We woke up early on Sunday morning and were at the Space Needle by 8:15, well before our ticketed time. There was no line, so we hopped on the elevator and rode to the top.
We had a family photo taken (part of the ticket price) and were able to manipulate the background in the Space Needle app.
Will is not to fond of heights and chose to stay inside while the rest of us walked around, taking in the views.
The Space Needle is completely touristy but Gene and I had never been on previous trips to Seattle.
These glass floors are new and just slighly scary! They rotate slowly too.
After coming back down to earth, we went next door to the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum, which was spectacular. Dale Chihuly is a glass sculptor and his work is mind-blowing. We enjoyed the museum and gardens so much.
Henry and a turtle
Chandeliers
The garden
By this time, it wasn't even 10am and nothing else was open, so we found a local coffee shop for a quick break before heading to MoPOP (the Museum of Pop Culture).
We hadn't originally planned to visit MoPOP because many of the exhibits focus on popular music, and that's just not our thing. But then we discovered that there were fantasy, sci-fi and gaming exhibits and we were sold. The museum did not disappoint!
Entrance to the fantasy exhibit
There was something for everyone. Dorothy's dress from The Wizard of Oz for me,
Magic cards for Will, and
The Lord of the Rings swords for all the boys.
The indie gaming exhibit was also very fun and interactive.
After a very full morning, we had a late lunch and downtime in our hotel before heading out to visit my good friend Leigh and her family. Leigh and Tyler invited us over for dinner (local salmon and smashed potatoes and other delicious goodies!) and it was so fun to catch up with friends of nearly 20 years. Henry and little Remy got on famously.
On Tuesday morning, we rode the monorail to go see Tyler at Amazon.
I'm not a fan of Amazon and we rarely purchase from them anymore, but Tyler is an employee and took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of his building. He also took us over to the Spheres, which are huge greenhouse buildings on the Amazon campus.
We also learned that Jeff Bezos believes that bananas are brain food and he has several banana stands around the campus, offering free bananas (as many as you want) to anyone. Each stand is manned by two employees and you can just walk up and take a banana (or ten).
Tyler needed to get back to work, but he directed us to Din Tai Fung for lunch. It was delicious!
In the afternoon, we went on an underground tour of Seattle. In 1889, there was a massive fire that destroyed 31 blocks in downtown Pioneer Square. Miraculously, no one was killed. After the fire, the city required new buildings to be built of fire-resistant stone or brick and that the streets be regraded to prevent flooding. The business owners rebuilt before the streets were filled in, meaning that that what was once the first first floor became the basement within a few years. Sidewalks became passageways, and the underground tour takes visitors through a few of these underground spaces. It was a fascinating look at Seattle's history.
Original skylights
After our tour, we walked around the corner to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (there is also a sister location in Skagway), where we learned all about the Klondike Gold Rush.
On our way back home, we stumbled upon bookshop #2 of 7.
On our final morning in Seattle, we had a few hours to kill before getting on the cruise ship, so we visited the Pike Place market. We found yet another bookstore (#3), fresh blueberries, chowder, and more. It was the perfect end to the Seattle part of our trip.
Seattle was so much fun that we hope to get back again soon!
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