Seattle is the most commonly known and the most popular city in Washington. So when I found out that I will be visiting Washington, I honestly wished that it would be Seattle. But when I found out that the office of the company I used to work with is located in Tacoma, it saddened me. Haha! But of course, I don’t want to complain. But God is just so good He made way for me to see Seattle.
So with the kindness of the heart of our hosts in Tacoma, they brought us to Seattle for us to see the Emerald City. And not only once I’ve visited the city but thrice. And I just loved Seattle in an instant. Although there’s just too much cars in Seattle, something that I noticed because there are so many buildings in the city used just for parking. That’s why Seattle is one of the most car-congested cities in the United States.
But anyways, so the first time we were there, our hosts Dave and Derya brought us first to Pike Place Market, the very famous market in the world known for the fish throwing stunts of the fish vendors. Whether you’re shopping for farm fresh produce, unique foods from around the world, or handmade arts and crafts, you’ll find it at Pike Place Market. The Market is over 100 years old already, originating back in 1907 with a gathering of 8 farmers. That’s how it started.
On the same place you’ll find the Athenian Inn. This is where some scenes from the movie Sleepless in Seattle were filmed. It’s just a few steps away from the fish throwing vendors. We did not miss to take a picture as a remembrance. At the same time, on the same place also you’ll find the first Starbucks store. Starbucks opened its first store in 1971 in the Pike Place Market. Because the Market is a historic district with design guidelines, the store retained its original look. Too bad, I lost my picture taken with the store as the background. But I was able to get inside, lucky me!
So after seeing the famous market, we then went to Seattle Aquarium, known to be the 7th largest aquarium in the U.S.. The attraction is open daily, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Entrance fee for adults (ages 13 and above) costs $19.00/each, while for youth with ages 4-12 years old would need to pay $12.00 only. And for kids 3 years old and below, entrance is free. It’s a very nice attraction most especially for kids and young at heart.
After the visit in the aquarium, we continue our stroll and checked out the wharf area of Seattle, the Elliott Bay. In this area I was able to see Edgewater Hotel also. It seemed to be like most of the other high class hotel suites that was built in 1964 until August 21 came when the famous Beatles checked in to this hotel which helped marked its place in the history. Just like what our hosts said, when they showed us the hotel, the next statement they had was, “that’s where Beatles stayed”.
So we continued our stroll and saw more sights and scenes in the Emerald City. More walk, more sights. Haha! I really enjoyed the cold weather and the energy in the city.
Second time I went to Seattle, it was our friends Matt and Lindsay who brought us there for dinner and for another stroll. Tacoma is just 30-35 minutes away from Seattle that’s why it was so easy for us to be brought there.
Then the last visit to Seattle, we went there to watch a NBA game in Key Arena, home of the Seattle Supersonics. My first and unforgettable live basketball game. It was a very exciting experience and the tremendous energy inside the arena was just so awesome. I’m not a basketball fan but this experience changed my perception about basketball. After the game, we checked out another famous landmark in Seattle, the Space Needle.
My visit to Seattle was very memorable. And I will never forget that experience. If only I can return, I would love to even if it’s so freezing cold at night, I would still love to be there. Thanks to our great hosts for bringing us there. I’m just so lucky to see Seattle and saw the famous landmarks that I have only seen in movies before. Awesome!
– Seattle, Washington was visited last January 2007
“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.”
vonviajero 