A trip to Seattle is always fun, and new outdoor parks enhanced our trip.

Volunteer Park

Our first stop was Volunteer Park, and its wonderful gardens near Capitol Hill. Here you’ll find a charming conservatory filled with a display of beautiful plants from all corners of the globe, and a water tower you can climb and get a nice perspective of the city without joining the tourist throngs hurtling to the top of the Space Needle. The area around the park feels cozy and quaint. Nearby sandwiches, soups, and deserts await at the reasonably priced, fresh-produce oriented Volunteer Park Cafe. Try a cheese sandwich and a lemon cake.

Sitka & Spruce Restaurant

If you’re looking for more formal fare, try the Sitka & Spruce. This restaurant was recommended to me as someone who enjoys convivial dining – the room is dominated by a long table you can share with friends or strangers who may or may not be chatty. My kids enjoyed discussing food choices with adults other than mom, but there are also smaller tables about if you’re looking for a more private setting. The food here too is fresh-sourced, and we loved pumpkin crepe, and the salmon. Our vegan was thrilled to have a veg version of a fish-centric main dish created using mushrooms, turnips, and celery in a delicious ragout.

Olympic Sculpture Park

If you have time before sundown, work off your meal with a visit to another free park. Justifying both the calories and costs of our repast, we hit The Olympic Sculpture Park near the Seattle Art Museum, where some awesomely impressive pieces blend in among trees and flowers. Kids of all ages, even the stroller set, will enjoy the interesting art works and meandering paths. Everyone will love Alexander Calder’s “Eagle” soaring on steel wings. You can wander through the park to the waterfront, where there’s a pleasant small beach and the wide open green space of  From Myrtle Edwards Park over looking the bay.

Seattle Shopping and Sailing

Heading inland, Seattle’s hip and happening  Pike-Pine Corridor has a wonderful book store in the Elliott Bay Book Company, replete with a large children’s section. Browsing encouraged, which came in handy for us when Seattle experienced one of its frequent rain showers, and as usual, I’d forgotten an umbrella.

Another alternative is the South Lake Union area which is packed with cute shops and impressive galleries. Best of all you’ll find the Center for Wooden Boats where your kids will enjoy a look at beautiful old water craft or you can rent a boat and take it out on the lake. We spent a great afternoon out on the water with old friends more water-accomplished than I am, and the kids were delighted to see not just ocean but a lake in the same urban center.

It's always a treat to take the kids out on a boat...

Arboretums Within The City

If a sail isn’t your think, you can still enjoy the outdoors at a wonderful mile-long trail from the Museum of History and Industry. The Arboretum Trail leads you over paths and a boardwalk through trees and small islands divided by inlets of water. In the actual arboretum you’ll find a fruit orchard. Despite the nearby freeway hum, you’ll feel like you’re out of the city proper.

You don’t have to leave the city limits to immerse yourself in the region’s stunning natural beauty. Drive or take a bus 15 minutes from downtown to the parking lot of the Museum of History and Industry (2700 24th Avenue East; 206-324-1126; seattlehistory.org) and pick up the milelong Arboretum Waterfront Trail. A network of well-maintained paths and boardwalks takes you through thickets of alder, willow and elderberry into marshy islands alive with the trills of red-winged blackbirds and marsh wrens, and over shallows where kayakers prowl amid the rushes and concrete pillars of the freeway overhead. If the sun is out, you’ll want to prolong the outing with a stroll through the flowering fruit trees in the adjoining arboretum. The museum itself, which explores Seattle history with photographs and displays, is moving to a larger space at the end of next year, at Lake Union Park in a former armory. One of the most interesting exhibits was all about salmon. We were led through early twentieth century fisheries and got a look at the invention that caused salmon processing to be mechanized, transforming the industry and the region. Surrounding the museum is a garden slugged the Garden of Iconic Objects, which children love. The random and cool artifacts include a fire bell, a deck gun from the USS COLORADO, and working gas street lamps. We trust the garden will be included in the location migration.

Full days meant much needed rest. We chose to stay in the heart of downtown at Hyatt and Eighth Avenue; city views and modern furnishings combined with a killer rate on a travel web-site made the selection easy; public transportation and our own feet made getting around pretty simple from this central location.

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Particularly fascinating to children, zoos are a wonderful place for people of all ages to learn about the animal world and our role in its preservation while having fun. Listed alphabetically, the following 10 zoos were selected from the west coast region of the USA and include Washington State, Oregon and California, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Visit one of these fantastic zoos and discover some of the species that share in our amazing world.

Alaska Zoo

A tiger lounging at the Alaska Zoo

Located in Anchorage, Alaska, the Alaska Zoo features a wonderful variety of animals native to this region. There are reindeer, moose, musk oxen, polar and brown bears, wolverines and wolves. Visitors can see a wide collection of birds of prey including owls, hawks and eagles. The zoo is also home to exotic cold weather creatures including Tibetan yaks, snow leopards, Amur tigers and double-humped Bactrian camels. There are tours, animal encounters and various programs that provide guests of all ages with educational experiences they are certain to remember. For more information on this wonderful zoo visit their website at www.alaskazoo.org

Honolulu Zoo

Elephants eating peanuts at the Honolulu Zoo

Hawaii’s tropical climate makes the Honolulu Zoo on the island of Oahu the perfect place for animal species indigenous to the tropics. Birds, mammals and reptiles from three major habitats are showcased here. The African Savannah habitat includes chimpanzees, giraffes, zebras, rhinoceroses, lizards and a walk-through aviary. The Tropical Forest habitat features monkeys, tigers, elephants, Komodo dragons and colorful birds. The Pacific Islands habitat has native birds and reptiles including the Galapagos tortoise and Eclectus Parrots. Children can also enjoy a close encounter with the domestic animals in the Children’s Zoo including sheep, goats, hedgehogs, and llamas. For more information visit their website at www.honoluluzoo.org

Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens

A pensive gorilla at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens

Situated on 133 lush sprawling acres in Griffith Park, the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens is home to over 1,100 birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and more than 800 species of plants. The fantastic exhibits include a gorilla reserve, walk-through tropical aviary, elephant habitat, rainforest, reptile house, and a host of animals native to Australia, Africa, Eurasia, and North and South America. A two-acre Winnick Family Children’s Zoo delights children with a petting area and low windows for pint-sized viewing at rare and unusual animals. The zoo also features an animal themed play park for little ones to climb and explore. A variety of shows and programs at the zoo allow for close encounters with the animals as well. For more information visit their website at www.lazoo.org

Oakland Zoo

A majestic lion at the Oakland Zoo

Set in the picturesque Knowland State Park of Oakland, California, the Oakland Zoo offers families a haven in which to explore the many animals living here. Its main attraction is the African Savannah where elephants and other animals roam a six-acre habitat with grassy hills, open plains, pool and trees. The zoo’s Tropical Rain Forest is a lush and inviting habitat with tigers, primates, colorful birds, reptiles and more. The zoo also features a fantastic children’s zoo with many play and discovery areas including giant sculptures, a Bug House with live insects and a Reptile & Amphibian Discovery room. A small amusement park within the zoo boasts rides for children as well. A variety of programs including live animal presentations and feedings make a trip here unforgettable. For more information visit their website www.oaklandzoo.org

Oregon Zoo

An orangutan at the Oregon Zoo

Founded in 1887, the Oregon Zoo is the oldest zoo on the western part of the USA. Located in Portland Oregon, this 64-acre zoo is home to about 260 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians, 1,000 species of exotic plants in their botanical garden, and exhibits reflecting different regions from around the world including Africa – with lions, cheetahs, giraffes and hippos, Asian elephants, rainforests – with monkeys, birds and caimans, the Pacific shores – with bears, penguins, an insect zoo, the popular walk-through aviary Lorikeet Landing, and the Northwest – with a delightful petting farm where goats, hogs, ducks, chickens, rabbits and more reside. The zoo also boasts wonderful train rides that take guests on a scenic tour through the zoo and Washington Park. For more information visit www.oregonzoo.org

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Curious lemurs at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Surrounded by spectacular views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington offers a fantastic combination of zoo and aquarium on its 29-acre property. Most of the zoo animals are native to the Pacific Rim and feature such creatures as tigers and gibbons, to walruses, beluga whales, polar bears and puffins. The aquariums – South and North Pacific – are inhabited by a variety of fascinating marine life including shark, seahorses, cuttlefish and eels, and have a discovery center with touch tank. Children can play and explore at the Kids’ Zone with its live animals, petting zoo, crafts, and climbing and play apparatus. Then they can go for an enchanting ride on the zoo’s Antique Carousel that dates back to 1917. For more information visit www.pdza.org

San Diego Zoo

A panda munching on a bamboo shoot at the San Diego Zoo

100 acres in San Diego’s Balboa Park is home to one of the world’s best zoos with more than 4,000 animals and a botanical garden teeming with exotic plants. The San Diego Zoo has many rare and endangered animals and features exhibits with exquisitely reproduced natural habitats that include gorillas, tigers, leopards, jaguars, polar bears, camels, koalas, giant pandas and much more. The zoo’s Discovery Outpost has a wonderful Children’s Zoo with petting area and playground, and over 30 animal exhibits designed with kids in mind. Tours, animal interactions, presentations and programs offer fascinating and educational experiences, while gondola rides on Skyfari give guests an unforgettable view of the zoo and surrounding San Diego areas. The zoo also features a thrilling safari simulator ride and miniature train ride. For more information visit www.sandiegozoo.org

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Elephants at the San Diego Safari Park

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is an expansive 1,800-acre sanctuary with rolling hills, rocky slopes, and over 3,500 animals in the San Pasqual Valley near Escondido, California. Visitors can embark on a variety of safaris where they will be treated to memorable wildlife encounters from scenic and relaxing cart and tram tours with knowledgeable guides, to exciting zip lines with panoramic views, to caravans, sleepovers in tents, and more. Kids will enjoy exploring the park’s jungle gym playground, Discovery Station with fun and educational activities, interactive water play area, Petting Kraal with goats, colorful lorikeets, and exotic merry-go-round with its many rare and wild animals for a delightful ride. This African-themed park offers guests a beautifully recreated glimpse of several African regions including a Gorilla Habitat, Lion Camp and Elephant Overlook. For more information visit www.sandiegozoo.org

San Francisco Zoo

A tamarin at the San Francisco Zoo

One of the most popular attractions in Northern California’s Bay Area, the San Francisco Zoo in San Francisco, California has about 700 animals representing the regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, North America and South America. Its 100-acre location by the Pacific Ocean offers families fabulous exhibits, a scenic nature trail, shows and programs, miniature steam train, carousel, bird sanctuary, playground and recreational area. The Children’s Zoo has its own exhibits including an Insect Zoo where kids can observe and learn about creepy crawlies in fascination. It also boasts a Family Farm with petting area, hatchery, and programs like animal care and feedings. The Fisher-Price Little Learners’ Log Cabin provides young children and toddlers with dynamic learning opportunities including music, crafts, games and animal encounters as well. For more information visit www.sfzoo.org

Woodland Park Zoo

Penguins at the Woodland Park Zoo

From tropical rain forests, to the African savannah, to the Pacific Northwest, the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington houses about 1,100 animals in its award-winning naturalistic habitat exhibits. Watch jaguars in a lush tropical forest; see lions, hippos and zebras in the grassland plains; hand feed tropical birds as you walk through the Willawong Station where over 150 colorful birds fly free; listen to Madagascar hissing cockroaches and katydids, or observe desert millipedes and scorpions in Bug World. Children will love the Family Farm (seasonal), with its petting area that includes goats, rabbits and sheep, and the nature-themed Zoomazium where they can have fun expending energy in a playground, enjoy stories, arts and crafts, and live animals. The zoo also features an historic carousel with 48 horses that is open year-round. For more information visit www.zoo.org

Ballard Locks Seattle

We actually did have some sunshine our first day in Seattle, sparkling blue skies and fresh air – it was just interspersed with bouts of rain and mirrored with often lake-like puddles. But our second day was completely dry, and we took advantage of the fine weather, spending most of the day outdoors.Our first stop was the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, off the beaten path in Ballard, and sometimes called the Ballard Locks. By any name, this historic site links boats bound between the ocean – the Puget Sound – and the fresh water of the Ship Canal that connects to Lake Union, Lake Washington, Salmon Bay, and Portage Bay. Built in 1911 to allow smooth transport of coal and lumber by boat, today they’re still working, but they’re also a well known pleasure attraction. Tourists and locals alike gather around the locks to watch a veritable parade of sail boats, schooners, tugs, barges, yachts and motor boats. With street performers providing a musical background, vendors selling ice cream and pretzels, you can spend a surprising amount of time watching all those varied boats enter into the locks, and wait while the water level is adjusted for their safe passage in either direction, to the lake or sound. Sometimes the crowd even cheers.   

Another enjoyable past-time in the same location is the so-called fish ladder, built to let salmon to pass between fresh and salt water. You can see the fish through glass panels as they navigate  through the ladder. It’s quite a journey as they adapt to different levels of salt in their water at each “rung.” Our kids spent a lot of time watching this pretty fascinating navigation.   

Everyone loved the amazing Native American art at the Burke Museum.

After a morning at the locks, we headed back to ‘our’ neighborhood. Rather than spending much higher down-town Seattle prices, we opted to stay a fifteen minute drive away from the Pioneer Square area, in a neighborhood adjacent to the University of Washington. Our choice was the elegant Watertown, with a full compliment of large rooms with larger baths or suites that are perfect for a family. When we were there the Watertown even offered a family package of pizza and movies for relaxing after a full day of sightseeing. The rooms are stylishly appointed, modern, and many have beautiful sky line views of the Space Needle and downtown. The complimentary breakfast buffet was good too, with lots of fruit, local pastries,  and scrambled eggs. The hotel also provided free van shuttle service to downtown, leaving you at several locations like the Space Needle or Pioneer Square if you don’t want to hassle with downtown parking. We used it twice; despite a short wait for return pick up it was efficient and reliable. Near the hotel is the student-focused Araya Vegetarian Place, a Thai restaurant with a really good and inexpensive lunch buffet Monday through Saturday. Another fun spot is the University Village shopping area, a good place for al fresco dining. Our kids especially enjoyed the Tokyo Treats ice cream deserts, but there are also plenty of casual restaurants, outdoor tables, and a nice mix of locally owned shops and galleries and some upscale national chain stores. A nice touch for family is a free story time, crafts and activities for kids. Called Playdays, the activities vary weekly and if you attend one you can get discounts or two for one coupons for shops and restaurants in the Village.   

Also nearby was the University campus, with child-friendly green space and the fascinating world class Burke Museum. It contains collections of natural history and cultural heritage for the entire state of Washington, and features well done interactive exhibits and nicely displayed and organized artifacts. We learned about geology, Native American art, and the early settlers in this region. The totem poles and wooden boats on display were truly awesome, and the kids loved the color and large scale of these items.   

As much as we enjoyed the collection, the sunshine was so alluring that we headed back to downtown Seattle to take a narrated cruise from the waterfront to Blake Island State Park. Although it’s just eight miles from Seattle’s water front, the island is accessible only by boat. Most people arrive by taking a cruise line, which is what we did.   

Heading out to the island - a view of Seattle's waterfront

Named for Captain George Blake, commander of an 1837 U.S. Coast Survey vessel, Blake Island State Park was also an ancestral campground of the Suquamish and Duwamish Indian Tribes. It may also be the birth-place of Chief Seattle. This heavily forested island has five miles of pretty beaches, and quiet wooded walking trails. You can take a long walk, or a short one, and many of the trails closest to the landing area are stroller friendly. We spotted deer and otters; birds and squirrels. You can camp here too; which isn’t for us, but the campgrounds we saw were private and attractive.   

Going the tourist tour-boat route as we did takes about four hours round trip, including a fifty minute each way boat ride. The boat leaves from Pier 55 in the central water front area. We had no problem with sea sickness on the mostly calm crossing, but we did see others popping Dramamine.  The Seattle sky line is impressive, the sea air bracing, the island’s tree filled approach lovely. Once on the island, visitors head to Tillicum village, a recreated Native American community. Our kids loved the clam shell walkways and the tribal dwellings. They also enjoyed the food. Steamed clams served on arrival are tasty and sweet; visitors then enter a long house where whole salmon are prepared over a fire in a traditional Northwest Native American style. Usually tourist events like this are not particularly delicious – we’ve been the route of poi and steamed rice in Hawaii – but here the Chinook salmon is fresh and good, flavorful from cooking over a fire. After the buffet style meal comes a performance of coastal tribe dances, which were also greatly entertaining and well done. The gift shop had the usual tourist items but also included some local art work of good quality. Watching the late afternoon sun shine sparkle on the water as we returned to the city was a perfect end to a beautiful Seattle day.

Seattle Science Fiction Museum

The Experience Music project shares a conjoined building with the Seattle Science Fiction Museum. The building is shaped like a rain warped electric guitar, and that colorful exterior just starts the fun. Inside the museum is great for kids of all ages to explore, and parents will enjoy it too. For kids old enough to experience the interactive exhibits, such as the Sound Lab where you can mix a record, record yourself singing or playing an instrument – instruments available for use on site – or simply learn how to play a chord or two. The On Stage exhibit is even better – even toddlers can pretend to be rock stars, no instrument playing required. And yes, you can take home recordings of either musical experience. 

Our kids also really enjoyed the Roots and Branches exhibit, also interactive. It leads participants into the history and changes of pop and rock music over the years. A similar exhibit is Guitar Gallery, focusing on the development of guitars – larger sizing, going electric and more – it’s all very visual, very musical, and very much fun. Over in the Sci Fi part of the building, there’s everything from home world, which examines the culture and actual science behind sci fi, to an exhibit called Brave New Worlds which shows us the different ways we live, could live, and the consequences of the way we chose to live. Younger children may not appreciate the Sci Fi exhibits as much as the rock ‘n’ roll which truly does appear – on empirical, in person evidence – to appeal to the stroller crowd straight up to teens and adults. 

The younger kids will appreciate the nearby Seattle Children’s Museum. The exhibits here include Imagination Studio, a kid-centric and kid-sized art studio that employs materials such as clay, paint, and recycled stuff like cans and pencil shavings for art projects. Our kids enjoyed Cog City which is a maze of levers, pipes, balls and swings. A global village allows kids to experience different cultures; they have a nice range of atypical sites including Ghana, the Philippines, and Japan. Closer to home, the museum offers exploration of Washington State forest land with rocks, a cave, and even a lava bed. And to relax, there’s a story telling circle with books and a tree house in which to read them. 

After the Children’s museum, pick up that umbrella again and splash over from the museum to the Space Needle nearby. No visit to Seattle is satisfying without riding the elevator to the top, an exciting experience in and of itself for the kids. In spite of the rain, we had a great view from the observation deck which rises an impressive five hundred and twenty feet from the ground. We could see buildings, mountains, ocean, and the moving and shifting rain clouds. Some parts of the city were wet, some were bathed in grayish sunlight. 

When the rain stopped, the sky was bright blue at the Space Needle.

We bought some fun souvenirs in the Jetson-esque gift stores back on the ground again before taking off for the waterfront during a break in the deluging. We waded through puddles that only seemed to offset the interesting sculptures at Olympic Sculpture Park. The kids appreciated the reflected images of large pieces by Calder and Oldenburg as well as views of the sea. The park has several levels and the hands down favorite was the small man-made beach at the waters edge. 

It was raining again so I confess we didn’t take the famous hill walk or the slippery steps one climbs while taking it between the water front and Pike Place Market; we took a short cab ride. All the same, we enjoyed the market tremendously, snacking on clam chowder; french fries, and fresh fruit. 

We even purchased a giant sunflower which managed to survive for days wrapped up in wet paper towels and tin foil on our dash board -  Seattle was only a weekend place marker in a longer road trip. 

Pike Place Market is enormous with in door sprawl and stalls and buildings adjoining the main, multi-leveled market place. It’s not just produce and pastries; the kids spent over an hour at a unique music shop that featured unusual small instruments from belles to kazoos to drums to specialized guitar picks. We waited in line to get Starbucks hot chocolate at the very first store, located outside the main market. We wandered among stalls purveying arts and crafts, local salmon, crab, and shrimp, unusual spices, flowers, vegetables, home made soups, and far too tasty home made fudge. 

Pioneer Square in Seattle is filled with historic buildings

Because it was still raining – and because this is a great way to see Seattle, our next stop was underground. We took the well known and highly praised Seattle Underground Tour. It’s a slow paced, enjoyable guided walking tour that moves beneath Seattle’s sidewalks and streets. Our kids loved the underground passage ways that once upon a time were the main roads and street level shop fronts of old Seattle. Some of the stories the guide relates are quirky and sometimes mildly raunchy, but older kids won’t mind and younger children will not notice. Stretching three blocks, the tour starts inside an 1890′s era saloon and ends in a gift shop. The tour covers most of historic Seattle’s Pioneer Square. Afterward, we strolled Pioneer Square above ground, on our own. The brick streets and tree lined plaza are a pleasant place to get some fresh air when the clouds part. And there’s great puddle jumping in the plaza. 

We ended our day nearby at the University of Washington, as we’d headquartered in a hotel in this neighborhood. I’ll share some hotel and dining options as well as some of the pleasures to be found just outside of downtown Seattle in my next blog. Keep your umbrellas ready!