Queen of Seattle Paddle Wheel Cruise

"A great way to see Seattle from the water"

Today my family took advantage of a Living Social deal and went on the Queen of Seattle Paddle Wheel Cruise.

From the beginning- the park from which the paddle wheeler leaves is under construction, so right now (8/10), parking is a little tricky to find. You can park in any of several paid lots nearby, or if you go on Sunday, like we did, there's free street parking within a short walk.

After parking we walked to the ship, enjoying the views of the Center for Wooden Boats and the older ships parked near the Old Navy Reserve building (which will be the location of Seattle's MOHAI in 2012).

The Queen of Seattle is the largest steam-powered paddle wheeler west of the Mississippi. It's been recently renovated and is very nicely done and comfortable.

Boarding was easy and everyone was very friendly. We originally found seats outside, near the railing. I was happy to see that the railing was child-proofed with only small spaces between the parts of the railing. Not much chance that a kid could slip through, and the railing was high enough that I didn't worry about anyone falling over either.

We moved around quite a bit during the trip, going from outside to inside and switching decks a few times as well. On the main deck there is a snack bar/beverage area where drinks and snacks (including soft drinks and beer/wine) can be purchased for reason able prices.

The cruise itself is 2 hours long and goes around the Lake Union area. We enjoyed seeing lots of boats, the houseboat community, Gasworks Park, the Aurora Bridge, Fremont, and Ballard before turning around to head back. On the way back we saw lots more boats and the houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle. During the trip there is occasional narration and important sites are pointed out. There's also some information on Seattle's history given. On the last part of the trip, there's even a little singing/dancing time, with the tour guides singing (in costume) some songs from the time of the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush.

My kids are 3 and 1, and they had a great time on this trip. There's plenty to see outside, and space to move around inside too.  This would be a fun family outing, and a great way for visitors to see Seattle's water community!

Tickets for adults are normally $29 per person, kids 5-12 are $15 and under 5 years old are free.