Two days in Seattle: Day two

(sort of)

Taking Saturday off to regroup we realized that our lack of phone & internet was causing some planning problems. So we altered our Sunday plans (where we were going to do our second day of sightseeing) and headed into Renton instead to go to Fry’s (an electronics specialty store) and pick up a WiFi booster. Upon arriving Bob discovered an entire shopping center had popped up in the 5! years since he had been here last.

So, we got a bit extra shopping done & picked up a Halloween costume for Morgan. As luck would have it, Renton Landing was having their trick-or-treating that very afternoon. Woohoo! The opportunity to celebrate Halloween was too good to pass up, especially since we weren't really sure where we’d be on Halloween and both the kids were a bit concerned. Morgan dressed up in his new Iron Man costume and Lily in her wings and wand we had just purchased for her (with her charm that’s enough costume for her to get plenty of treats) and we joined with lots of other children (and adults) dressed up in a myriad of costumes. Morgan was particularly enthralled with a very young boy in a purple dragon costume (he was super cute). The kids both collected quite a haul in a short amount of time. Strangely enough, I think Lily was most excited by the toothbrush/toothpaste packs that the local dentist was giving away!

Now, back to that second day in Seattle, which actually turned out to be Tuesday (like I said in my last post – four days).  We woke up that morning to frost on the ground. Brr! It turned out that the clear skies which helped create the frost also made for a lovely day in Seattle. The sky was bright blue and having learned our lesson from the previous trek into the city, we got going early and were in our parking spot (exact same one as before!) by 10:08 am. Much more time to explore, and it was a good thing too, since we had a full day planned. 

First stop – the EMP (Experience Music Project) museum, which is right next door to the Space Needle (and Science Center) in Seattle Center. The whole building has music playing – both inside and outside. And the building itself is crazy cool architecture. It all beckons the curious soul to come check it out. Bob and I both wanted to see this, but I wasn't sure quite what to expect and didn't know what the kids would think of a music museum. Turns out this place is pretty cool, and the kids thought so too. There’s a huge screen playing music or interviews when you first walk in, and the music completely surrounds you. There are a variety of exhibits – Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, icons of Science Fiction – and more, and upstairs is a Sound Lab, stage and an area where you can listen to music clips and vote for your favorites (Lily and I spent a fair bit of time there). Morgan loved the Sound Lab, where he could try out a variety of instruments, and equipment. He especially liked the mixing board. Lily loved the microphone. There was a table in the middle that played a beat and when you put your hand down on it like you were beating a drum,  different types of drums would beat in time with your hand. That was my favorite. I love music – always have. I had forgotten just how much I love music, and this place reminded me.  Thank You EMP!  If you enjoy music, and are ever in Seattle, I highly recommend coming here. 

We spent the whole morning there, and I probably could have stayed there all day, just absorbing the beat. But we had a schedule to keep, and so we left the museum, grabbed a quick snack from our backpack and took a short ride on the monorail. The monorail is another relic of the World’s Fair, and only has one stop. But it got us halfway to our next destination, while providing some novelty. We walked several blocks, heading towards our next stop – the harbor, specifically Pier 55, which is the home of Argosy Tours. Their 1 hour harbor cruise tour departs weekdays at 1:30 sharp, and we (I) had planned our day around this. The day was perfect (no gale this time) the ocean was extremely calm (definitely no six foot swells) and the clear skies and warm(ish) weather meant we could enjoy the leisurely boat cruise and learn more about Seattle from a different perspective (and it was one of the tickets in the CityPass, so hey, why not take a tour?). Morgan however, was unimpressed, especially when I told him he couldn't have his IPad on board. Oh, what a horrible mommy I am!

view from the cruise

After our cruise we backtracked a short way to the Seattle Aquarium to check out the marine life. This is the fourth aquarium we've been to with the kids (Monterrey Bay and Vancouver in previous years) and each one offers something a little bit different while showcasing the local fish & animals. Here, it’s the touch tanks that are notable. There are two large tanks with starfish, various anemones, sea urchins and more; all for touching. Of course, no one from our party wanted to touch anything! We checked out all the display tanks, said hi to the otters and seals, watched the giant pacific octopus get fed and then called it a day. 

We walked up through Pikes Place Market, where Bob & the kids grabbed some pizza, and then hopped aboard the monorail to return to Seattle Center and our truck. And then we headed right into rush hour traffic. Oops! (remember I said rush hour was ugly?) Even with that, I think we all had a pretty good day.