I Love This
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and I when I was a kid I thought that every place in the world had Totem Poles. My grandfather also had elaborately carved Swiss clocks and Barvarian wooden knick knacks on his shelves. So, you know I love this site of Native American art. Click here for >>>Northwest Coast Carvings<<<.
Take a Camera to the Seattle Center for Cheap Fun!
I was just exploring WordPress and I found a Kindred Spirit.
The gal at the blog The Unconsumer Advocate sounds a lot like me, when I was younger. I’ve already raised my kids, but I used to try to find cool things to do that were cheap or free in Seattle when my kids were younger.
Anyway, I thought I’d send some of my pals to this blog (written by Katy) for more cheap ideas. (Honestly, I don’t know this person, but she sounds cool.)
>>>Learned something from Katy: It’s good to know that renting a kayak was a long wait. I didn’t know how bad it would be, but I’m not surprised.
I couldn't find a pic of Marymoor. Let's try this instead...
Cheap is good. Free is better. Check out the Marymoor Outdoor Movies.
The suggested price is $5.00, but you don’t have to pay it. So, it’s free for people like me (and you). Check out these movies at Marymoor Park in Redmond WA.
By the way, I think that a lot of my taxes go to support the King County Parks, I want all of you to get MY money’s worth!
EMP is not a tourist trap. Experience Music Project is a true shrine to Seattle Rock. Take 3 visionaries: Paul Allen, Frank Gehry, and Jimi Hendrix, then shake. Voila, it’s Magic.
After driving past the EMP Seattle Building for ages, I finally decided to stop in. This place is amazing.
Click here for my REVIEW OF EMP. I love my city. In the summer, Seattle is as beautiful as Switzerland. In the winter, it’s a tiny knock off of London. If we could beam up parts of Musee d’Orsay, there would never be a reason to leave.
Six Degrees of Dale Chihuly
The title of this post is a spoof of: Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, which is a trivia game, based on the concept of the small world phenomen. The Six Degrees game rests on the assumption that any actor can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps.
My contention is that in Small Town Seattle, any Seattleite can be linked to another Seattleite by one or two degrees of separation. For example, there’s someone who used to be part of my family who went to school with Bill Gates. That’s two degrees of separation, I believe.
And, in a serendipitous moment, I met Dale Chihuly in a parking lot. That links me to the famous artist in one degree. And, Chihuly is one of my idols. It was like running into Mick Jagger in a grocery store. (Mssr Chihuly gave me a beautiful book of his glassworks.)
It was so totally random, but very meaningful to me because I was on my way to see the inside of the Frank Gehry building (EMP), the music shrine to Jimi Hendrix. When I looked at the organic qualities of the Gehry building, I kept thinking about the similarities between Experience Music Project’s shell and the organic sea shells of Chihuly’s spiritual glass shapes.
Wow. I love Seattle. And, I love the people here. Thank you, Dale Chihuly, for being a regular guy and not a prima donna.
Green Lake Seattle
Seattleites lived in an isolated, provincial city before Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, and other local companies brought in thousands of outsiders. It is easy for a Seattle local to tell when a newcomer has landed in this interesting, but rainy, city when the visitor doesn’t use the same lingo.
Go to Speak Like a Seattleite. Be cool and hip…well, at least you won’t sound clueless when visiting friends. And if someone giving directions to you says, “It’s down at The Waterfront,” you won’t think they mean Green Lake, Shilshole, or Lake Washington.
Photo courtesy of: seattle.gov
Seattle Skyline seen from Elliot Bay Credit-Wikipedia/Raime
Here’s the list of cruise hotels with transportation to either Seattle Cruise Terminal. They are all in or near Downtown Seattle.
EXECUTIVE HOTEL PACIFIC - TOWN CAR AVAILABLE FOR EXTRA FEE (in the business district)
HILTON SEATTLE (in the business district)
PAN PACIFIC SEATTLE (not quite Belltown, not quite Seattle Center, almost South Lake Union – Cheap or Free Streetcar right outside)
QUALITY INN & SUITES HOTEL – SEATTLE CENTER (walking distance to Seattle Center, not too far from South Lake Union – across a busy street, not a bad location but not convenient to some tourist things)
RED LION HOTEL ON FIFTH AVENUE (Near downtown shopping, not too far from anything)
RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT – LAKE UNION/DOWNTOWN – TOWN CAR AVALAILABLE FOR EXTRA FEE (near good waterfront restaurants on Lake Union)
SIXTH AVENUE INN (Belltown-ish)
(ps The photo above is from Queen Anne Hill, not the water)
Pike Place Market
Seatown is known for coffee, but there’s more to the story. Fresh seafood, James Beard talent, energetic and creative minds, and an infusion of worldly people have made this little burg into something unique. There are many fun things to do in Seattle WA, but take a sniff of these cool Seattle tours for foodies. They are mostly walking tours and they come with local stories (gossip?).
Some of these tours are not as cheap as Miss Cheapster (me, unless someone else is paying) would like… though read about these yummy Seattle Tours and decide for yourself.
View from Ivars Salmon House
Most Seattle locals can’t afford spendy restaurants for their seafood fix. They go to Ivars Salmon House, Ivars Fish Bar, Chinook’s, or Spud’s. The good news, for people on a Seattle vacation, is that the best cheap seafood restaurants in Seattle WA are also on (or nearby) the water.
Read about some cool little Seattle seafood spots for people who are light on cash.
Photo Courtesy of EZ Times Outfitters and VisitRainier.com
Money is tight, but necessity is the mother of invention. (This means: come up with something cheap so the kids don’t get restless during summer.)
Here are some of the best places for kids to have fun at Mount Rainier or near Mount Rainier National Park. Even daytrips can work wonders as mini vacation getaways.
Here are some ideas like Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad, trail ride outfitters, and Northwest Trek.
