No trip to the Pacific Northwest would be complete without a stop to see the sights in Seattle. The dazzling seaport city has lots to offer and in just a day or two you can see it all. Our visit included stops at Pike’s Place Market, the Space Needle and a spin on the Seattle Great Wheel plus so much more.
Pike’s Place Market
Our first stop in Seattle was Pike’s Place Market. The Market is the epicenter of activity and offers several sites of interest for kids. The primary feature is the flying fish at Pike Place Fish. The boys loved watching the fishmongers fling their daily catch from the icy display cases to the back counter to be packaged and shipped. See a video of the flying fish here. They even got to hold a fish, the Washington State animal, a steelhead trout!
Sending 
Receiving
After seeing the flying fish in action we grabbed our first taste of Pike’s Place Market at Daily Dozen Doughnut Company before heading down to the Gum Wall. For more eats and treats while at the Market, stop by Beecher’s Handmade Cheese for cheese curds or mac n’ cheese or one of the oldest Starbucks in the country for a caffeine boost.
The Gum Wall is the grossest tourist attraction. Of course, my kids loved it. They each chewed at least two pieces each to “leave their mark” on Seattle. The fish throwing may be world famous and draw thousands to the Market but the gum wall was more thrilling for the boys.
Seattle Underground Tour
From Pike’s Place Market we took a short walk to Pioneer Square for a pre-scheduled Seattle Underground Tour. The 75 minute tour (I suggest purchasing online in advance) is an interesting subterranean look at how Seattle rebuilt itself from the ‘second floor’ up following the Great Fire of 1889. The Great Fire destroyed nearly 25 city blocks that were originally built on tide flats. In the rebuilding process all structures needed to be constructed using brick or stone. Retaining walls at least 8 feet tall were erected on each side of the old streets and the space between filled in and paved over making the previous first floor the basement. This is the space the Underground Tour explores. The Underground Tour was a informative and funny side trip. It offered great narration and stories about the exciting history of Seattle.
Seattle Great Wheel
The final attraction on our first day in Seattle was a ride on the Great Wheel. Located at Miner’s Landing on Pier 57, the Great Wheel offers views from 175 feet up. In the 12 minute ride in one of the wheel’s 42 gondolas we were treated to great views of Elliot Bay and downtown Seattle.
Before heading out for a spin on the Great Wheel, we stopped for dinner at the Fisherman’s Restaurant, also on Pier 57. It was the first seafood experience for the boys. They tried lobster and crab legs and gave both lukewarm reviews. Our food motto on vacation is we try food’s we aren’t familiar with, because there’s always dessert. Needless to say, we went out for ice cream.
Space Needle
On our second and final day in Seattle we made the obligatory trek to the top of the Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Needle stands 605 feet tall. To reach Seattle Center, take the monorail, it’s a fun way to travel and helps avoid pricey Ubers. Purchase timed tickets online, in advance but be prepared for a wait. We got in line during our ticket time and still had to snake through the line for about 45 minute before boarding an elevator to the top. Despite the time of the wait, entertaining signage and displays about the Needle helped pass the time.
The Space Needle underwent a renovation in 2018 and now encompasses two floors. From the top house, we made one outdoor lap around the saucer for views all over the Seattle area. Down one level, via the Oculus staircase, we explored the Loupe. The loupe level has a glass floor for some unique looks below the Needle. The floor also rotates which honestly made me a bit dizzy.
Most of our recent adventures with the boys have been to national parks like Big Bend or Joshua Tree. This trip to the PNW also included park visits to Olympic, North Cascades and Mount Rainier. However, when your close to a fun city like Seattle you carve out time for an urban adventure. For more city travel sites with kids, see our posts on San Antonio and Chicago.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle
Ok, I went to gym wall but I didn’t TOUCH it 🫣😜. The underground tour was so cool!
I thought one of them might pull a piece off and chew it!
Love this!! These are on my list for next summer!
So much fun!