Go Explore: Seattle, Washington with Teens or Tweens
As we all know, teens and tweens can be a tough group to "please" at times, so I am always on the lookout for suggestions from others who have traveled this path before me to share their tips and tricks of what appealed to that age segment. The following were some of our favorite destinations located in and around Seattle, Washington and all met the teen/tween "seal of approval" (or at least a subtle admission that the destinations were somewhat "cool").
The Pacific Northwest plays host to some incredible weekend getaways and Seattle, Washington is a favorite of mine. Prior to our visit, I searched and researched both popular and lesser-known favorite stops that I thought would appeal to my kids.
From the famous Pike's Place Market where we watched fishmongers fling fish...
Contributed our chewed gum to the lesser known Seattle Gum Wall found below the bustling Pike Place Market...
Adding our "gum"...
Sampling divine crepes filled with both sweet and savory fillings at Crepe de France inside the market...
To the less famous Uwajimaya Asian Market that amazed my tweens and teens with all the varied selection of meats and seafood as well as the aisle dedicated to their favorite seaweed!
Our checkout purchases selected by the kids, minus the lemongrass that I wanted for a Thai recipe...
The Uwajimaya also shares a space with the Beard Papa's - seriously, a must-stop for these delicious cream puff-like concoctions.
From the famed Space Needle...
To it's neighboring fantastic museums - the EMP Museum
The interactive Pacific Science Center and breathtaking Chihuly Glass Garden.
Seattle Aquarium
The quirky Ye' Olde Curiosity Shop proved to be especially intriguing for the tweens/teens with it's three-headed ducks, mummies, shrunken heads and a treasure trove of very strange collections.
The Harbor Tour, a perfect distraction during the rain showers, provided a nice chance to sit down after running around Seattle all day, and offered a different perspective of the city. We learned interesting trivia and history via a delightful tour guide narrating the boat ride (which was sheltered from the elements, by the way).
The Museum of Flight, the west coast's largest aviation museum offers visitors the ability to get inside aircraft and space craft. The teen's favorite was getting into the cockpits of numerous aircraft and checking out the Air Force One used to carry Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, and Johnson. The Hubs' could have spent all day (and then another full day) but the teens were finished after a solid four hours (or maybe they just needed food and beverages). Personally, I was really moved by the exhibit depicting the Space Shuttle Challenger mission of 1986 with a video dedication area paying homage to the crew who lost their lives.
I highly recommend getting a Seattle CityPass if you plan to stay in Seattle for a long weekend (at least three days), as it's an economical way to pack in numerous incredible sites at a discount. As long as you hit the majority of the featured destinations, you will definitely get your money's worth and more than likely, visit destinations that you may have not considered checking out, but that should just not be missed, otherwise.
The Seattle City Pass ($69/adult) provides you with the following:
- Two visits to the Space Needle (highly recommend one of the visits be at sunset)
- The EMP Museum OR Woodland Park Zoo (we picked the EMP Museum based on the fact that we had teens in tow vs. younger kids)
- The Pacific Science Center OR the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum - the teens opted for the Pacific Science Center with interactive exhibits, butterfly rooms, opportunities to touch marine life and included a special IMAX movie.
- An Argosy Cruise Harbor Tour that provides great views of the City coupled with interesting history and facts about Seattle. Snacks and beverages are available to order. Try to sit near the front.
- The Seattle Aquarium
- The Museum of Flight (although this may be a seasonal offering as at the time of this article, it's not offered as part of the package deal, however, I think it is a definite contender and favorite teen stop, even though it is located out of Seattle city center).
We also recommend visiting during the week instead of the weekend to beat the tourists. Seattle in the spring (late March) delighted us with gorgeous blossoming trees and sunshine.
We ran out of time to visit several other tourist attractions to include the University of Washington (rivals of the Ducks but we do want our kids exposed to every college option), kayaking in the sound, taking a ferry, tasting the macaroni and cheese at Beecher's, finding the famed Dahlia Bakery (I loved the cookbook) and tasting the doughnuts from Ma'ona island-style doughnuts, or those from Top Pot, to see if they truly rival Portland's famed Voodoo Doughnuts.
Because we were traveling with the tween/teens we opted to let them help provide selection of what restaurants we visited for dinners, resulting in their top two favorite stops. I suppose everyone needs to experience the family-style Italian meal experience at the eclectic-decorated Buca di Beppo. The kids' first visit to Buca di Beppo left us longing for the dreamy Chocolate Chip Cannoli and the Chopped Antipasto Salad is a recipe I'd love to be able to duplicate at home. Another kid-pick included a night of various fondues at the Melting Pot.
The kids are always love seafood so Ivar's was an easy choice for some of the best hand-dipped halibut.
