As a wedding gift, my friend Tim bought us a train ride from Seattle to Chicago on the Amtrak Empire Builder line. We had been visiting Tim for a week after flying out from Chicago, and he said the train would be a great experience for me and Marisol.
Chihuly Garden and Glass is an art museum at Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington. Located next to the Space Needle, it showcases the works of local artist Dale Chihuly and opened in 2012. In addition to the exhibits, there’s also a gift shop, café, and meeting space.
Olympic Sculpture Park is a public park affiliated with the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). It’s located a short walk from Seattle Center near the waterfront. Admission is free and the park is open 365 days a year.
If you want the best views of Seattle without paying a ridiculous price to ride up an elevator, head to Kerry Park. Located on an upscale street in the Queen Anne neighborhood, the park is the perfect place to watch the sunset.
The Ballard Locks are a fun place to visit while in Seattle. Officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, they opened in 1917 and are completely free to all vessels. It’s one of the busiest lock systems in the entire country, allowing passage between Puget Sound and Lake Union and Lake Washington via Salmon Bay and the Fremont Cut.
Woodinville, a small town just a half hour from Seattle, has become a destination for wine enthusiasts. Over 90 wineries have tasting rooms located there as well as breweries and distilleries. It makes a great day trip from Seattle combined with Snoqualmie Falls.
Snoqualmie Falls, a 270 foot waterfall, is one of the most popular attractions in Washington. It’s located only a half hour drive from Seattle and can be combined with a wine tasting trip to nearby Woodinville.
The Trail of the Shadows at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington gives visitors a good look into the history of the park. Located in the Longmire area, it’s a ¾ mile loop trail that starts across the street from the National Park Inn. It travels through the old James Longmire homestead, settled in 1883, 16 years before the park was established.
The road from Nisqually to Paradise, in the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, has a few places to stop and hike, or just enjoy the natural scenery.
The Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington was named by James Longmire’s daughter, who upon seeing it exclaimed “Oh, what a paradise!”. It’s a fitting name, as there aren’t many places in the country as beautiful.