Exploring Seattle in 2 days
Let’s say you’re in town for the weekend and you only have two days to take in the sights of Seattle. What do you do? I suggest buying a CityPass book, first. It costs about $69 and saves you about 40 percent off the regular admission to places, such as the Space Needle, EMP Museum, Seattle Aquarium and the harbor cruise.
Plan your strategy ahead of time. A lot of fun attractions can be found along the Waterfront. Then, if you’re using the CityPass, you can plan your time for the Seattle Center – home to the Space Needle, EMP Museum, Chihuly Gardens and the Pacific Science Center. We used the plan to spend two days checking out attractions in Seattle.
Original Starbucks
We started our day at about 9 a.m. with a latte at the original Starbucks – Ground Zero, as they call it – across the street from Pike Place.
We took our lattes and headed across the street to visit the vendors and stores at Pike Place. Depending on what time you get there, some vendors may be ready, whiles others are still setting up. Our family has grown fond of Chukar Cherries. They’re now must-have gifts whenever any of us visit the Emerald City.
Pike Place Market
A favorite of most Pike Place visitors is the fish market. The employees regularly throw fish from in front of the spot to the guy at the scale. We’ve been fortunate to see them throw both fish and crabs (this was big during the holiday season).
Other interesting stores included a Native American gift store with lots of Northwestern Native art for sale.
Save your shopping until the end of the day, because you don’t want to be carrying bags around all day. Check store times before leaving.
Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium opens at 9:30 a.m. That’s usually the best spot to start on the Waterfront. Depending on your interest, you can spend 1-2 hours here. I am a fan of the Northwest coastal animals, such as the otters and shorebirds.
The ocean creatures are interesting, too. They have an octopus that’s worth checking it. During our visit, he appeared to be trying to escape by climbing to the top of its exhibit.
Argosy Cruise
After you complete your aquarium visit, it works well if you stop by the Argosy cruise line and get your ticket for the harbor cruise you want. Once you have your ticket, you can plan the rest of your Waterfront day. I usually go for the earliest cruise, which you can find at www.argosycruises.com.
The Great Wheel
The Great Wheel is located nearby. It opened on the Waterfront about four years ago. It gives a nice relaxing view of Puget Sound’s Elliott Bay and the cityscape. It’s not included in the CityPass, but it is worth the admission. And you may want to buy the photograph they take of you.
By now, it’s probably lunchtime. You can grab a variety of menu options at several places, including Elliott’s, Ivar’s, Red Robin and Crab Pot. These are all places we’ve eaten at over a few visits to Seattle. And we had good meals at each location.
So, let’s say it’s cruise time. The harbor cruise takes about an hour and you’ll learn a lot about the Seattle area and history. I’ve been on the cruise twice in about six months. Each time, I have learned something new.
So, you may be feeling a little drained by now. You can always grab another coffee at Starbucks or another refresher along the Waterfront or back at Pike Place. Remember, you need to finish some souvenir or treat shopping at Pike Place.
Welcome to Day Two of your short excursion to Seattle. What to do today? The Seattle Center, of course. It is home to great attractions and some other curiosities. You can check out a mural from the 1960 World’s fair that was held here. There are more sculptures, a totem pole, and even musicians performing. You can check out the monorail that runs between the center and Westlake downtown.
Save Money using Seattle CityPass
The Seattle CityPass includes your ticket to the Space Needle. So, spend as much time as you’d like there. As you proceed to the elevator that will take you almost 600 feet above the ground, check out the cool history placards along the path.
Space Needle
The Space Needle provides a 360-degree view of the area. You can take in the sights from inside the observation deck or you can venture outside. A high fence provides security outside. The view remains amazing!
The CityPass ticket allows people to visit the Needle twice – also at night. We’ve yet to do that. We look forward to visiting the Space Needle one evening.
The CityPass gives people an option of visiting the MoPOP Museum (formerly the EMP Museum) or the Woodland Park Zoo. It also gives a choice between the Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Pacific Science Center. We haven’t visited the science center, but we’ve been told it’s a great place to go with kids. Adults may also like it.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
The Chihuly Garden and Glass is an impressive center. It features the glass art work of Tacoma native and world-renowned Dale Chihuly. The center offers eight galleries and a glasshouse for taking in some of the most beautiful art you’ll ever see.
I think the garden is my favorite area. Chihuly has art pieces scattered among the actual plants and flowers in the garden. You can a reflection of the nearby Space Needle in several pieces, as well as on the glasshouse.
The MoPOP (formerly named the EMP/Sci Fi Museum) explores music, science fiction and pop culture. A Hello Kitty exhibit featuring thousands of pieces was on exhibit during my last two visits. A look at “Star Trek” will run from late May through early 2017.
The MoPOP has permanent collections featuring Seattle legends Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana. Guitars, clothing, and other items are on display from these icons.
ThSci-FiFi museum featured a look at a century of horror movies and why people love them so much. The exhibit featured items from actual movies, including “Shaun of the Dead,” “Gremlins,” “The Fly,” “Friday the 13th” and “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”
An examination of Fantasy movies was also on display. It included a dragon prop, as well items from movies, such as “Wizard of Oz,” “The Princess Bride” and the “Hobbit” series.
I’m sure you’ll work up an appetite during your visit to the Seattle Center. There are several restaurants in the area, including at the attractions themselves.
Once you finish your last attraction, you can call it a day. The neat thing about the Seattle center is that all the attractions are a few steps from each other.
We hope you have found the two-day itinerary helpful. Enjoy your visit to Seattle.
For more information on these attractions or the CityPass, please visit www.seattleattractions.com or www.citypass.com/seattle.
Disclaimer: Thank you to CityPass for providing complimentary passes. However, all views and opinions are ours.
