Seattle Things to Do Tips by jamiesno Top 5 Page for this destination

International District International District Review

On some of the maps I saw in Seattle this area was broken up into China Town, Little Siagon and so on. I guess to be politically correct the city just called it International District.

I ate at the Purple Dot Cafe and enjoyed that.

But they say this is one of the oldest districts in the city. The Chinese have a history in Seattle dating back to the 1800s where they worked in lumber mills and that sort of stuff.

They have a great web site that list all the events, has a map of the area and a brief history can also be found there.

There is also a really neat feature there for locating restaurants in the area. Check that out for sure!

Website: http://www.internationaldistrict.org/

Gasworks Park Gas Works Park Review

Gasworks park I thought was special. Special Features include a sundial, and a beautiful view of Seattle with a lake in the foreground but it's a great example of restoring an industrial area and making it a green space.

In most city's this would have been a toxic area where no one would be aloud. Not in Seattle!

The city acquired the site for a park in 1962 and opened it to the public in 1975. All the obsolete equipment has been converted for example the boiler house has been converted to a Picnic Shelter with tables, fire grills and an open area. An exhauster-compressor building is now a children's play barn.

I just thought this was a great place. It looked like a popular place to just lye back and take it all in and relax!

Seattle Aquarium Aquarium Review

Here is a picture of the Aquarium I got from the Washington State ferry. I also walked by it a couple of times when exploring the waterfront.

Unfortunately for me it closes at 5:00 pm in May and with my around the clock schedule the doors where all locked when I got there.

So that is my only tip go there earlier! On the web site you'll see it does look like a nice facility.

Website: http://www.seattleaquarium.org/

Seattle Center Seattle Center Review

Seattle Center is home to Seattle's most famous land mark that being the Space Needle however there is a lot more there than just the space needle.

I didn't have much time to explore it all but will take more time next time around. Key Arena is there, the Experience Music Project, an amusement park, nice park areas and a massive fountain. Not the one seen in this picture. I would have showed a picture of it but on the day of my visit there was still no water in it. I guess where it was still spring and arasnosliw was so excited to show it to me :-) It is actually called the International Fountain built for the World Fair in 1962.

There are theatres, science center, skate parks and a lot more. At the web site I have there you can find a map of all the facilities.

Chances are if your in Seattle you will be spending some time in this area. You can get the mono-rail right to it.

Website: http://www.seattlecenter.com/

Fremont District of Seattle Fremont District Review

Fremont was another cool district I was fortunate to see. It was apparently founded and settled by the hippy types and today a lot of them still live there. It has lots of hip places to hang out like the Gasworks Park and there is a lot of public art that you will enjoy as you explore around. I fondly remember this monument at the bus stop that looked like a family and they are often dressed apparently by local people depending on the event or celebration. There was a massive statue of Lenin. Not sure how that got there and rocket sent from the Russians. There is obviously a Fremont / Russian connection. In my picture you can see a massive troll! For your interest the beetle car in the troll’s hand is to scale so that will give you an idea how big the troll is!

There is also a draw bridge over in Fremont. I was lucky to get across it and back with no problems but apparently when the bridge goes up it halts the traffic in the area for a little while. I recommend you go over to Fremont and explore around. You can also find some more great stores, restaurants and bars over there!

Website: http://www.fremontseattle.com/

Ballard Locks Fish Ladder Ballard Locks Review

At the locks if you cross over you will find the fish ladder. This is how they get cross over. That was nice of the environmentalist to consider those fish don’t you think? From the picture you can see the activity was light during my visit. Not sure where they all were but I am sure and arasnosliw has witnessed it when the ladder is completely full and they are frantically bumping into each other. That would be much more fun to watch!

Ballard Locks Ballard Locks Review

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks provide a link for boats between the saltwater of the Puget Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal connecting to Lake Union and Lake Washington.

On the day of my visit to the locks there was a lot of activity. I think there was some racing or something going on and or it was one of the first days of the spring / summer when all the boats where getting out on the water again. As you can see from the picture the locks were full. A lot of people just come to watch the boats go through. As you approach the locks as well there is a nice heavily wooded area with plenty of nice flowers and stuff.

Ballard District of Seattle

It was obvious on my trip that arasnosliw was a big fan of Ballard and after spending an evening over there I could see why. Just a short distance out of the city you are into a more suburban and laid back area, there was a lot of fisherman in this district past and present. The area was heavily influenced by Scandinavian immigrants. During my visit I noticed flags on the poles from Scandinavian countries.

There was some cool restaurants, bars and shops over in this area as well. I was fortunate enough to be chauffeured around but you can probably also catch a bus. You won’t be able to walk from downtown quickly anyway.

A lot of people go over to Ballard to see the locks and fish ladder as well. Personally I really enjoyed the beach and sunset very much also. The district has its own web site I found here so you can get some more good information here!

Website: http://www.inballard.com/

Pike Place Market Pike Place Market Review

For me this market was one of the all time greats I visited. Just the atmosphere and busy activity made it a nice place to explore. The Pike Place Market began on August 17, 1907 and its still a vital part of Seattle's social and economic fabric. The nine-acre historic district is the Soul of Seattle and a national treasure.

I compared it to Vancouver's Granville Island another great destination. You will enjoy hanging out here. I could never have seen it all in the time that I had. You can go back there many times for sure!

The web site has a great map and listing of all the businesses.

The Pike Place Market was certainly one of the liveliest markets I had ever visited. I thought it would be hard to beat Vancouver Canada’s Granville Island but the Pike Place Market was right up there. It’s filled with great fresh food, unique stores and quality restaurants. I ate at Copacabana’s and that was great but it’s the atmosphere of all the activity that is special.

On the day I left I followed up on a tip that I read and went to the market between 6 and 7 am to watch it all come to life. The merchants are busy setting up and I guess early in the morning your nose is probably actually able to smell something. I distinctly remember being able to smell the flowers of one merchant and the seafood of another. It was very clear and enjoyable. On that morning there was a light mist falling on the city and the fine people at Lowell’s let me in for an expresso and view before they opened at 7. If I had more time I would have enjoyed breakfast that morning.

If it interests you the original Starbucks is actually in this market. On Saturday it was very busy with lots of street performers as well on the sidewalks.

Website: http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

Space Needle Space Needle Review

The Space Needle has to be Seattle’s most recognizable monument. It is in every Seattle city skyline you ever see. It is real Jetson like and makes for a great landmark. It’s located a short distance from the downtown core. You can catch the mono-rail there very quickly but on the day of my visit I walked with arasnosliw and got to explore Belltown as well enroute, so I enjoyed that.

With the Go Seattle Card I had the admission to the Space Needle was free but it is normally $10 or $12 USD for an adult. When you get up there are some great views of Elliot Bay for sure, the downtown skyscrapers and Lake Union. I always like how they provide a little bit of interpretation telling you what you are looking at, otherwise it just all looks like buildings.

If you haven’t been up there before I think you should go but I tend to agree as well that I wouldn’t need to go up there every time I got to Seattle. The grounds around the Space Needle comprising the Seattle Center are probably more interesting with tones of things to do on this site.