Seattle: City of Icons
At the center of the Puget Sound tourism scene is Seattle, a city packed with Pacific Northwest icons. Groups should take two or three days to explore the highlights of this city, which range from art and music to architecture, coffee, shopping and more.
The best place to start is Seattle Center, an area in the heart of the city that hosted the 1962 World’s Fair. The Space Needle there offers fantastic views and upgraded, interactive digital experiences. But recently, visitors can’t stop raving about Chihuly Garden and Glass, a newcomer to the Seattle Center that celebrates the artwork of Seattle son and famous glassblower Dale Chihuly.
“Chihuly Garden and Glass has quickly become the No. 1 attraction in Seattle on Trip Advisor,” said John Boesche, director of tourism development for Visit Seattle. “It’s literally right next door to the Space Needle, about a 150-foot walk, and you can get packaged tickets for the two attractions.”
Another highlight of the Seattle Center is MoPOP, formerly known as the Experience Music Project, or the EMP Museum. The museum has been expanded beyond its initial music focus to now explore various elements of pop culture, with exhibits exploring such diverse subjects as the cultural significance of Lego toys and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. But music still factors prominently into the experience.
“They have one of the world’s largest high-definition screens in what they call the Sky Church,” Boesche said. “They play music videos there and let people dance and have fun. They also have sound labs where you can learn how to play the guitar and the drums.”
Many groups also make time to visit Pike Place Market, one of the country’s largest and oldest working farmers markets. Visitors can browse food and goods from some 250 permanent vendors and 150 day stalls, and rub elbows with chefs who shop at the market each day to pick items for their restaurant menus. The market is undergoing an expansion that will add a brewery and more retail space.
Starbucks Coffee, the worldwide caffeine phenomenon, got its start at Pike Place Market, and travelers can still get a drink at the original Starbucks Café there. Coffee lovers will also enjoy a visit to the nearby Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room, which opened eight blocks away in 2014.
“This is a massive facility where Starbucks roasts and distributes all of their reserve coffee for distribution all over the world,” Boesche said. “It’s a really neat experience. You can do tasting flights and try different coffee preparations.”
San Juan Islands: Water and Wildlife
It’s a bit of a hike north from Seattle to the San Juan Islands, which sit about 100 miles away at the mouth of Puget Sound. But the trip pays off in big ways, with water, wildlife and a taste of laid-back island culture Pacific Northwest style.
“We’re most known for our watchable wildlife,” said Barbara Marrett, communications manager for the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau. “We have resident orca whales that come in the summer, from April through September. Humpback whales and minke whales are here for a good portion of the year. Seals are here year-round, and we have more nesting pairs of bald eagles than any other county in the lower 48 states.”
Many active visitors to the islands choose to explore the area via sea kayak, and outfitters can take groups out on guided paddles, as well to see local wildlife and the 1919 Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Sightseeing cruise companies offer more relaxed ways to see the whales and other highlights of the islands.
After time out on the water, many visitors are pleasantly surprised to discover the art culture on the islands.
“We’re a mecca for the arts,” Marrett said. “We have a very new, very contemporary San Juan Islands Museum of Art in Friday Harbor. We also have a 20-acre sculpture park, which is one of the largest in the world and has more than 125 sculptures.”
For more information contact hte Washington Tourism Alliance at 1-800-544-1800 or go to www.experiencewa.com
