Trip to Seattle

Other Journals

* Boston 

* Puerto Rico 

* San Francisco 

* Philadelphia 

Overview

This was our first trip of 2008.  It was just a short one, as it was a day trip after visiting family in Vancouver, BC.  This was definitely a sightseeing trip, with as much as we could pack into one day.  As always, we are trying to do as much as possible, as cost-effective as we can.  If you're looking for luxury, our journals may not help you.

Day 1

We got a late start, as our parents came with us.  Considering we had early flights the next day, no one was really in a hurry, early in the morning.  This, coupled with the fact that we stayed at a hotel about an hour out near Tulalip, unfortunately put us considerably behind schedule.  We arrived at downtown Seattle around 11am and immediately went to the Science Fiction Museum and Experience Music Project.

Science Fiction Museum & Experience Music Project - It was $15 per person, but we found a $3 off coupon in one of the discount tourism magazines.   This was pretty cool, as me and my dad went to see the Science Fiction part, but weren't overly concerned about the music side.  I would say it was worth the $12, but wasn't worth more than that.  Two disappointments were that you can't take pictures and that there isn't anything interactive on the Science Fiction side.  We had visions of getting to sit in Captain Kirk's chair or getting to interact with some of the Star Wars stuff.  Instead, it was all behind a glass case.  There is some pretty cool stuff in there though.  The picture to the right is E.T., taken just before I was told there are no pictures allowed.  We hadn't really planned on going to the music side, but we got through the Science Fiction Museum pretty quick.  Experience Music was alright, but much of it wasn't our taste.  However, maybe the coolest thing of the whole building was in this hidden away cinema at the bottom of the music area, which played an entire Beatles concert in black and white at: 36 past the hour, on the hour.  Really cool to get to sit and watch it, like you were right back in the '60.

Space Needle - This worked out well, because it was about a 100 yards from the museum.  One suggestion that I read on here was to go and eat at the Space Needle Restaurant.  We had planned on doing this.  It was $16 per person for a lift ticket and the restaurant was a $25 minimum.  However, we were running tight on time and just decided to get a bite at the food court just across from the needle.  We went up to the top and took some picture.  It was pretty cool to see, but I wouldn't say we were up there for more than 20 minutes, including the elevator ride.  This was due in part because it wasn't the most pleasant day.  When you figure we went to the museum for a couple hours for $12, the $16 for 20 minutes seemed almost wasteful.  Nonetheless, it was worth it just to say we've done it.

Seattle Underground Tour - This was really cool.  Seattle was built at water level and had all sorts of problems, so after a fire, they rebuilt at a higher level.  The tour tells you so much more, but in the end, there is a whole other world underneath Seattle.  This was definitely the highlight of our visit.  You can find more information at their website, but tickets cost $14 per person.  Two warnings:  Tours will fill up pretty quick, so I would recommend getting there about 30 minute before.  The other warning is that they do not accept credit cards, so make sure you have cash.

Pike Place Market - We ended up getting there only an hour before close, so we didn't get to see the entire market or the market in its hustle and bustle.  However, there were definitely some fun stores to look around and it's entirely free.  Again, somewhere we enjoyed going so that we had said we've been there.

All in all a fun trip.  I grew up near Seattle, but never really visited.  It was a fun place to visit, but we covered alot of it quickly and it isn't like some of the other cities where we'd like to go back and spend considerable time.  The only thing we missed out on that we will definitely go back to see will be the Safeco Field tour.