lot, but it really isn't when you consider that just the observation deck tickets are $13 and $6. David and Yuka both said the food was excellent. The difference in price is well worth the convenience, the extra height, the unhurried experience, and the great food. The rest of us waited downstairs. The gift shop has some inexpensive souvenirs to mark the experience, and we walked around Seattle Center the rest of the time.
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 Pike Place Market: I don't understand all the hype surrounding this. It was interesting to look at, but not something I think you should go out of your way for. The guys who toss the fish will only do it if you're going to buy the fish, and the prices didn't seem all that great on things that kids my age would like. The people weren't especially friendly. The flowers were a good buy, but other than that, do it once so you can say you did. The only time it was good was when we were looking for the pigs. I don't really want to go back.
The First Starbucks: Every time we have visitors, they always want to go here and get their picture taken. They have good hot chocolate, but it's always very busy and crowded. A good "photo op", but that's about it. It's across from Pike Place Market.
Waterfront Streetcar: This is similar to the cable cars we rode in San Francisco except it's enclosed. It was fun, and we were really tired so I liked that we didn't have to walk. Mom: Make sure and get your transfer so that you can ride back.
Coming soon:
The Ball Room at IKEA
Al-ki Beach Park
Woodland Park Zoo
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