I-90 and WASHINGTON

• Seattle
• Bellevue
• Renton
• Snoqualmie Falls
• Olallie State Park
• Vantage
• Spokane

Seattle

  Seattle may well be the most misunderstood major city in the U.S.A. "Oh, I wouldn't want to live in Seattle; it always rains there!" is a statement frequently heard from people totally unfamiliar with Seattle. Well, yes, it does rain - an average of about 36 inches per year. Contrast that with 39 inches in Washington D.C. and 40 inches in New York City! True, Seattle does have a lot of overcast days. Like San Francisco, it is almost surrounded byu large bodies of water with differing water temperatures. But that is actually a blessing.

  The people in Seattle seem to be a little different, too. A little more laid back but still ambitious and hard working. They work hard and play hard but seem to always have time to lend a helping hand.
  At the moment, Seattle's economy seems headed for the pits - but isn't almost everyone else's? Boeing, a major employer just south of the city, keeps laying off significant numbers of employees with little prospect of reversing the trend. For years, Seattle's economy had been closely tied to Boeing. Now they are trying to change that but have a lot of competition from other cities.
  Seattle was the site of the 1962 World's Fair which saw a lot of new infrastructure and useful buildings. Then, just a few years ago, they had a devastating earthquake. But they don't give up and, despite a severe shortage of money, they are rebuilding.
  Seattle has an excellent rapid transit system. The star of that show is the monorail built for the 1962 World's Fair. The fare is $1.25 and the ride short (about 90 seconds) but many visitors to the city find it quite a thrill. Most everyone has heard of - and seen pictures of - the Space Needle (also built for the 1962 World's Fair). The (slowly) revolving restaurant near the top provides about the best view of the city and surrounding area that can be had - even from an airplane.
  Seattle is a seaport. It is also home base for several commercial fishing fleets. Needless to say, you can buy super-good fresh fish in Seattle for very low prices. Or forget about cooking it and enjoy the fare in one of the many excellent restaurants.
  Do you get the impression we like Seattle? We LOVE Seattle. Too bad we live at the other end of the country. We hope you will enjoy Seattle as much as we have.

  You could easily fill a book with things to see and do in Seattle; some already have. We have included what we feel are the highlights of interest to families.

Seattle Visitor Center - Right next to I-5 - you think it would be easy to get to but with Seattle's one-way streets you have to do a lop-de-loop.
  If southbound on I-5, take exit 165-B and go to 6th Avenue. Turn right, go 1 block to Pike St. Turn right and go to Convention Place and turn right again. They are at 800 Convention Place.
  If northbound on I-5, take exit 165 and turn right on 6th Avenue (first street at the end of the off-ramp). Drive up 6th 3 blocks to Pike St. Turn right and go to Convention Place and turn right again. They are at 800 Convention Place.
  They'll load you up with a nice map, ten pounds of brochures and lots and lots of information. We found them both knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. 

Discovery Park - What was Ft Lawton is now a beautiful park encompassing almost a square mile of land. Northwest of down town - where the ship canal enters Puget Sound - this park contains everything from deep ravines to small forests to meadows to a nice beach on the Sound. If you enjoy taking walks, there are some 7 miles of trails. The park is open 6a-11p daily.
  From I-5 take exit 167 to Mercer Street. Head west on Mercer to Aurora Ave (WA-99) and turn right. Head north on Aurora to Dexter Ave and turn left. Follow Dexter (it changes its name to Nickerson Street) along the ship canal to its end at 15th Avenue West. Hear you need to turn left, go one block and turn right. The intersection is very involved so follow the signs. You are going to Emerson Street but you have to be in the right lane to get there. Continue west on Emerson. (You will pass 16th Avenue and then 18th Avenue which, both, would take you the one block to the fish market and a couple restaurants.) Emerson makes a couple quick jogs, crosses some tracks and ends at Gilman Avenue. Turn right and follow Gilman - which becomes Government Way - to 31st Avenue. Here Government Way makes a half-left (45º) turn, goes a couple blocks, makes a couple more half turns but winds up at the park entrance.

Hiram Chittenden Locks & Lake Washington Ship Canal. These are not only working canal locks but are reputed to be the busiest in the U.S. There is a visitors' center here with several displays plus a video. 
  From I-5 take exit 167 to Mercer Street. Head west on Mercer to Aurora Ave (WA-99) and turn right. Head north on Aurora to Dexter Ave and turn left. Follow Dexter (it changes its name to Nickerson Street) along the ship canal to its end at 15th Avenue West. Turn right and follow 15th Avenue over the bridge (you are crossing the ship canal). Continue northbound on 15th to Market Street (which is one block after NW 54th Street). Turn left and follow Market westbound to NW 54th Street (this is another 54th Street) which is a half-left (45º) turn. The visitors' center is just ahead.
  The visitors' center is open daily 10a-6p from mid May to mid September. The rest of the year it is open from 11a-4p and closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They are closed on major holidays. FREE! For more information, you can phone 1-206-783-7059 or visit their web site at: Chittenden Locks.

Carl English Botanical Garden - Just up 54th Street from the Locks visitors' center is a very nice, water-front botanical garden. Containing mostly plants indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, it does have some 500 different species of plants, some very rare, from around the world. Open during daylight hours. You have the choice of taking a self-guided tour whenever convenient or taking one of several guided tours each day. For more information and schedules you may phone 1-206-783-7059. The U.S.Army Corps of Engineers (who maintain and operate the lock) have a very interesting page on their web site about the garden (created by one of their employees). View it at: Carl English Garden.

Center for Wooden Boats - You could call this a museum featuring wooden boats - some over a century old. All kinds of boats from Native American to ocean-going vessels. Located at 1010 Valley Street at the south end of Lake Union. From I-5 take exit 167 and follow Mercer Street to Boren Avenue (about 1 block from the end of the off ramp), turn right and go to the end (1 more block). And there you are.
  From May to Labor Day weekend the hours are 11a-7p daily. FREE! There is much more to this place (including boat rentals - Lake Union is a very sedate lake and fun for sailing or paddling as long as you stay from the ship canal at the north end). Check out their web site at Wooden Boats.

Northwest Seaport - Next door to the Center for Wooden Boats are the 1897 vintage, three-masted schooner Wawona and the old, 1889 vintage tug, Arthur Foss. Tours are available. There are regular scheduled activities held there - such as the monthly 'sea chantey' sing-alongs (hey, it's fun!). The second Friday evening, from 8-10p, of each month, there's a big party aboard the schooner and a small professional group leads the attendees in some simple but musical - and fun to sing - sea chanteys. And of course there are sea stories. For more information, phone 1-206-447-9800.

Space Needle - Designed to be the centerpiece of Seattle's 1962 World's Fair, this 605 foot structure looming over the city is still Seattle's centerpiece. An elevator whisks you up to the observation deck which, equipped with telescopes, allow views of the entire region. Or get seated in the revolving restaurant (one full revolution over a 58 minute period) which allows you to enjoy an excellent repast while the scenery slowly passes before your eyes.
  For more information (or to make dinner reservations, phone (toll-free) 1-800-937-9582 or visit their web site at: SpaceNeedle.

Seattle Aquarium - On Seattle's busy waterfront is the world famous Seattle Aquarium. This is the one with the giant underwater dome. They have enough to keep the family occupied for several hours and the kids love the place. Summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day) hours are 9:30a-7p; Winter hours are 10a-5p.
  Admission for age 13 and up (adults, too) is $11. Ages 6-12 $7 and 3-5 is $5. There are extra charges for admission to the Dome and the IMAX Theatre. Get the details on their web site at Seattle Aquarium.
  If northbound on I-5, take exit 165 and Seneca Street all the way to the end (Alaskan Way). Turn right and the aquarium is a few blocks (on your left). Really, you can't miss the place.
  If southbound on I-5, take exit 165-B and follow Union Street to the end. Turn left, drive 2 blocks to Seneca Street, turn right, go to the end (it's just one block) and turn right again. The aquarium is a few blocks (on your left).

Museum of Flight - Down in the south end of town is Boeing's old red barn where the company first started manufacturing their planes in the 30s. This combination hands-on education center (and not just for kids) also includes an array of aircraft (including a B-29 and a 'gull-winged' Corsair from WW-2) one of the early Presidential jets (board it and take the tour) and an Apollo command module. You can actually sit in the cockpit of a genuine SR-71 Blackbird.
  The place is interesting enough to allow you to feel that the $9.50 admission is worth while ($5 for ages 5-17). For more information and schedules, phone 1-206-764-5720. View their interesting web site: Museum of Flight.

Bye, Seattle - Ok, you've had enough of Seattle - for now. As you leave the city on I-90 you will be passing over another wonder: a floating bridge made of concrete blocks (hollow, of course). Don't mean to scare you but this thing actually sank a few years ago. But, they say the new, replacement, is unsinkable.

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Bellevue

Bounded on the west by Lake Washington (which separates it from Seattle) and on the east by Lake Sammamish, Bellevue has grown to be Washington's fifth largest city. They also grow the world's sweetest blueberries - though that is not the important crop it used to be with the influx of all the industry. We used to sail across Lake Washington on weekends - with four empty buckets - take out bikes out of the boat and peddle to one of the huge blueberry farms.  They'd let you 'pick your own' for a buck a bucket. They would also allow you to camp out in the woods behind the field - for free. You could drink the water out of the stream - it was that clean - then. Then we'd peddle back to the boat Sunday (Try riding a bike with a heavy bucket of blueberries swinging from each side of your handlebars!). Those blueberries would be gone in two weeks time. (That's when you could buy real cream, too.)

Visitors' Center - Bellevue used to have its own visitors' center. Bellevue also thought Lake Washington could protect it from being swallowed by Seattle. They lost their visitors' center (you have to go to the one in Seattle, now. We'll see what happens, next.

Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art - Bellevue is still a very interesting town... excuse me, - city. They have their art museums (a big thing in the Northwest), their botanical gardens and their historic old houses. They have something Seattle doesn't have: the Whyel Museum of Doll Art. This isn't merely a collection of someone's old dolls; this place is an education for the older set as well as the younger.
  Judged as the 'best doll museum in the world', they, have on display about 1,200 dolls from their collection of 3,000+. Here you can see how dolls - and doll art - have progressed from the early Victorian Era to present day. And, yes, they do have a store.
  The building is also reminiscent of Victorian design and is complete with a neat little English garden
  Open every day but Sunday from 10a to 5p; Sunday afternoons from 1-5p. Closed major holidays. It costs $6 plus $4 per kid to get in. If you have more than 2 kids, they have a special family rate, - all of you for $20. For more information, phone 1-425-455-1116 - or - peak at their web site: DollArt.
  If eastbound on I-90 take exit 10-A. If westbound on I-90, take exit 10. Follow I-405 northbound to exit 13-B. You'll exit on NE 8th street westbound. go to the second street west of the freeway, turn left and drive another block and a half to the large Victorian house on your right.

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Renton

Tucked away at the south end of Lake Washington is the (now famous) town of Renton. We pull you this far away from I-90 for a very special reason: 

Spirit of Washington Dinner Train - Take a nostalgic train ride, on modern tracks and in 21st Century comfort, up along the shoreline of the 27 mile long Lake Washington, to Woodinville.
  You' ride over the Wilburton Trestle which, at 975 feet, is the longest wooden trestle in the Pacific Northwest. Your northern terminus includes a visit to the Columbia Winery.
  The fare (including lunch or brunch) is about $50. They also have an evening run which includes dinner (fare: $60). If you wish to ride in the dome car, ad $10 to the fare.
  For more information, current schedule and fares, phone (toll-free) 1-800-876-7245. Some additional information is available on their web site at: Spirit of Washington.
  From I-90 take exit 10 (I-405) and follow I-405 southbound to exit 2 (WA-167). Follow WA-167 (Rainier Ave) northbound to S. 3rd Street (watch out... there is a S. 3rd Place one block before 3rd Street). Turn right and drive the 5 blocks to Burnett Street. Turn right again and park in the parking area at the Depot. Address: 625 South 4th Street in Renton.

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Snoqualmie Falls

They say Snoqualmie Falls was made famous because of its appearance in the TV show Twin Peaks. The fact is, Snoqualmie Falls has been famous to 'Europeans' for well over a century and to Native Americans as far back as their stories can tell. Just one look you'll know why. Even though much of the water is now diverted to create electricity for the Seattle area, this thundering plunge off these ancient cliffs makes even a special trip to see this hydrospectacular worthwhile.
  From I-90 take exit 22 and head north to Fall City. Turn right on WA-202 and follow it about 2 miles to 'Fish Hatchery Road'. Turn right and drive to the gravel parking area at the end of the road (about 2 mi). For more information and a photo of the falls see: Snoqualmie Falls.
  To return to I-90 eastbound, return to WA-202, turn right and follow it back to I-90 at exit 31.

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Olallie State Park

There are other waterfalls near I-90 in this area of the Cascades. Two, the 45 foot cascade Twin Falls and the 150 foot cascade and plunge, Weeks Falls, are in Olallie State Park just off exit 38.

There are many more waterfalls around here but those, above, are the most significant. For more information on waterfalls in Washington, see Waterfalls-Guide.

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Vantage

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park - created as a result of being covered by lava during an ancient volcanic eruption, many perfectly preserved trees and fossils - including the very rare Ginkgo tree - are available for viewing here. An 'interpretive center' serves to educate those of us who would like to know what we're looking at.
  Picnicking and camping facilities are available (reservations required for camping - see Reserve a Campsite). The park is open from 6:30a to dusk during the summer. In the winter it opens at 8a. Also, during the winter, camping may be restricted to weekends, only. Check with the park folks at 1-509-856-2700. Alot more information about the recreational aspects of this state park is available at: Ginkgo Park.

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Spokane

If you are visiting Spokane in the Summer you really can't understand. It gets C O L D in Spokane in the winter. But, as usual, they have a solution. You will notice, downtown, all the covered walkways crossing over the streets connecting the buildings. These 'skywalks' not only connect buildings, they connect entire blocks. The intent was to allow folks to shop downtown without having to brave the cold in the streets going from one store to another. But the skywalks are just as useful in the summer. Ah, we're certainly creatures enjoying our little comforts.

Visitors' Center - From I-90 take exit 281 to Division Street (US-2/395). Keep to the left on the off-ramp to allow you to turn left (northbound) onto S. Division Street.  Turn left, get in the middle lane and head north to downtown. After you drive under the railroad trestle at Sprague Ave, merge into the left lane of Division and drive 3 more blocks to Trent Avenue. Turn left, go one block, turn left again and move to the right lane. The Spokane Convention and Visitors' Bureau is on your right at the next corner ( 201 West Main Street).  The reason for (what appear to be) confused directions is that these are all one-way streets. Phone the folks at the Visitors' Center (toll free) at 1-888-776-5263. Though we found their official web site pretty but less than helpful; in person or on the phone they are great! Their web site is at: VisitSpokane.

Middle lane until the railroad trestle 

Children's Museum of Spokane -  We have learned from touring with grandchildren that children's museums are great places for break time. You can spend as much or as little time as you wish (and the kids will allow) and, when they get back in the car, everything is quiet once more.
  We have found that most children's museums have their own individualities. That certainly is a blessing because you can stop at more than one as you drive across the country. Spokane's certainly surpassed our expectations.
  We were making a list of the exhibits and were told that the exhibits change routinely. At the time they had a mock, true-to-life, Greek village. Visiting kids get to don costumes and play like they are Greek kids. Another fascinating exhibit was called "Under the Falls". This teaches kids (and adults) about the power, tenacity and peculiarities of water and the important role it plays on earth. It even gets into the physics of surface tension, etc., all in a way that kids really comprehend it all. Quite amazing.
  From I-90 take exit 281 to Division Street (US-2/395). Keep to the left on the off-ramp to allow you to turn left (northbound) onto S. Division Street.  Turn left and head north to downtown. At W. Riverside Avenue (one block after Sprague Ave), turn left. Drive west on Riverside to Monroe Street (9 blocks), turn right and turn right again at the next block (Main Ave). Go the 2 blocks back to Post Street. The museum in in about the middle of the block to your left (110 N. Post Street). The reason for (what appear to be) confused directions is that these are all one-way streets. It is almost like, "You can't drive there from here - but you can walk it." Find a convenient parking ramp; there are several near by.
  For more information, schedules and admission fees, phone them at 1-509-5437 or visit their web site at: ChildrensMuseum.

Manito Park - Almost hidden south of downtown Spokane, this set of lovely gardens has been nurtured with a lot of donations of money (including a $10,000 donation from a Japanese dishwasher employed in Spokane) and time. Here is a great place to come and relax. included in the setting are a rose garden and a lilac garden. The Park has its own, well equipped Conservatory, a large, glass greenhouse with several smaller, attached greenhouses. Named the Gaiser Conservatory, it is open to visitors. Note that the Conservatory closes at 3:30p. You can pick up a walking tour brochure of the park at the Conservatory. 
  Our absolute favorite spot is the small Japanese Garden. These little gardens are just so peaceful it is like stepping into a different world. And this is all in the middle of a bustling city!
  The Park (and Japanese Garden) hours are 8:30a to dusk from about June 1st to September 30th. As the days shorten, the hours of operation also shorten. The conservatory closes at 3:30p. Admission to the park is FREE!
  From I-90, take exit 281 (Division Street) and turn south on Division. Drive south 3 blocks to 7th Avenue. Turn right, carefully merge with traffic so you can turn left on McClellan (2 blocks). Go 2 more blocks and turn left on 9th Avenue. Go to the first street on your right (Grand Avenue), do the required half-right turn and drive up the hill on Grand and continue on Grand all the way to 18th Avenue. Turn into the Manito Park parking lot (on your right).
  Address: 4 West 21st Ave.
  Phone: 1-509-456-8038.

Riverside Park - Here is more evidence of Spokane's commitment to family. Riverside Park was, in a way, created as the site for Spokane's Expo '74 ('A World's Fair for the Environment'). Many of the buildings were designed and constructed to be permanent structures (similar to what Seattle did for their '62 World's Fair) and what remains after the big clean-up is Riverside Park.
  The Park is like a 50 acre oasis on the bank of the Spokane River - in the middle of Spokane. Spokane Falls is in this part of the river and is viewed from the Park. Remaining from Expo '74 are the Amphitheaters, the Opera House, the Convention Center and the IMAX theatre with its 5 story screen and surround sound audio system.
  Two things you don't want to miss if you have children with you. One is the Gondola Ride which, like a ski lift, transports you in these little 'gondola cars' over the park, the Spokane River (and Spokane Falls) and back again. You board it at the west end of the Park.
  The other 'don't miss' attraction is the old (and genuine) carrousel. Kids love these things and while it may be of a 'by-gone age' it still brings smiles as quickly and effectively as ever. Thank you, Spokane.

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