Sights to see in the City of Seattle.

 I am a Washington state native.  I was born and raised in this beautiful state and have lived on both sides of it.  Western Washington was a challenge for me when we first moved here.  The freeway system and traffic jams were an enlightening experience for this country bred Eastern Washington girl.    

It took me a few years to get a confident grip on maneuvering around the city streets of Seattle.  Once I had my system in place I was good to go.  Now that my family is getting ready to venture back to Eastern Washington to live, I have had some time to reflect on the amazing things my kids have been able to see and do while having access to this wonderful city.  Some of my favorite memories come from our city adventures. Seattle and its surround areas offer so much to do you can never get bored.

Whether or not you want an outdoor experience or an indoor one, Seattle has it all.  My favorite aspect of living here is that you can have the amazing museums, restaurants, theaters, football and baseball games, and at the same time there are hundreds of hiking, biking, fishing, exploring, kayaking and camping opportunities as well.

For city fun I highly recommend the Seattle aquarium.  Located on waterfront it offers a great opportunity to see what the waters of the Pacific Northwest hold, without having to get wet.

We enjoyed a trip to the aquarium just a week ago.  The Jelly fish were particularly fun to photograph.

The aquarium offers a number of opportunities to be indoors and outdoors.  For a completely outdoor experience I would recommend the Woodland park zoo.  The zoo is large, interactive and incredible.  Summer time offers a great opportunity to see everything from butterflies to boa constrictors and gorillas, bears, elephants, lions, tigers and zebras.  We love the zoo and visit it at least once a year.

For some waterfront fun I suggest taking a ferry boat ride.  If you don’t want to drive on, simply walk on and ride the ferry round trip for an outdoor water view of the Puget Sound.  Our kids have had a blast by simply driving down to a local marina and looking at the sea stars, jelly fish, crabs and other critters that are just below the water’s surface.  I also recommend the Argosy Cruise trip to Tillicum Village.  You can enjoy a wonderful boat ride to a tiny island that has a Native American theater and information center.  Once you arrive you receive a wonderful Salmon lunch and a great show all about Native American history and culture.

Our summer vacation has consisted of getting out of the city each year and heading to Idaho for a week or two on Lake Coeur d’ Alene.  We have family there and we really enjoy the quiet relaxed pace.  For those of you that look forward to visiting a bigger city with tons to do this summer, I hope you take the time to explore Western Washington and all the beauty it offers. 

For me a vacation is simply a step away from what we are used to doing in our daily lives – something that invites us to create new memories with old friends and family.  I hope your summer is full of opportunities to create new memories and to love those that mean the most to you.  Enjoy the SUN!

Jenny Vanhoff is a homeschooling mom, wife, certified coach and the owner and creator of Shine Alive – living with purpose and passion.  She helps women entrepreneurs learn how to lead and market their businesses in an authentic powerful way that gets them out of overwhelm and into results!