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space needle
you didn't think you'd get to see a seattle tourist
guide WITHOUT this, did you?
It was built for the 1962 Expo, and has since become
Seattle's most famous landmark. Dine in one of two revolving
restaurants that make a complete revolution around the Space
Needle's base every hour. The Space Needle restaurant is
more casual and is suitable for families and The Emerald
Suite has a more formal and romantic atmosphere. Or, go up
to the Observation Level that seems to float at 52 stories
above Seattle. The Observation Level also houses a large
gift shop.
The line for the elevator can get very lengthy, especially
on weekends and holidays. If you dine at the restaurant
however, the elevator ride is free, and there is no
wait.
Transportation: Parking available, monorail
Admission: $9 Adult, $8 Senior, $4 Children 4-12.
Directions: from
Convention Center
Mount Rainier National Park
If the Space Needle is Seattle's most famous man-made
landmark, Mount Rainier is certainly its resident natural
celebrity.
The Mount Rainier National Park contains seemingly endless
numbers of sublime hikes and trails. You can come back
dozens of times and still have much to explore. If you're a
practiced rock or mountain climber and want a new challenge,
this park is an unbeatable choice.
Visitor centers and exhibitions can be found at Longmire
Museum (SW corner of the park): Open year round.
Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise (south
side of the park): Open daily mid-April into October,
weekends and holidays only October through April.
Ohanapecosh Visitor Center (SE corner of the park): Open
late May into October. Sunrise Visitor Center NE corner of
the park): Open late June into September.
Admission: single vehicle pass $10, individuals
$5/person.
Directions: from
convention center
safeco field
This brand new ballpark, opened in 1999, is located in
downtown Seattle, just south of Pioneer Square. It is a
state-of-the-art sports facility and the home of Seattle's
baseball team, the Mariners. And, with protest by many
taxpayers who paid the bulk of it (as a matter of fact, when
it came to a vote the Seattle citizens said "no"), it has
cost nearly $520 million to build.
The architecture is designed to resemble the ballparks of
yesteryear using brick in much of the building's shell and
grass on the field. It may be reminiscent of the past, but
it's filled with modern amenities including luxury suites,
restaurants and bars and, most importantly in a climate like
Seattle's, a retractable roof.
The baseball-only stadium seats 46,621 fans including 1,010
seats for disabled patrons (505 companion seats).
If you are a sports fan or if would just enjoy a
behind-the-scenes look, both public and private tours are
available.
Hey... and the Mariners have a home stand against the
cleveland indians that weekend too! what better timing!
Admission: $7 for adults; $5 for seniors. $3 for
children (ages 3-12).
Directions: from
convention center
the underground tour (ooooh... spooky....)
Pioneer Square is Seattle's oldest neighborhood, and it
wasn't always a pleasant place to visit. The area was once
filled with brothels and cardrooms&emdash;kind of a Wild
West atmosphere. The term "skid row" was coined in this
neighborhood because loggers used the hilly, muddy roads as
a way to skid trees to the bottom.
This tour takes you not only around Pioneer Square above
ground, but also to a hidden Seattle that now lies
underground. About 25 square blocks of Pioneer Square have
hollow spaces under the sidewalks and buildings. In the
early 1900s, after the great Seattle fire, the land was
regarded leaving many of the abandoned and burned-out
storefronts underground.
Today you can visit them on this historic if unusual tour,
which takes about 90 minutes. Visit their Website for
detailed information on tour times, they vary greatly season
to season.
Admission: adults $8, seniors/students $7, children
$4.
Directions: from
convention center
gas works park
This is an example of urban renewal at its best. Take an
old gas processing plant that has outlived its usefulness,
and transform it into something everyone in the city can
enjoy--a park. Located on the north shore of Lake Union
(opposite downtown), the park has excellent water views and
a spectacular, unobstructed view of the city skyline. It is
a popular spot for concerts, bikers, kite flyers, families
on a picnic, and just about everyone else.
This is also a prime spot to view the Fireworks on the
Fourth of July. The barge that launches the fireworks is
anchored in the lake in front of the park. It gets very
crowded though, so come early and bring food and a blanket
or chairs to sit on.
Directions: from
convention center
monorail!
Like the Space Needle, the Monorail is a remnant of the
1962 World's Fair. Riding above ground, it takes you on a
very short ride between two terminals&emdash;about 3 minutes
long. It only makes one stop, and goes from Westlake Center
downtown to the Seattle Center, and vice versa. Although the
trip is short, on a clear day you can see nice views of
Elliott Bay, downtown and the Capitol Hill area.
This isn't just for tourists; locals in-the-know park
downtown and take the Monorail to the Seattle Center, the
Space Needle and the Opera House, or for events and
exhibitions (like a Sonics game, Bumbershoot, Bite of
Seattle or Folklife Festival) when parking near the Seattle
Center would be next to impossible.
Price: adults $2.50 each way, $1 for children and
seniors.
Schedule: Trains depart every 15 minutes.
Directions: from
convention center
seattle art museum
This museum is internationally recognized for its
excellent collection of Asian, African, and Native American
art, as well as its fine collection of modern art produced
by Pacific Northwest artists.
It has 19,000 permanent pieces in its collection, and while
it doesn't have a huge collection of European art or art
from the Masters, it does have plentiful local art and
wonderful visiting exhibits. The museum is centrally located
downtown near the waterfront and the Pike Place Market.
Admission: $7 for adults, $5 seniors and students
Directions: from
convention center
down by the waterfront!
With a good deal of fun but tacky tourist shops and the
hideous Alaskan Way Viaduct thundering along overhead, it's
a wonder any natives come to the downtown waterfront at all.
But the views are spectacular, the Bainbridge Island ferry
leaves from Colman Dock, and the popular Summer Nights at
the Pier concerts play at the unquestionably sublime setting
of Pier 62/63.
Good museums are here, too, including the Seattle Aquarium
and the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center. The old streetcar
clangs along the length of the waterfront, and the green
spaces of Myrtle Edwards Park take over from the concrete
mayhem at the northern end.
If you decide you just can't resist the water any longer,
hop the pedestrian-only West Seattle water taxi (May through
September, at Pier 54) for an eight-minute trip across the
bay to Alki Beach
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