The first part of Jenn's Northwest adventure was a trip to Downtown Seattle. We only had one day, so we decided to start early and see as much as we physically could... and we were definitely successful. The key to our success? The CityPass (*disclaimer* this is NOT an advertisement.... I was just really impressed with this wonderful deal and just had to share it will all of my poor college student friends). We paid about $60 and got to see the Seattle Aquarium, go on a harbor boat tour, go up the Space Needle, visit the Pacific Science Center, and go to the Zoo. Not bad, right.... we also did all of that, except the zoo, and a couple more things all in one day... we were quite the sightseers! They have these city passes for several major cities, including Houston... I will definitely use one again next time I go on a big city adventure....
Our first stop was the famous Pike Place Market, where Jenn got a glimpse of the first Starbucks and we shared a delicious breakfast of fresh doughnuts and rainier cherries. We also got to see the famous fish throwers actually throw a fish at someone (she caught it) and watched the flower-sellers put together gorgeous and rather inexpensive bouquets.
After that we stopped at the Seattle Aquarium. This aquarium is kind of small for the size of the city it is in, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in educational value. Rather than simply entertain, I have always been impressed by how this aquarium focuses on education the public on the wonderful wildlife that lives in Puget Sound. The highlight of the visit was definitely getting to watch them feed their giant pacific octopus.
All those fish swimming around in the aquarium made us a tad bit hungry, so we headed to Anthony's for lunch. I branched out of my restaurant comfort zone and ordered fish tacos with mahi mahi... and really, really enjoyed it. Success! Jenn picked the ever popular fish and chips. She tried to get the recipe from the waiter, but he told us that he had to sign a confidentiality agreement to never reveal the secret of the delicious batter.
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| Lunch at Anthony's |
After a satisfying lunch, and a quick stop at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, we went on an Argosy Harbor Tour, a boat ride that takes you all the way around Elliot Bay with wonderful views of the city and the surrounding landscape. All the times I have been in Seattle and this was the first time I ever went on a boat ride in the actually city. Here are a few snapshots from the tour:
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| View of Downtown right after leaving the harbor |
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| Jenn and I with the Seattle sky line in the background from across the bay |
After completing the harbor tour, we caught a bus and went up to the Seattle Center, home to the Pacific Science Center and the Space Needle. We spent a little less than two hours exploring all of the exhibits at the Pacific Science Center. These exhibits were much more hands on than the ones in Houston and we had tons of fun. I think our favorite exhibit was the one the tested facial symmetry by taking a picture of your face and then putting mirror images of one side next to each other.... we came up with some thoroughly amusing faces. :)
After that, we headed up to the Space Needle. This was another Seattle staple that I had never visited. After waiting in line for a bit for the elevator, we were treated to spectacular views of the city and Mt. Rainier, on an unusually clear day for the area. We spent probably close to an hour just taking in the views and taking pictures from every angle imaginable. It was a great way to end our trip.
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| Jenn and I at the top of the Space Needle! |
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| Beautiful view of the city and Mt. Rainier |
All in all, I was extremely proud of the fact that we were able to fit so much into one day. We even made it back to Edmonds in time to see a glorious sunset down by the beach. The amazing thing is though, we never really felt that rushed. I think most of the time, actually, we were pretty relaxed, and took our time to see and experience everything. We were pretty lazy on Sunday, though, so all the activity must have caught up with us. :)
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| Perfect end to a perfect day! |
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