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| Coffee tourism! Who knew? Not us, at least not until guest Guy Pfanz, who founded Alliance World Coffees, told us that three of the most famous "third wave" coffee purveyors are within walking distance. So visit Espresso Vivace at 532 Broadway Avenue East (.9 miles from The Corner House), where David Schomer teaches latte art; Victrola Coffee and Art at 411 15th Avenue East (.3 miles); and Stumptown, out of Portland, at 1115 12th Avenue (.9 miles). A whale of a time (orca whales, that is) Many whale-watching trips depart from Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands, accessible by ferry from Anacortes, WA. Guests without a car to get to Anacortes can take the Victoria Clipper day-trip. Seasonal May-September. Seattle visitors' pass Are you an energetic tourist planning to visit multiple attractions? You can save by using the Go Seattle card, available on line and at several downtown locations. Ten things you MUST do (according to Seattle's Convention & Visitors Bureau) Seattle Center, 400 Broad St.; 206.905.2100
A 41-second elevator ride takes you up 520 feet to the observation deck of the Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair. Enjoy a meal at SkyCity, the restaurant at the top that revolves 360° while you dine.
Pike Place Market - 1.9 miles from The Corner House
Between First Ave. and Western, from Pike to Virginia streets Born in 1907, Seattle's Pike Place Market is the granddaddy of our farmers' markets. Today, it's a major tourist attraction with 200 businesses operating year-round, 190 craftspeople and 120 farmer booths - plus street performers and musicians. Flowers
by the bucketful, flying fish, fresh pastries and fruit, handmade cheeses, local honey, wine, an assortment of restaurants, import goods, antiques, collectibles and lots of surprises are around every corner.
Ferries - 2.1 miles from The Corner House
Traveling by ferry is a state of mind as much as a means of transportation to some of the Puget Sound's most historic and scenic sites. Views of the Olympic and Cascade mountains, the Seattle cityscape and the green shorelines will draw you out onto the deck to feel the salt breeze on your face. The state ferry system takes passengers and their vehicles from Seattle and nearby departure points to Vashon Island, the Kitsap Peninsula, the San Juan Islands and Canada. (You'll need that vehicle, though, to get to Anacortes for the trip to the San Juans and Canada.)
Seattle Aquarium - 1.8 miles from The Corner House
Pier 59; 206.386.4300
Meet Alki, the sea otter pup born at the Aquarium. Walk under the water in a glass dome as bluntnose sixgill sharks and other Elliott Bay creatures swim all around you. Touch a sea anemone. Learn about the lives of salmon at the world's first aquarium- based salmon ladder. Marvel at the impossibly bright-colored coral reef fish. And don't forget to wave to the giant Pacific octopus.
The Seattle Waterfront - 1.8 miles from The Corner House
Piers 52 to 70 on Alaskan Way
A bustling collection of attractions, restaurants and shopping, as well as starting points for ferries, cruise ships, the Victoria Clipper and Argosy boat tours are located here. Feed the seagulls at the statue of Ivar Haglund in front of Ivar's Acres of Clams, stroll by the fountains on the wooden piers of Waterfront Park, admire the view or shop for souvenirs.
Woodland Park Zoo - 6 miles from The Corner House
South Gate: 750 N. 50th St; 206.684.4800
See more than 1,000 animals of 300 different species, from elephants and gorillas to piranhas and penguins, in naturalistic exhibits at the Woodland Park Zoo. Drop by at scheduled feeding times and talk with the people who care for the animals.
Bill Speidel's Underground Tour - 2.1 miles from The Corner House
608 First Ave.; 206.682.4646 After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city was rebuilt over the top of the ruins. This guided tour takes visitors through the hidden subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and storefronts of old downtown Seattle and tells stories of the frontier people who lived and worked there.
The Seattle Public Library - 1.5 miles from The Corner House
1000 Fourth Ave.; 206.386.4636
Designed by world-renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the award-winning glass and steel structure of the new Central Library makes the building seem a little off- kilter and translucent - allowing passersby on the street to look in. Love it or hate it? This and other recent structures signal Seattle's increasing willingness to be, and look like, a city.
Tillicum Village - 1.9 miles to Pier 55 boat tour from The Corner House
Blake Island; 206.933.8600
A short, narrated cruise takes you to an island village, where you'll feast on salmon cooked in the authentic Native American way. A stage show of traditional dances and stories entertains and teaches you about the people who lived in the Northwest first.
Ride the Ducks of Seattle - 2.3 miles from The Corner House
516 Broad Street; 800.817.1116 or 206.441.3825
425.227.7245
"When was the last time you drove a truck into the water on purpose?" Good question. Take a foolish and informative tour of Seattle on land and water. Tours depart every half hour from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week. And our own recommendations Seattle Art Museum
SAM Downtown - 1.8 miles from The Corner House
100 University Street; 206.654.3100
Seattle Asian Art Museum - 1 mile from The Corner House
1400 East Prospect St. in Volunteer Park; 206.654.3100
Olympic Sculpture Park - 3 miles from The Corner House
2901 Western Ave.; 206.654.3100
Washington Park Arboretum - 1.7 miles from The Corner House
2300 Arboretum Dr. E.; 206.543.8800
Designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm, the Arboretum was developed with WPA funds and labor. More than half of its 20,000 trees, shrubs and vines are catalogued in collections. Collections include rhododendron, azalea, mountain ash, pine, spruce, cedar, fir, crabapple, holly, magnolia, camellia, and Japanese maple.
Volunteer Park - 1 mile from The Corner House
1400 E. Galer St.; 206.684.4743
A pleasant walk from the Corner House, Volunteer Park features a five-part glass conservatory, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, a bandstand, children's play area and wading pool, picnic tables, restrooms, tennis courts, trails and paths, the water tower, and views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Peninsula, the Cascade Mountains and downtown Seattle. Experience Music Project - 2.1 miles from The Corner House
325 5th Ave. N.; 206.367.5483
A testament to the devotion of Paul Allen (a mind-bogglingly wealthy Seattle software entrepreneur) to the music of a another Seattleite who could hardly have been more different - Jimi Hendrix. The museum combines "interactive and interpretive exhibits...world-class collection of artifacts, (and) unique architecture by Frank O. Gehry. Lovers of American popular music gotta see it. Then you can visit Jimi's grave in Greenwood Memorial Park, Renton. And the statue of him playing his Stratocaster near Broadway and Pine on Capitol Hill. If you don't care that much, and are just curious about the odd colorful blob of a building, you don't have to pay to learn all about it in the lobby.
The Fremont Troll - 3.8 miles from The Corner House
N. 36th St. at Troll Ave. N. (trolls don't have phones and websites)
He's a mythological beast, an exemplar of public art, who lives under the Aurora bridge in the Fremont neighborhood and gnaws on a full-size, California-plated Volkswagen Beetle. Once you're there, other Fremont attractions include two favorite works of art, "Waiting for the Interurban" and the statue of Vladimir Lenin, salvaged in Slovakia by a local. Oh, and if you like almost painfully pure chocolate, taste your way through the factory at Theo.
Many other possibilities:
Klondike Gold Rush Museum This free museum, a little-known treasure, is operated by the National Park Service to preserve the history of the 1897-98 Alaskan gold rush and Seattle's part in the frenzy. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks) Boats are lifted and let down on their way between Lake Washington and Puget Sound; beautiful gardens surround them; see the fish ladders and underground salmon viewing windows. Shilshole Bay
You can rent a sailboat or just ogle the sailboats of others, perhaps from the deck of one of the good fish restaurants.
Live theater and movies Seattleites love them both.
Greenlake
Take a just-under-three-miles power walk or amble around this small urban lake.
Lake Washington
If a 55-mile bike ride is your thing, whiz around the big lake.
Bookstores!
Elliott Bay, Half-Price Books, Twice-Sold Tales, Third Place Books, the University of Washington Bookstore, and many, many more.
World-class symphony and opera
Elegant venues and fine acoustics, with great on-hold music. (For another treat, try calling City of Seattle offices, which feature Seattle musicians while you wait.) Kayaking and bicycling Kayaks and bikes take you where your sore feet can't. Rent them by the hour from several vendors; click for a sample. See Bikely for the many miles of bike routes, trails and paths. Been there and done that? Get out of town! Some suggestions: Tour wineries; visit Snoqualmie Falls, higher than Niagara (site of the Northwest Noir TV series "Twin Peaks"); watch orca whales; see Mount Rainier or Mount St. Helens; visit Northwest Trek wildlife refuge; take the Clipper from downtown Seattle to Victoria or the San Juan Islands. | |
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