Favorite Sites & Experiences
Ballard
Fremont/Wallingford
Downtown/Seattle Center/South Lake Union
Magnolia/Queen Anne
South of Downtown (SODO)
University District
West Seattle
Outside Seattle Proper
- Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder
- Golden Gardens Park—take in a sunset/bonfire/BBQ
- Farmers Market—on Sundays in the heart of Ballard
Fremont/Wallingford
- Agua Verde Café and Paddle Club—fun to kayak to/from; on Portage Bay between Wallingford and the University District
- Archie McPhee’s—located in Wallingford; a quirky shop for all sorts of odd, mostly plastic, stuff
- Farmers Market—on Wednesdays at the historic Good Shepherd Center
- Gasworks Park—located in Wallingford at the northern end of Lake Union; picnic or fly a kite
Downtown/Seattle Center/South Lake Union
- International District
- Catch a show at the Showbox, the Crocodile, Moore, or Paramount theatres
- Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum at the Seattle Center—new art experience showcasing the most significant works of internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer Dale Chihuly ($19/ticket)
- Kayaking on Lake Union
- Museum of History and Industry
- Pike Place Market—explore the different levels, food and crafts, and the first Starbucks café across from Pike Place Market
- Pioneer Square Waterfall—great place to eat your lunch outside if you work downtown
- REI flagship store in South Lake Union
- Seattle Art Museum—first Thursday of the month is FREE admission to all
- Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park/Elliot Bay Park—wonderful walk along Elliot Bay
- Seattle Aquarium
- Seattle Duck Tour—fun land/water tour of the city
- Seattle Public Library—the central branch is a design marvel, and many neighborhood branches are worth visiting as well
- Space Needle and the Seattle Center—the Needle is worth it on a sunny day or if you have guests visiting
- Underground Tour in Pioneer Square—very entertaining with focus on the history of early Seattle
- Green Lake/Phinney Ridge
- Farmers Market—Friday afternoons on Phinney Ridge at the historic Phinney Neighborhood Center; can pick up a great dinner
- Green Lake—run/walk/bike/rollerblade the 2.8 mile path or take the paddleboat on the lake; you will also find tennis courts, soccer fields, lawn bowling and pitch-and-putt golf at Seattle’s most popular city park
- Woodland Park Zoo on Phinney Ridge—world-renowned zoo is just west of Green Lake
Magnolia/Queen Anne
- Discovery Park in Magnolia—explore the bluffs, beach and rainforest-like woods of this in-city park; miles of trails for running or hiking
- Kerry Park on the top of Queen Anne—quintessential Seattle viewpoint
South of Downtown (SODO)
- The Living Computer Museum—new museum that presents the meaningful milestones in the evolution of computers and how people use them. Walk through (and play on!) a collection of computers assembled by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and learn about how these devices put Bill Gates and him on the path to founding the company (student tickets: $2/ticket
- Centurylink Field—watch a Sounders game or go on a tour of the stadium (daily tours at 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm for $7/ticket) and get a behind-the-scenes loo
- Safeco Field—Mariners games are always a good option for a sunny afternoon!
- Museum of Flight
University District
- Farmers Market—held on Saturday morning
- Washington Park Arboretum and Japanese Garden—plank walk on Lake Washington is especially fun
- University Village shopping center—known as “UVillage”
West Seattle
- Alki Beach--play in the sand or walk/run the 3-mile path and catch some gorgeous views of the city
Outside Seattle Proper
- Camano Island—doesn’t require a ferry, about an hour away
- Favorite hikes: Mt. Si, Wallace Falls, Snow Lake, Denny Creek
- Mount Rainier National Park
- Mount St. Helens
- Museum of Glass in Tacoma
- San Juan Islands
- Snoqualmie Falls
- Take a ferry: to Bainbridge Island (Winslow is very cute), Vashon Island, Whidbey Island