Wednesday, April 11, 2007 1:11 AM CDT
Sleepless in Seattle? Not too likely
Abundance of activities can entertain and wear you out
By SCOTT A.G.M. CRAWFORD
When July comes ‘round temperatures rise in the Midwest, humidity soars, and the heat index numbers play havoc with the most robust of psyches. So it was hardly surprising that my wife, Penny’s, roving eye fell on Seattle because of its milder climates and its proximity to the refreshing breezes of the Pacific.
We had never visited Seattle previously. Its range of hills coming down to the long waterfront reminded me, somewhat, of San Francisco. Happily, we were joined on our mini vacation by our younger son Marc and a friend, who both live and work in Las Vegas.
The Center for Wooden Boats (Seattle’s “hands on” Maritime Heritage Museum) nestles snugly into one corner of Lake Union. Penny had read of it on the Internet and, on two separate walks, we explored the location and marveled at the variety of handcrafted, historic, restored sailboats and rowboats. It is even possible to rent out and use what are museum pieces! While you do pay to rent a boat, a “walkabout” is absolutely free!
Eating near to the sea — we find — is always an adventure. We found a harborside restaurant (McCormick and Schmick’s) that tickled our palates with an astonishing array of dishes. There was Hawaii blue marlin, Oregon sole, tilapia from Ecuador, Costa Rican mahi mahi, Alaskan halibut, Canada Dungeness crab — the list was endless.
If the fish dish list seems overly global, the wine list focused on regional strengths. Of nine pinot noirs, while one was French, the other eight had been able to travel overland from Oregon!
Seattle claims that it is the jewel of the Pacific Northwest and very few places so happily juxtapose sky, mountain, sea and urban architecture. The seascape of Puget Sound and the spectacular peaks of the Cascade Mountains are set off by the natural majesty of Mount Rainier and the human ingenuity of the Space Needle.
The latter was the crowning glory of the 1962 Seattle World Expo and has a 360-degree panorama from its observation deck. At an elevation of 520 feet above Seattle, the elevator ride to the top zooms by in an Olympian 41 seconds.
Everything I have ever read about visiting Seattle showers unequivocal praise on Pike Place Market. It is recognized as the oldest continually operating outdoor market in North America, and is open dawn to dusk.
It occupies approximately five square blocks — between Lenora Street and Union Street — and looks out over the waterfront onto Puget Sound. The market offers an astonishing array of specialty stores and produce stands. We visited early one morning along with literally hordes of passengers released — and I use that word advisedly — from two visiting ocean cruise liners.
It is one thing to be buoyed up by a sea of eager purchasers. When, to continue the nautical analogy, we found ourselves being swept away by the throng we decided that this market, on this day, was decidedly over populated. My only remembrance is of some gorgeous flower decorations magically crafted by elderly Oriental ladies seemingly oblivious to the press of people.
At one of the exits to the market was a huge stand of fresh fish. Visitors were encouraged to squeeze forward and be given huge gloves so that they could photograph themselves holding onto some shark or blue marlin or grouper.
Now, I could see myself wanting to be snapped with a cuddly koala bear or a brightly hued parrot but a big dead fish … no, thank you, not today.
Seattle has become a tourist Mecca for Japanese visitors. We saw them in large numbers at the Pike Place Market, and tourist brochures advertising the Seattle Aquarium (starfish, sea otters, seals, sea cucumbers and a Pacific Coral Reef) and the Woodland Park Zoo (92 acres) were readily available in Japanese.
One of Seattle’s outstanding attractions is the Seattle Center, essentially an amusement park set up as a sort of arts and science complex where you can come and picnic in the great outdoors
and then select the activity that best suits you.
There is a Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, and an Experience Music Project that advertised itself as “an interactive shrine to the gods of rock, blues, and folk.” Pop icon Jimmy Hendrix is from Seattle, and the city has a statue in his honor.
The Seattle Center is also home to the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Seattle Opera and the Seattle Symphony. But for us the attraction was the Intiman Theatre. Penny had done considerable Internet sleuthing and found out that this theater had won the 2006 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.
More importantly, during our short stay in Seattle the resident company was putting on “Richard III.” Thanks to Penny’s initiative and a sense that this could be a special experience, the four of us, fortified by British cider and stout helpings of fish and chips, saw an extraordinary Shakespeare production.
Great acting — indeed Stephen Pelinski in the starring role was mesmerizing — extraordinary stage design, and directorial flair that zipped along to such good effect meant that this centuries old tale of tyranny seemed — sadly — all too relevant for our times.
Three other tours that come as highly recommended for the first-time visitor are Qwest Field Tours (a leisurely stroll around the home of the Super Bowl XL contenders — the Seahawks), Underground Tour of the Pioneer Square area (a guided walking tour that begins with a visit to Doc Maynard’s, a restored 1890s saloon), and extended exposure to the world-famous home of Boeing. While the latter tour does take up most of a day, the size and scale of jumbo jet assembly, and just being inside the world’s largest building (472 million cubic feet by volume) is awe inspiring.
Kayaking is a fast-growing area of sport tourism and we found a 60-minute paddle around Lake Union most pleasant. We circumnavigated some small cruise ships and snooped around a series of home barges moored on the waterfront.
The cost was reasonable, little skill is required, and the only requirement is to wear a life jacket. Being close to cooling water, and the ability to slide across water and slip through gentle waves, makes for a serene and cerebral experience.
After all the mental and physical stimulation, were we sleepless in Seattle? No way!
Scott A.G.M. Crawford is a free-lance writer who lives in Charleston.
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Elizabeth Ferlic wrote on Apr 23, 2007 1:58 PM: