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Best of the Basics (part one) - by
Natalie M. Kreick
Brian and I are lucky enough to have great friends
and family who will make the long trek, it seems everyone
lives far enough to have to fly, to come visit us here
in Seattle. Most guests expect rainy weather, grunge
music on every station, and assume that they will probably
lose about 20lbs in their stay here as everyone is a
vegetable loving vegan and we will feed them nothing
but tofu and coffee. Before I moved to the area I too
had the same stereotypical idea of what the area would
be like, basically rainy and depressing. I was pleasantly
surprised to learn that Seattle was steeped with culture,
had a unique style that separated it from the rest of
the country, and offered plenty of things to do besides
listen to grunge music while eating my tofu burger and
watching the rain come pouring down.
In our years of showing visitors to the area we have
devised a basic, yet entertaining, schedule of events
that shows off the best of Seattle and some of its surrounding
areas. I would like to share with you a Top Ten list
of our favorite things to do for newcomers or guests
that have always been successful for us. They are in
no particular order; it was too difficult to pick favorites!
While much of our itinerary may be old hat for natives,
those relocating to the region are virtually obligated
to partake in the "Kreick Tour" within their
first year of moving to the area! These are basic Seattle
area activities which will give visitors and newbies
a real feel for our grand city and much of the surrounding
areas.
Without further ado, here are the first five activities
from our list; stay tuned for the other five!
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1. The Space Needle- Ok, this is a no
brainier, but a trip to Seattle isn't complete
without a trip to our renowned landmark! The Space
Needle was the brainchild of a Seattle businessman
who created the space aged tower for the 1962
Seattle World's fair and has since become the
very symbol of Seattle. Tickets are $12 for adults,
$10 for kids 11-17 and seniors, and children aged
4-10 can get in for $5. Those who dine at the
Space Needle's restaurant can visit the observation
deck for free. For more information call (206)
628-0888.
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2. Downtown Seattle-
I remember reading an article in USA Today some
time ago about the best downtowns in the country
and was not shocked to learn that Seattle was ranked
in the top five. It's not hard to see why considering
all that the downtown area has to offer. |
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There is, of course, Pike Place Market and the
water front, great shopping, and tons of delectable
restaurants. It's a great place to bring a group
of people with dissimilar ideas of fun as there
is so much to do. Those with an eye for art can
head for the Seattle Art Museum (www.seatteartmuseum.org),
kids love the aquarium (www.seattleaquarium.org)
and history buffs will get a kick out of the underground
Seattle tour in Pioneer Square (206 682-4646).
Whatever your idea of fun is, you will probably
find something in downtown Seattle to keep you
entertained.
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3. Spirit of Washington Dinner Train-
This can be a bit pricey, rates are an average
of $60, but it is well worth the money. The remodeled
vintage train leaves Renton and takes you over
the Wilburton Trestle and along Lake Washington's
shoreline to the Columbia Winery in Woodinville
where passengers leave the train for a 45 minute
stopover. The winery offers tours, wine tasting
(free!), and shopping; passengers receive a 10%
discount on all wines. Brian and I have ridden
the dinner train twice, once by ourselves and
once with out of town guests, and have had a wonderful
time on each trip. I found it to be a great way
to entertain out of town guests as you can not
only do lots of socializing, but get to sightsee
at the same time. Check out their website, www.spiritofwashingtondinnertrain.com,
for more detailed information.
4. Fremont area- With its eclectic shops
and distinctive art galleries, Fremont is a great
way to spend an afternoon and find quirky little
souvenirs or that perfect, yet distinctly unconventional,
piece of art to hang over the fireplace. The best
day to visit this funky little nook in Seattle
is on Sunday when Fremont holds is weekly flea
market. While it's not the world's biggest flea
market , they do offer a great variety of goodies
from jewelry, art, linens and lots of furniture;
beware though, much of the furniture has been
"shabby chiced." In layman's terms that
basically means that the furniture and home décor
has been painted white and distressed. A cute
look, but not if you are looking for something
in its original condition and at half the price.
The market also offers produce, the amount and
type depends on the time of year, and beautiful
bouquets of flowers. To get directions and other
information visit the Fremont Flea Market website
at
www.fremontmarket.com.
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5. Mount Rainier National
Park- What better way to spend a beautiful sunny
day than outside, and what better place than our
city's beautiful backdrop, Mount Rainier. Brian
and I headed out to the mountain for a day hike
with some out of town guests this past June, and
I am kicking myself for waiting so long to get out
there. After a little investigating we decided to
visit on of the parks more popular sites, |
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Paradise, that was purportedly offered breathtaking
views as well as several hiking trails that attracted
city slickers, hard core outdoors people and everything
in between. The drive was relatively short, about
2 ½ hours from Seattle, and was well worth
it as the views up to Paradise exceeded all of
my expectations. Be sure to stop at Narada Falls,
about 3 miles before you hit Paradise, to catch
more spectacular views. Once at Paradise we stopped
in at the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center and
decided to hike the Skyline Trail which was just
over five miles long. The hike was often quite
steep, but definitely worth the effort. The view
of the summit of Mt. Rainier was tremendous as
were views of the Cascades. A word of advice to
those inexperienced in hiking; layer up, the weather
can change in an instant at that altitude, wear
sunscreen, and bring the appropriate shoes that
have good traction. You will be hiking above the
timberline and in the snow. My out of town guest,
against my warnings, wore a tank top and tennis
shoes. She left the mountain sun burned and bruised
from all the falls. To learn more about Mt. Rainier
and its many sites and trails (over 200) visit
www.nps.gov/mora
or www.mount.rainier.national-park.com.
Best of
the Basics (part two)
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