Visit Seattle - Pacific Science Center

Another wonderful place I've been to in Seattle is the Pacific Science Center.

Reasons to go:

• It's fun for kids (and all ages!)
• There's so much to see and learn
• It's close to other museums and fun sites (like the Space Needle)
• The butterfly exhibit is wonderful

Some of the interesting things you will find:

• Dinosaur display with large size models
• Spaceship with buttons and switches you can sit in (replica of an Apollo spaceship)
• Butterfly exhibit
  
• Coral and starfish that you can touch
• Solar system display and scale that shows how much you would weigh on each of the planets
• Kids play area
• Insect Village
• Puget Sound model showing the tides and currents
• Animal exhibits
• Body Works

Visit Seattle - Space Needle

I want to start writing more about what we're doing/places we've visited so that you can get a feel for the area and also - so you might visit these wonderful places too! Yesterday I wrote about Mount Rainier, and today I'm going to write a little about the Space Needle.

It has excellent food! I've eaten brunch and lunch and both are exceptional! The food tastes fresh and light and the portions are perfect.
- Hint: it's recommended that you make reservations. Both times that I've made reservations we arrived about 15 to 30 minutes early and still got seated right away. (You do have to wait 5 -10 minutes for the elevator though.)

Both times I've been to the Space Needle the sky was a little cloudy, so I couldn't see Mount Rainier from the Sky Deck. But the view was still beautiful.
- Hint: go when it's sunny and the humidity is low so that you can see the mountains!

You also learn a few things - when you're going up in the elevator, the staff gives you a few facts and you can ask your waiter/waitress questions also.

Quick Facts I've learned:

• Puget Sound is 930 feet deep at the deepest point!
• Puget Sound is completely salt water.
• There are even octupi and sharks that live in the waters!
• Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair.
• It is 605 feet (60 stories) high.

Views from the Needle ...

10 Reasons to Visit Mount Rainier

10. The entrance fee is minimal ($15 for a vehicle entering the park).

9. Some areas of the park are open year round - you can even cross-country ski on parts of the mountain.

8. There's information (signs, brochures, a fact sheet on our table at the restaurant) throughout the park about the park - so you can learn about the park while you're enjoying the view.

7. The trails are sorted by difficulty (on the MORA website) so you can choose exactly what you want to do.

6. The park is well maintained - no litter, well marked/well kept trails, etc.

5. It wasn't crowded. Their busiest time of year is July-August, especially weekends. We went in June on a Thursday afternoon and only passed about 5 people on the first (3.4 mile round trip) trail we were on and another 10 or so on the second trail (much shorter but near Christine Falls).

4. We saw wildlife. Just in the short time we were there we saw three adult female deer and two baby deer. There's also a chance to see mountain goats on the cliffs, elk, bears, and mountain lions. (Their newspaper noted that no one has ever been attacked by a bear in the Mount Rainier National Park.)

3. Your entrance fee gets you into the park for 7 days - so you can come back within a week "for free".

2. It was a little cloudy that day so we couldn't see the peak, but the scenery was still beautiful.

1. And the number one reason you should see Mount Rainier National Park - it's paid for by you and it's your land, so enjoy it and savor God's beauty.

Robert's Photos

I haven't blogged much recently (again) as it seems there's not much to write about lately. I did try a new pizza crust recipe yesterday that Robert really enjoyed but I forgot to get a picture of it before it was all gone! As soon as the midweek brownies (b/c I needed a snack!) are gone, I will make my new dessert. It's like half brownies/half "blondie" with M&Ms instead of chocolate chips. It looks really good - hopefully it tastes just as great!

Just a few of Robert's photographs. He's not as happy with his photos as I was with mine. (Maybe that's because I'm the amateur!)

A rainbow of colors.


A soft bed of flowers


One stands alone


Low tide in Puget Sound - I thought the clouds that evening were beautiful

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

A couple pictures from the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2009! Aren't they just gorgeous!!! I tried to count all the different kinds in the field - at least 15. We had lunch at this great little seafood place - LaConnor Seafood and Prime Rib. (But of course, Robert got a hamburger!) We were out all day and Robert got some great pictures too. Maybe he'll let me put a couple on here after he "fixes" his!

Just a few of the beautiful colors


Mount Baker and a sea of pink!


A little yellow