Doing The Tourist Thing
Pressed for time - I’ll let the camera do most of the talking. As I mentioned earlier, Mrs. Perils’ brother and two daughters have been visiting, and we’ve had a really nice time. Tuesday night we went out for sushi, and Wednesday we did the “tourist thing”.
The nieces wanted to go to the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market, and we threw in the Seattle Aquarium as an additional attraction, since it’s just down a long stairway from the Market. The Space Needle is always a problematic destination, because they charge $16 apiece just to ride the elevator to the observation deck. It’s a terrific view, but with 5 adults, you’re talking $80. You can get postcards at the drug store for much less and, depending on the weather, the view might be better.
The nieces asked if there wasn’t a rotating restaurant there, and we said that there was, and the elevator ride is free if you eat there. The nieces then evinced a strong preference for eating lunch in the revolving restaurant, so that became our plan. When we walked up to the reception desk for the restaurant and asked for lunch reservations, they mentioned that there was a $30/person minimum food charge. I asked my BIL if he still wanted to do it, but he at that point was pretty much checkmated, so up we went.
Reviewers consistently pan the restaurant at the Needle, but we thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the view. We’d completed almost 3 revolutions by the time we finished.
(Click photos to enlarge)
Below is a comparison of the view in 1974 (left) when we first arrived in Seattle (and the elevator ride was quite a bit cheaper) and on Thursday. In the 1974, you can barely see the Kingdome, under construction and nearing completion.
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Next, we parked near the Market and waddled down to the aquarium.
I became mesmerized by a clear circular exhibit called the Circle of Life that featured moon jellyfish, and made this video. I find I can’t embed Youtube videos for some reason today, so just click the link. I think you’ll be mesmerized, too. Really, you should check it out. Put your speakers on.
Other attractions at the aquarium, in rapid fire:
Finally, we hit the Pike Place Market just as they were closing up. That was OK, as we got to see all the sights and vendors, but there wasn’t the usual crowd. Back in 1985, there was a campaign to sell tiles to raise money for the Market, and we bought one. Ours seems to have escaped the depredations of time cited in this recent article:
Sometimes it really is fun to do the touristy thing, look at the city in a whole new light. I had no idea there’s a revolving restaurant at the Space Needle. Looks like a cool place to eat and really see see see the city.
Nice tile.
I love those old picture/new picture things.
We bought a “brick” for my son’s school’s most recent building project. I’m told it is in the ground outside the theater, but I’ll be darned if I can find it. Yours looks pretty good for a twenty year old tile in a public space.
Really cool jellyfish video. Glad I found your site. My partner happens to be in Seattle as I type at the ACLU Biennial meeting.
Hi Phil! Love the vid…i didn’t have the sound on, but had Amy Winehouse’s version of “Will you still love me tomorrow” blasting in the background…I’ve constructed quite the back story for those little jellyfish as a result.
We loved the jelly fish. Better at the aquarium then swimming with us. What kind were they, do you remember?
Robin - I was pleasantly surprised. I was only up there two other times - with my grandparents for dinner sometime in the 70s, and another time when, as CFO of a commercial bakery, I was impressed to deliver a wedding cake to a wedding party there.
Kathy - the Market has a grid map, but usually the place is so crowded that you can’t really see the floor, let alone stop and gawk
Portia (?) - thanks for the tip on the scanner
Pred - hi, thanks for stopping! I can’t find that song on any of Amy Winehouse’s stuff for sale, but thanks for the intro.
Brian, they’re moon jellies.