adorablyconfused's Passport
 | Been to 99 Attractions |
 | 86 Reviews |
 | 44 First to Review |
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 | 116 Helpful Votes |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
We live in Seattle, just a few blocks from the Space Needle and love to experience all the city has to offer.
Our Family's Travel Personality
curious, relaxed, simple, easy_going
We Just Got Back From
Vancouver, BC
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Honolulu
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Greece
Favorite Vacation Memory
My favorite vacation was the one my husband and I took to Hawaii right after I found out I was pregnant with our first child. We were on cloud nine- and in paradise!
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
I haven't really had one yet!
Websites I Like:
Visiting Seattle with little kids
Here's my insider list of the great things that I have found for keeping your preschool (and younger)-aged kids entertained in Seattle!
305 Harrison St
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 17 2009
"You must come here when you visit Seattle"
The Seattle Center is the name for a big collection of activities, including the Children's Museum, the Pacific Science Center, the Monorail, and the EMP/SFM. But in addition to that, the Center on its own is a fun place to visit. In the Center House, you can find a nice assortment of fast-food restaurants and one sit-down restaurant. You'll definitely be able to find food for the whole family! There's also a small toddler playarea upstairs on the level above the eating area.In the Center House, most weekends throughout the year, you will find some sort of cultural festival going on. My family lives close, so we've been able to experience a glimpse of the culture of Mexico, China, Korean, the Philippines, and France, to name just a few. We love to watch the dancing and see the costumes and sample cuisine from these countries.
Outside the Center House you can find the gigantic International Fountain. This is a huge circular dome with water spraying out, choreographed to all sorts of music. If the weather is above freezing, you can usually watch people playing in the spray- or take part in the water play yourself!
All around the Center you will find great hidden fountains and statues, and even a large fountain/wading pool (hidden over by Key Arena). There is also a very pretty little Peace Garden.
This is a great place to bring your family- enjoy walking around and gazing at the Space Needle from below while you watch the water show at the International Fountain and get a bite to eat.
370 Thomas Street
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 17 2009
"A classic Seattle experience"
The Seattle Monorail is a classic Seattle experience- it was built for the 1962 World's Fair and has been carrying riders ever since! It doesn't go far- just traveling from the Seattle Center (underneath the Space Needle) to Westlake Center, in the heart of downtown. This is just a distance of a mile, and the train runs at 50 miles per hour, so it's a short ride, but a fun one, and definitely the best way to get to Seattle Center from downtown.This is another Seattle thing that we've been doing since my first child was a baby (he's just over two now), riding every few months to go downtown. My son loves the "choo-choo" as he calls it, and thinks it's great fun going fast as we look out the windows at the northern part of downtown.
The monorail is $4 round-trip for adults, $1.50 for kids 5-12 and $2 for seniors.
The only reason that I give this a 4 star rating instead of 5 stars is that in the 5 years that I've been living in the city, the monorail has had a few issues on occasion that have resulted in riders being rescued by the fire department. BUT- it's been several years since they've had any problems and no one has ever been even slightly hurt, so it's always just been an inconvenience.
If you're coming to Seattle, take a ride on the monorail. It's a great, fun experience that is a must-do- and you need some way to get to the Seattle Center, you can't miss the Space Needle and everything else that the Seattle Center had to offer.
And, how could you pass up the opportunity to ride the monorail that Elvis rode in his 1963 movie "It Happened at the World's Fair"!
200 Second Avenue North
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 17 2009
"One of my favorite places in Seattle"
I've been to the Pacific Science Center a number of times over the past 8 years, and last month we finally became members! Every time I visit, there's something new and fun to explore.The museum has it all, robots, animatronic dinosaurs, displays on how the body works, IMAX movies, a butterfly house, a space display, a planetarium, snakes, bugs, a tidal pool display where you can touch the tidal pool creatures, and the most fabulous toddler play area I've ever seen.
My kids are young, so when we visit here we do tend to gravitate to our favorite exhibits, like the dinosaurs, then hang out in the toddler area. I especially appreciate that just off of the toddler area, there's a nursing room complete with chair and a door that closes and locks. This means that I can feed my baby in privacy while my toddler sits in the room and reads one of the books that they have in there for him to look at, or plays with the moveable blocks on the wall.
The museum also hosts talks during the day- exciting talks like those on combustion, where things get blown up right before your eyes!
This is a fun museum for the whole family, and there's really something great for everyone, no matter what age your kids are or what their areas of interest are.
1483 Alaskan Way
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 17 2009
"A very nice aquarium"
The Seattle Aquarium is located on the Seattle Waterfront, in downtown Seattle, just a few blocks from the famous Pike Place Market. It's a very nice, recently redone aquarium, with lots of cool displays and a big variety of sea creatures. One of the best displays is the one you see right when you walk in, the gigantic Window on Washington Waters.My son especially liked the otter exhibit- it was fun to watch the otters as they swam and climbed out of the water and jumped back in again. The underwater dome exhibit is also very cool, it's a gigantic dome that offers 360 degree views of a 400,000 gallon tank with tons of fish!
When you need a break from all the sea life, there's a nice coffee shop-type eating area upstairs, where you can sit and relax.
There are lots of other great displays at the Aquarium including a tide pool and a coral reef. If you have kids that love fish and aquariums (and I've yet to meet a kid that doesn't!) take a trip to the Seattle Aquarium.
305 Harrison Street
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 16 2009
"Great Museum"
This is a great Children's Museum in a great location- right underneath the Seattle Space Needle! We've been members of this museum for 15 months now, visiting at least once a week since my son was 11 months old. The museum is huge- ranging from a kid sized-grocery store to a building area, to a craft room to rooms with a glimpse of life in Japan/the Philippines/Africa. The museum also hosts fun traveling exhibits like Curious George and Sesame Street. And it has a separate play area for its littlest visitors (ages 0-3) with a water play area and lots of toddler sized toys.
I would recommend this highly for any family with small kids visiting Seattle, they will love this museum!
From Bremerton to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 17 2009
"We love to ride the ferry!"
My family loves to ride the ferries! We've done it both as drive-on passengers and as walk-on passengers. If you drive on, you need to be sure to be there a little earlier- most of the time there's plenty of space on the boats, but if you're traveling at rush hour or on a holiday weekend, you could potentially have a long wait. Walking on the ferry gives you more flexibility in terms of time, but of course you end up having to walk or take public transportation on the other end.We love to take the ferry - our toddler son thinks it's great fun to look out the window at the water and the other boats. We love to look at the Seattle skyline and at the mountains and islands.
It's a fun way to travel- you get great scenery and you're not stuck in a seat if you don't want to be - the ferries are huge, so there's plenty of space for a toddler (or older kid) to wander around. And most ferry trips are an hour or less, so kids don't get bored. There are plenty of places to sit- both large booths with and without tables and individual chairs.
Most of the ferries have snack bars with a pretty large selection of food. Some also offer wifi. So you can snack, walk, surf the web or just sit and gaze at the view. A fun time for everyone in the family. This is another must-do experience for any visitor of Seattle- I suggest taking the ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island- you don't need to take your car (downtown Winslow, Bainbridge Island, is right near the ferry terminal) and Bainbridge Island is full of great shops and restaurants, and is a good place to just walk and enjoy the atmosphere of the island.
3015 NW 54th St.
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 17 2009
"Great free place to visit with kids"
The Hiram Chittendam Locks are a fabulous place to visit- and a really fun, different type of place to take your out-of-town guests. The Locks are located in the quirky town of Ballard, about a 10 minute drive from downtown Seattle. The Locks have been operating since 1917, moving boats from the fresh water Lake Union to Puget Sound. Near the Locks is a large Botanical Garden and park, a great place to take a picnic lunch, walk around and enjoy all the pretty flower or just let your kids run free. There's also a small visitor center with lots of information on how the Locks were built.
My son has been visiting the Locks since he was just a few weeks old- he loves to watch all the different types of boats as they come in and tie up and wait for the water level to go up or down. At the Locks you get a very close-up view of the boats and how the transfer process works- it's fascinating to adults and kids.
Just past the Locks there's also a fish ladder, in salmon season you can watch the fish making their way up the fish ladder. It's an amazing thing to see up close.
And best of all, other than parking, everything at the Locks is free! Well worth the trip!
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 17 2009
"Fun for adults and kids"
My family has always been fascinated by airplanes, so this museum is a natural fit for us. The Museum of Flight is located just south of Seattle, about a 10 minute drive from downtown. It's on the edge of Boeing Field, where planes are constantly taking off and landing.The Museum of Flight is HUGE- so give yourselves lots of time if you plan to visit here. We usually start our visit in the main gallery- which is filled with planes from all eras of plane travel. Near the main gallery is a play areas where kids can pretend to fly small planes. They often have some sort of flight-related craft activity going on as well. Next we usually visit the control tower, where you can hear actual flight controllers from Boeing Field as they help land the planes. And you can see the planes landing from close by.
Near the flight tower are several displays about space travel, with models and reproductions of space modules and such.
Next we stroll through the Red Barn, which has displays on the very early years of airplanes and Boeing. And on to the WWI and WWII galleries, complete with war-era planes and displays about the brave people that fought in those wars.
And last, but not least, it's across the beautiful new pedestrian bridge to the airpark across the street, where you can walk through an old Air Force One plane and a Concorde! Both are must dos.
My son is 2 and just now is truly appreciating this museum- he talked about airplanes for weeks after we'd been there. We usually go when my parents visit, but we end up having to drag my dad out, since he gets very involved in all the displays. It's a great place to visit no matter what ages you're trying to entertain!
7201 E Green Lake Dr. N
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 19 2009
"If the sun is shining, this is where everyone is"
Green Lake is located between Highway 99 (Aurora Avenue) and I-5, about 10 minutes outside of downtown Seattle. The lake is a large one, surrounded by a paved, 3 mile walking path. If the sun is shining, this walking path will be full of people from all parts of Seattle!During the day, you will find moms walking around with strollers, or retirees out for their morning walks. Later in the day the path tends to be more populated with people walking their dogs or going for a run after work. It's a great spot to see lots of cute puppies and babies!
Other than the walking path, Green Lake has tons of other things to do including: paddleboats, swimming, a large playground, a community center, basketball courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, a wading pool in the summer, and all sorts of other events. I've seen fencing lessons going on, I've heard a string quartet playing near the walking path, I've seen people learning to walk a tightrope.
The path is designed with space for both walkers and those on wheels, with clearly marked lanes. It does get crowded at times in places, but there's generally plenty of space for everyone.
Parking can get a little tough to find if it's a truly gorgeous day, but a spot can generally be found on one of the surrounding streets or in one of the parking lots with just a little effort.
If you want to get out and stretch your legs and see some nature in the city, this is a great place to do it.
1000 4th Ave
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 19 2009
"A must-see experience"
Ah, the downtown Seattle library- people either love it or hate it. The Central Library is a modern piece of architecture, located in the middle of Seattle. It was designed by the architect Ren Koolhaus and has been getting tons of publicity since it opened.The library is a great place to come and hang out- with a HUGE children's section and frequent story times and other activities. After your kids have read their fill of books, be sure to take a free tour of the library. Be sure not to miss the red hallways of the 4th floor! And best of all, it's all free!
2901 Western Avenue
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 19 2009
"A very cool outdoor park"
This is a fairly new addition to the Seattle art scene- and it's a good one! The sculpture park is located on the north end of downtown Seattle, just a few blocks from the Space Needle. The art at this park is in the form of some large and sometimes very unusual sculptures. A giant typewriter eraser anyone? It's great to walk around and look at all the sculptures here, but the park is also a nice place just to enjoy being outside. It is in a great location near the water, so comes complete with gorgeous views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, the ferries, sailboats, and of course, the Space Needle.
If you are walking here from downtown or Seattle Center is really is not far, but it is on the side of a fairly steep hill, so be aware that you will have a couple of blocks (not many, just 2 or 3) to climb back up when you are done. But, it's an experience that's well worth it! And it's free!
1531 Western Ave
Seattle, Washington
reviewed on: October 19 2009
"Everyone comes to the Market!"
Seattle's Pikes Place Market is what everyone thinks of when they think of Seattle. Fish being thrown across the counter, lots of beautiful flowers, and the original Starbucks! The Market has been around for more than 100 years, and should be a stop on any visit to Seattle. The Market is located in the heart of downtown, right near the waterfront. It can get very crowded in the summer, particularly when the cruise ships are in down, but if its too much to deal with the crowds, it's easy to escape into the shops on the lower levels or the restaurants on the streets near the market.
There are lots of food options at the Market and all around it, so you wont escape unfed, and you must pick up a bouquet of pretty flowers or something from one of the many tables with local art and crafts to take home! Be sure to stop and say hi to Rachel the pig- she's located at the entrance to the market and is a great photo op
