Before coming to Seattle, I did my research on what I would want to see. The CityPASS was an excellent option for someone who wants to see all touristy things at once.
CityPASS admission included:
Space Needle
Seattle Aquarium
Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) OR Woodland Park Zoo
Chihuly Garden and Glass OR Pacific Science Center
My day started with a coffee before a pre-booked visit to the top of the Space Needle. Somehow instead of my plain latte, I got someone else's vanilla latte, sweet as... vanilla, so feeling full after it, I opted to skip breakfast.
There was no line at the Space Needle this early in the morning. My slot was for 9 AM, and I walked straight in. The elevator ride was dizzying, literally I was a bit nauseous after getting off the elevator. The views made up for it.
Both the top and bottom decks offered a 360 view of Seattle. The top deck was outside, the bottom just a level down enclosed from the outside. The see-through flooring captivated and a bit scared me, but through the lens of the camera I was able to view the drop under my feet. The floor of the bottom level moved slowly, and the feeling was rather strange as if your balance is slightly off. I remember a similar feeling when I had dinner at CN Tower in Toronto. The floor there rotated as well and in the beginning I wondered if I could even swallow a bite without getting sick. It turned out alright in both cases.
My next stop was Museum of Pop Culture. I must admit, I enjoyed its quirky atmosphere and odd exhibits quite a bit.
It had 3 floors with music exhibits on the ground and second floors and a movies exhibit on the lower level. I loved the unique rooms with chopped off heads in horror-themed hallways; the music added a fear factor to the whole atmosphere. Unfortunately, the group of young kids were screaming so loudly, it took away the pleasure of being scared right there and then leaving me with a desire to scream right back at them. Would not be mature of me... Ah, maturity is overrated anyway!
After finishing up with the museum, I went to grab an early lunch and was so happy to discover that Artisan Cafe had croissant with smoked salmon. It was exactly what I was looking for!
My next stop was Chihuly Garden and Glass. What an amazing museum! While I don't have great appreciation for art, I spent there close to an hour mesmerized with the details of glass sculptures.
The outdoor are was just as beautiful. I asked one of the employees how they clean the sculptures, and she said with some sort of compressed air several times a week. I guess it makes sense they don't wipe these by hand...
After the glass museum, I went to see what the Olympic Sculpture Park looked like. While it was not nearly as impressive as any of the attractions above, it was a rather peaceful place in the middle of Seattle.
I continued walking along the shoreline and passed through Myrtle Edwards Park into Centennial Park. The path just kept going, and so did I.
Eventually, I decided to go back to Pier 55 to reserve my ticket with Argosy Cruises for the Harbor Tour the next day. I grabbed a Greek yogurt sold at Pike Place Market's Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt and a pirozhok at a Russian-inspired bakery, which didn't stand up to my authentically Russian (well, Belarusian...) expectations.
I also tried Rachel's Ginger Beer based on my friend's recommendation. It was packed with people, but with quick service I was holding an ice cold glass with original ginger beer mixed with some hard liquor. Even with my love of ginger, the drink was spicy and extremely gingery.
After satisfying my hunger and thirst, I finally got to the Pier and picked a time slot for the next morning to go on a harbor tour. Since I was right next to Seattle Aquarium (also part of CityPASS), I decided to just check it out today instead of my planned visit the following day.
It was packed with screaming children filled with excitement and inconsiderate adults filled with egoism carelessly touching little fish who just wanted to peacefully swim in open tanks of water. I can't say what was worse...
I barely spent there half an hour especially after seeing usually free sea lions stuck in aquariums. The sign said that they are not required to do tricks, but the idea of wildlife being trapped in a glass container made me sick.
I left the fish zoo and felt I needed an ice cream. I later enjoyed a slow sunset with a baby rabbit peacefully eating grass, so much better than any zoo. Wildlife should stay in the wild.
The day was coming to an end, and after a solo dinner at a restaurant....
...my plan was to head back to the Space Needle to get a glimpse of the night Seattle, but after seeing the line, I decided to skip it. I was tired... I looked at my step tracker counting over 35,000 steps. It was time to catch the next train and head back to my rental.
CityPASS admission included:
Space Needle
Seattle Aquarium
Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour
Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) OR Woodland Park Zoo
Chihuly Garden and Glass OR Pacific Science Center
My day started with a coffee before a pre-booked visit to the top of the Space Needle. Somehow instead of my plain latte, I got someone else's vanilla latte, sweet as... vanilla, so feeling full after it, I opted to skip breakfast.
There was no line at the Space Needle this early in the morning. My slot was for 9 AM, and I walked straight in. The elevator ride was dizzying, literally I was a bit nauseous after getting off the elevator. The views made up for it.
Both the top and bottom decks offered a 360 view of Seattle. The top deck was outside, the bottom just a level down enclosed from the outside. The see-through flooring captivated and a bit scared me, but through the lens of the camera I was able to view the drop under my feet. The floor of the bottom level moved slowly, and the feeling was rather strange as if your balance is slightly off. I remember a similar feeling when I had dinner at CN Tower in Toronto. The floor there rotated as well and in the beginning I wondered if I could even swallow a bite without getting sick. It turned out alright in both cases.
My next stop was Museum of Pop Culture. I must admit, I enjoyed its quirky atmosphere and odd exhibits quite a bit.
It had 3 floors with music exhibits on the ground and second floors and a movies exhibit on the lower level. I loved the unique rooms with chopped off heads in horror-themed hallways; the music added a fear factor to the whole atmosphere. Unfortunately, the group of young kids were screaming so loudly, it took away the pleasure of being scared right there and then leaving me with a desire to scream right back at them. Would not be mature of me... Ah, maturity is overrated anyway!
After finishing up with the museum, I went to grab an early lunch and was so happy to discover that Artisan Cafe had croissant with smoked salmon. It was exactly what I was looking for!
My next stop was Chihuly Garden and Glass. What an amazing museum! While I don't have great appreciation for art, I spent there close to an hour mesmerized with the details of glass sculptures.
The outdoor are was just as beautiful. I asked one of the employees how they clean the sculptures, and she said with some sort of compressed air several times a week. I guess it makes sense they don't wipe these by hand...
After the glass museum, I went to see what the Olympic Sculpture Park looked like. While it was not nearly as impressive as any of the attractions above, it was a rather peaceful place in the middle of Seattle.
I continued walking along the shoreline and passed through Myrtle Edwards Park into Centennial Park. The path just kept going, and so did I.
Eventually, I decided to go back to Pier 55 to reserve my ticket with Argosy Cruises for the Harbor Tour the next day. I grabbed a Greek yogurt sold at Pike Place Market's Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt and a pirozhok at a Russian-inspired bakery, which didn't stand up to my authentically Russian (well, Belarusian...) expectations.
I also tried Rachel's Ginger Beer based on my friend's recommendation. It was packed with people, but with quick service I was holding an ice cold glass with original ginger beer mixed with some hard liquor. Even with my love of ginger, the drink was spicy and extremely gingery.
After satisfying my hunger and thirst, I finally got to the Pier and picked a time slot for the next morning to go on a harbor tour. Since I was right next to Seattle Aquarium (also part of CityPASS), I decided to just check it out today instead of my planned visit the following day.
It was packed with screaming children filled with excitement and inconsiderate adults filled with egoism carelessly touching little fish who just wanted to peacefully swim in open tanks of water. I can't say what was worse...
I barely spent there half an hour especially after seeing usually free sea lions stuck in aquariums. The sign said that they are not required to do tricks, but the idea of wildlife being trapped in a glass container made me sick.
I left the fish zoo and felt I needed an ice cream. I later enjoyed a slow sunset with a baby rabbit peacefully eating grass, so much better than any zoo. Wildlife should stay in the wild.
The day was coming to an end, and after a solo dinner at a restaurant....
...my plan was to head back to the Space Needle to get a glimpse of the night Seattle, but after seeing the line, I decided to skip it. I was tired... I looked at my step tracker counting over 35,000 steps. It was time to catch the next train and head back to my rental.
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