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THINGS TO DO

There are plenty of fun things to do in and around Seattle. Great parks to see, museums to visit, tourist attractions to flock to, viewpoints to appreciate -- in fact, what the heck am I doing in front of this computer? I'm outta here!

OK, Amanda politely told me that I can't just enjoy Seattle myself, but I have to share it with all of you. So here is our partial list of the great things to do around Seattle. We have used a to indicate which cost money and a to indicate which require significant travel time to reach. The hotels we recommend have shuttles that go to various points in the city and may help you reach some of the in-town attractions.

Ride the Duck

After World War II, the government was trying to figure out what to do with all their leftover amphibious vehicles. Then the obvious answer dawned on them -- send them to Seattle so they can cart groups of tourists around the city's streets and lakes! The Duck Tour will take you around the most touristy parts of Seattle on a fun, amphibious ride. I think you also get a kazoo that you have to play in unison with everybody else. Or something. Anyway, it's a wacky and fun time. It costs $23 ($13 for kids 12 and under) and begins at the Space Needle in Seattle Center. More info here.

The Underground Tour

Seattle was founded in a mud pit, providing many amusing challenges for the early settlers. At the beginning of the century, the city burned down, and was rebuilt a story higher, creating a network of underground walkways. The Underground Tour takes you through the underground as the guides show you around and give some of Seattle's history. It is a very interesting, amusing and humorous experience, and we highly highly recommend it. Tours happen every hour, and cost $11 ($9 for students 13-17 or with valid college ID). More info here.

Seattle Center

Located on the edge of downtown Seattle, Seattle Center was the site of the 1962 World's Fair. It contains several famous attractions such as the Space Needle, the Experience Music Project and the Pacific Science Center. It also has rides, food and a great fountain with a big lawn nearby for picnics, sun-bathing, juggling or just hanging out and being a hippy.

Space Needle

Ride an elevator up 520 feet to the Space Needle's observation deck! One of Seattle's most famous attractions. The Space Needle is located in Seattle Center and provides a great view of downtown Seattle, parts of north Seattle, Puget Sound and Seattle's harbor, Elliot Bay. You can visit the observation deck for $14 ($7 for children 4-13). There is also a restaurant just below the observation deck, and if you eat there, the ride up is free. The food is nothing to write home about, but the view sure is! More info here.

Experience Music Project

Experience Music Project is an interactive museum dedicated to music and located in Seattle Center. The building is designed by Frank Gehry, and is very unique. The museum contains many exhibits, such as histories of different forms of music and histories/profiles of famous artists. Perhaps most famous and unique, though, are EMP's interactive exhibits, such as sound rooms where you can try playing different instruments, playing with lighting, and get a taste of what it might be like to be a recording artist. Admission is $19.95 ($14.95 for youth ages 7-17). Truly a unique experience. More info here.

Seattle Monorail

The Seattle Monorail was build for the 1962 World's Fair, and stretches from Seattle Center a whopping 1 mile to Westlake Mall in downtown Seattle. The ride takes about 10 minutes, costs $3.50 round-trip, and is mostly exciting just for the novelty of it -- there aren't really any spectacular views, just some decent views of downtown. But if you want to visit Seattle Center and downtown in the same day, it's a nice way to get from one to the other without having to re-park. As an added bonus, while riding it you can laugh at us for almost making it the foundation of our city's public transportation system. More info here.

Pacific Science Center

The Pacific Science Center is located in Seattle Center. It contains a number of interesting science-related exhibits (nerd heaven -- we know we love it) as well as a planetarium and an IMAX theater. The IMAX theaters boasts an 84 foot-high screen that sometimes shows regular movies in addition to the nerdy Discovery-channel style ones. More info here.

Pike Place Market

Seattle's famous Pike Place Market is a unique and fun experience. A wide assortment of vendors offer flowers, fruit, fish, clothing, crafts and much much more. There are great views of Elliot Bay and Puget Sound from the small park right next door, and there are many many restaurants in and around the market. If you've never been don't miss this one! More info here.

Ferry Ride to Bainbridge Island

One nice way to spend an afternoon is taking the ferry to and from Bainbridge Island, an island in Puget Sound. The ferry leaves from the waterfront in downtown Seattle, and the crossing time is approximately 35 minutes. It costs about $6 per person (plus an extra $4 if you take a car), and you get great views of Puget Sound and Seattle from the ferry. Once you reach Bainbridge, you can turn around and come right back, or you can spend some time exploring the downtown area's restaurants and shops. More info on the ferry crossing at here.

Kayaking/Canoeing on Seattle's Lakes

Seattle has a couple of lakes that are great for kayaking/canoeing. A nice, relaxing time on the water (unless you're too close to the sea-plane landing area, and then it's a bit nerve-racking, although they've never hit anybody yet!), great views of the city, and a little exercise to boot. There are several places to rent kayaks, and depending on where you go and how big of a kayak you want (1-, 2- or 3-person) rates run from $10-$20 per hour. Northwest Outdoor Center is on the west side of Lake Union, and is where we have gone in the past. Moss Bay is on the south side of Lake Union. Agua Verde is the closest to the hotels that we recommend. It is on Portage Bay, which is connected to both Lake Union and Lake Washington. In addition to kayak rentals, it has a great Mexican restaurant. The University of Washington's Waterfront Activities Center is also nearby, and rents canoes and rowboats. On a weekend there can be a pretty long wait if you don't arrive early, but in our experience if you arrive before noon you should be fine. Just across the canal from the docks is a series of islands and waterways that are very fun to explore by boat.

The Arboretum

A walk in the arboretum is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. It contains 230 acres of flowers, exotic trees and bushes, and a few ponds. It is a slightly long walk from the Silver Cloud Inn and the Travelodge, and a pretty hefty walk from the University Inn. More info here.

The Fremont Troll

What's the point of building a bridge if you aren't going to have a troll under it? The people of Seattle's Fremont neighborhood asked this question 16 years ago, and ever since then the Fremont Troll has lived under the Aurora bridge. It's an 18-foot high sculpture of a troll's head and shoulders, with a hand holding an actual VW Bug. It's fun to visit, and you can climb up on him and take pictures. He is located on N 36th St and (surprise!) Troll Ave -- a short drive from the hotels, and very close to Ben & Amanda's house. Here is a map, but don't be fooled -- the troll is actually under Aurora, not on Aurora.

Discovery Park

Discovery Park is a very large park on the shores of Puget Sound. There are many trails for hiking, as well as bluffs with views of Puget Sound and a beach you can hike down to. If you look very carefully, you may be able to find the 836 sweatshirts Ben lost during his time attending Discovery Park Day Camp as a kid. More info here.

Museum of Flight

In case you haven't had enough airplane-related time on your flight in, Seattle has a museum dedicated to flight. Right next to Boeing field, this museum is a bit of a drive, but is well worth it. Admission is $14 ($7.50 for youths 5-17). More info here.

Museum of History and Industry

The Museum of History and Industry is, well, a museum of history and industry. It often has fascinating exhibits, and is quite close to the hotels. Admission is $7 ($5 for youths 5-17). More info here.

Seattle Asian Art Museum ?

Located in Volunteer Park near the University District, the Seattle Asian Art Museum has some great exhibits. Since the Seattle Art Museum's main museum is closed for a year or so, the Asian Art Museum is their current "center of activity." We're not sure what that means, but it must be good. There is no manditory fee for admission, but the suggested fee is $5. More info here.

Henry Art Gallery

The Henry is the University of Washington's art gallery, and always has something interesting. Very close to the hotels, this is a great place to spend an afternoon. Admission is $8. More info here.

Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie falls is a spectacular 270 foot waterfall about 45 minutes from Seattle. You can view it from a crowded observation deck up above like a sucker, or you can take the relatively short trail down to the river and almost up to the base of the falls. Then, if you have a death wish like Ben and Jyrki, Amanda's cousin, you can foolishly decide to swim in the ridiculously cold water while Amanda watches thinking what an idiot you are (well, it wasn't really that bad). More info here.

Mount Rainier

No, we're not suggesting you climb Mt. Rainier, just drive partway up and then look at the peak from a distance. There are a few visitors' centers on Mt. Rainier, but we recommend Paradise. It has interesting information about the mountain, as well as a few trails for hiking, and is only a couple of hours from Seattle. We haven't been able to find a web site with good directions, so if you want to go, you should just contact us and we'll tell you how to get there.

Mount Si

If you are into hiking and want to climb a mountain, Mt. Si is a great one. About 45 minutes from Seattle, Mt. Si is a 4 mile, 4000 foot climb. Fully manageable in a day, and it has a great view from the top. The end of the climb is a scramble up haystack rock. Contact us for directions.