In a little less than a month David’s parents are going to be coming to visit us in our little Kirkland home. Their visit will be over the fourth of July and will last for about a week. I am really blessed to have a job where I can have most of that time off without having to spend any of my precious vacation hours. I just have to work a lot before and after the days that they will be here. I was excited for a short little while until I realized that I now am going to be the one in charge of planning activities for the week. And then I started to panic (just a little). So, the other day while I was at the library I checked out some books on, um, touring Seattle. You know, like the type of guides that you would get if you were planning a vacation here. On Sunday David and I took a trip to Port Angeles to watch his brother Mark run a half marathon and on the way back I flipped through the books. And I found all kinds of things I didn’t even know about! I have lived in the greater Seattle area for nearly four years one would think that I would be familiar with the things to do and places to be. It’s amazing how little exploring people tend to do of where they live. I think a little because it is always available to them. Here are a few gems that I found for those who live in the area:
1) The Underground Tour (I’ve actually never done this one)- described as for people who “love bad jokes and are fascinated by the bizarre” www.undergroundtour.com
2) Center for Wooden Boats- a museum dedicated to wooden boats. Admission is free and they have a free classic boat ride on Sundays from 2-3pm www.cwb.org
3) Nordic Heritage Museum- I didn’t even know that there were many people of Nordic heritage living in Seattle. Apparently, they live in Ballard. This little museum is in a school building. In July it sponsors a Viking Days festival. www.nordicmuseum.org
4) Freeway Park- literally located *on top* of I-5 and “more like a series of urban plazas, with terraces, waterfalls and cement planters creating walls of greenery. On Sixth Ave. and Seneca Street