Things to Do in Washington

Inspiring a lifelong interest in math, science, and technology, the Pacific Science Center is a museum of delight, wonder and mystery. By exploring the inner depths of what makes this universe tick, the Pacific Science Center gives visitors a chance to be bedazzled by the diversity of life in a tropical butterfly house, gaze at the stars in the planetarium, test your puzzle solving skills in the Puzzle Palooza, or explore hundreds of hands-on exhibits that both exemplify and glorify the science of exploration. Occupying approximately 7 acres of the north side of Seattle’s famed Seattle Center, the Pacific Science Center is a 21st century museum designed by Minoru Yamasaki - the selfsame architect that designed the World Trade Center in New York City. Be sure to catch a show at the IMAX or the Laser Dome – one of the largest laser shows in the country.

In Woodland Park, up the hill from Green Lake Park, the Woodland Park Zoo is one of Seattle's greatest tourist attractions, consistently rated as one of the top 10 zoos in the country. It was one of the first in the nation to free animals from their restrictive cages in favor of ecosystem enclosures, where animals from similar environments share large spaces designed to replicate their natural surroundings.

The Woodland Park Zoo thrills with superb attractions including such exhibits as a tropical rain forest, two gorilla exhibits, and an African savanna. One of the best exhibits is the brown bear enclosure, which realistically resembles an Alaskan stream and hillside. Another highlight is the elephant forest, where the zoo’s pachyderms have plenty of space to rumble around. For kids, there’s the farm-animal area and the interactive Zoomazium, where kids can see what its like to be wild animals.

If Seattle takes credit for the birth of the grunge movement and thus leading garage bands into what is now all-star rock fame, then it only serves as fair that the museum dedicated to all things rock and roll be located in Seattle’s boundaries. For a city that loves music, the Experience Music Project was a foregone conclusion. Attached to and now incorporated with the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, a trip to the EMP Museum offers more than an introspective into passing memorabilia – it’s a look at the outreaches of our collective imagination made manifest by rock gods and science fiction greats. Designed by wildly famous architect Frank Gehry and funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the surreal jellyfish-like structure is as much a part of the interest in the museum as the exhibits themselves.

Summertime in Seattle is when everyone comes out to enjoy the fine weather. For fun in the sun, no other Seattle icon speaks of the free-wheeling carefree attitude of this city than the Seattle Great Wheel. One of the biggest Ferris Wheels in the United States, the Seattle Great Wheel is open year-round with fully enclosed gondolas, making it one of the best viewing ports in the entire west coast. Standing over 175 feet tall and weighing in at over a quarter of a million pounds, the Seattle Great Wheel lives up to its name as one of the world’s truly great Ferris wheels.

There are a few viewpoints along the road leading from highway I-5 to Mount St. Helens, but the best (and closest to the volcano) is the Johnston Ridge Observatory.

The Johnston Ridge Observatory is at the end of State Route 504, and the visitor center overlooks not only the yawning crater of Mount St. Helens but also a huge swath of the blast zone. Exhibits walk visitors through what happened on the morning of May 18, 1980, as well as the scientific history that led up to that enormous eruption. There are trails that begin at the Observatory for day hikes, including a half-mile trail that offers great views into the crater. Johnston Ridge is named for the volcanologist David Johnston, who was surveying changes in Mount St. Helens in May of 1980 when it finally erupted. He was never found.

One of Seattle’s premier destinations for wine, art, and festivals, the Seattle Center is the 74-acre heart of all events in the Seattle area. Originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair, this vibrant hub of activity for Seattle holds some of the area’s best attractions. The Seattle Space Needle (once the tallest building west of the Mississippi) is here, as is the International Fountain, the famous Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, as well as the Kobe Bell, Mercer Arena, and the Pacific Science Center. Great for a family day in the park, for catching one of the numerous music concerts or cultural events, or for visiting the center’s many restaurants, the Seattle Center is one stop that you can’t miss.

Nature certainly has its miracles and you can see one of its highlights at the Chittenden Locks & Fish Ladder, locally known as the Ballard Locks, where you can see salmon fighting their way to their spawning grounds in the Cascade headwaters of the Sammamish River, which feeds Lake Washington.

Watching the salmon climb the fish ladder is pretty exciting. You can watch the fish from underwater glass-sided tanks or from above (nets are installed to keep salmon from over-leaping and stranding themselves on the pavement). In the past, the fish runs at Chittenden Locks & Fish Ladder have attracted sea lions that try to swallow the salmon as they go by. On the northern entrance to the Chittenden Locks & Fish Ladder is the Carl English, Jr., Botanical Gardens, a charming arboretum and specimen garden. Trails wind through gardens filled with mature trees and flower gardens. Flanking the gardens is a small museum and visitors center documenting the history of the locks.

The Chinatown-International District, often simply referred to as the I.D., is the multiethnic center of Seattle’s Asian community. Coincidentally, it is also one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and thus, is chalk-full with plenty of history and culture. Some highlights include Kobe Terrace, a small terraced park on a hillside showcasing a urban community garden and Mt. Fuji cherry trees, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience as well as the many cultural festivals that are held each year, such as the Lunar New Year celebration and Bon Odori.

Most people head to the Chinatown-International District because of the abundance of authentic restaurants though, which sell everything under the sun from dim sum to banh mi. Many of these eateries are tiny mom and pop type shops or food carts and offer completely authentic flavors and experiences.

One of Seattle’s top attractions is Lake Union, a freshwater glacial lake enhancing the aesthetics of the area while also offering a number of recreational activities. For those who want to be in the water, kayaking, standup paddle boarding and canoeing are popular activities. If you’d rather stay dry there are a number of things to do around Lake Union’s shores, mainly exploring the many scenic parks like Fairview Park, South Lake Union Park, North Passage Point Park, Gas Works Park, and Terry Pettus Park.

While at Lake Union you can also visit the Naval Reserve Building, home to the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI). Along with a permanent collection holding over 100,000 objects, -- some of which include Seattle artifacts, local inventions, maritime pieces, local artwork and historical textiles -- there are rotating exhibits, historical workshops and lectures, and public tours.

Glass artist Dale Chihuly was born down the highway a bit in Tacoma, but he has left his glittering mark on the city of Seattle in many places – perhaps nowhere more than the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum at Seattle Center.

The museum opened in 2012 and features four different areas. The Glasshouse is just what you'd expect from the name – a 40-foot glass-covered building with Chihuly's famous flower-like sculptures hanging from the ceiling. The entire piece is 100 feet long. The Garden is, as you'd expect, an outdoor space with Chihuly glass sculptures in different places. Inside the Exhibition Hall you'll find a Chihuly retrospective covering his career, showcasing his often monumental glass artwork beautifully. The Theater shows videos about Chihuly's art and his work.

One of the longest lava tubes in North America, the Ape Cave Lava Tube, is in southwest Washington near Mount St. Helens.

Ape Cave is in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest south of Mount St. Helens, the Washington volcano that erupted in memorable fashion in May 1980. The lava tube wasn't created by the 1980 blast, however; a logger discovered it in the early 1950s, and local Boy Scouts known as the Apes did the first extensive surveys of the tube before providing the cave its name. It's believed the tubes were formed about 2,000 years ago, but these lava formations are unusual for this part of the world – most volcanoes in the area don't produce the kind of fast-flowing lava that formed the Ape Cave tubes. There are two lava tubes at Ape Cave. The upper tube is larger, although the lower tube is easier to explore. Ape Cave is the longest continuous lava tube in the country at about 2.5 miles in total, and one of the longest on the continent.

Touting itself as the “Center of the Known Universe,” it’s hard to beat this signature Seattle neighborhood’s charms. Known for a funky, irreverent, imaginative environment, Fremont is a bastion of Seattle creative-types and a hotbed for interesting Seattle landmarks. See the Fremont Troll – a giant concrete troll molded under the Aurora Bridge, a slew of murals painted across walkways and bridges throughout the area, the controversial and engaging Vladimir Lenin stature in Fremont’s commercial district, or the 50’s era Cold War rocket still poised for takeoff. Sure, there are a lot of things to see in Fremont, but the best part of this old beatnik neighborhood is the attitude of the freewheeling people and the many shops, restaurants, and pubs they inhabit.

Many of us regularly sip wine at home with a good meal, but for those wanting to know the history behind the rich liquid inside the glass, the Chateau Ste. Michelle Vineyards opens its gates to visitors. The French style winery dispels the myth that good wine can only be produced in warm climates and proves that great wines can most definitely come from Washington state. It is located in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains in the Columbia Valley, where warmer temperatures and less wet weather allow the vines to flourish. With over 100 years of tradition to look back on, Chateau Ste. Michelle prides itself on combining old world winemaking with modern innovations and thus operates two modern wineries for both red and white wine.

There are regular guided tours and tastings held, which give insight into the bottling and fermentation process and refine the palette as well as show how to properly smell, swirl and taste wine.