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During your Seattle vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Center for Wooden Boats
This unusual little museum, located adjacent to the Northwest Seaport/Maritime Heritage Center, is basically a collection of wooden boats of all kinds. Most of the boats are tied up to the docks surrounding the museum's floating boathouse, but some are stored in dry dock (on the dock itself). Dedicated to the preservation of historic wooden boats, the center is unique in that many exhibits can be rented and taken out on the waters of Lake Union. There are both rowboats and sailboats; rates range from $13 to $46 per hour (call for hours of availability). Free classic boat rides are held on Sunday from 2 to 3pm, and individual sailing instruction is also available.
IMAXDome Theater
The IMAX Dome is a movie theater with a 180-degree screen that fills your peripheral vision and puts you right in the middle of the action. This huge wraparound theater is adjacent to the Seattle Aquarium, and for many years now has featured a film about the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Various other special features are screened throughout the year.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
There is something oddly fascinating about locks. No, not the locks on doors -- the locks that raise and lower boats. Locks don't provide panoramic views and aren't nearly as dramatic as waterfalls, but for some strange reason, a lot of people are intrigued by the concept of two side-by-side bodies of water on two different levels. Consequently, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in the Ballard neighborhood are among the most popular attractions in the city. These locks, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers, consist of a small lock and a large lock. The latter accommodates barges, commercial fishing vessels, and the like, while the small lock stays busy shuttling small private boats (including sea kayaks) between the saltwater of Puget Sound and the freshwater of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which connects to both Lake Union and Lake Washington. It's a slow process locking boats back and forth, but none of the onlookers seem to mind, and people onshore and those on the boats often strike up conversations.When the gates of the lock are closed, it's possible to continue to the far side of the ship canal to the fish ladders and fish-viewing windows that provide opportunities for salmon viewing during the summer months. The chance to see salmon in a fish ladder is as much of a draw as the locks themselves, and in the past the fish runs have also attracted hungry sea lions that at times become regular salmon-swallowing pests.Also here at the locks, you can stroll the grounds of the Carl S. English, Jr., Botanical Gardens, a city park filled with rare and unusual shrubs and trees. There are free tours of the grounds Monday through Friday at 1 and 3pm, Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 1 and 3pm.The locks are located a 10- to 15-minute drive north of downtown. Follow Elliott Avenue north along the waterfront from downtown Seattle; after crossing the Ballard Bridge, drive west on NW Market Street.
Hampton Inn & Suites Seattle-Downtown
Ideally located in downtown Seattle on Lower Queen Anne Hill, one of Seattle's most refined and exclusive neighborhood. The hotel is just minutes away from the major retail and business core of downtown. The Hampton Inn & Suites is located just steps away from the Seattle Center, Space Needle, Experience Music Project, Key Arena and many other downtown ...
The Westin Seattle
Nearby Airport: * Seattle-Tacoma International Airport - 15 Miles Nearby Cities: * Shoreline - 10 Miles * Edmonds - 12 Miles * Tukwila - 12 Miles * Burien - 15 Miles * Kirkland - 15 Miles * Renton - 15 Miles * Bellevue - 15 Miles * Lynnwood - 15 Miles * Federal Way - 18 Miles * Everett - 20 Miles * Redmond - 20 Miles * Mukilteo - 30 Miles * Tacoma - 30 Miles * Olympia - 42 ...
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