What's worth doing? Tourist attractions in Seattle
Brief reviews and ratings, in no particular order. Plus a newsletter update!
Hi everyone, and welcome back to Roaming On My Own. I didn’t write a newsletter last month because I was struggling with some non-negotiable writing deadlines and went out of town for a week. I considered writing a post about my visit to Vancouver with my boyfriend, but decided that creating content alongside everything else I had to do would be way too stressful.
I’m not sure where I want my newsletter to go. Writing lightweight articles about travel feels frivolous sometimes, and I also feel impostor syndrome about how little I travel compared to how often I write about it. I may shift this newsletter to be more about the writing life, or creativity, or just a general lifestyle blog. Comment and let me know what you’d like to see from me!
Some housekeeping
I also wanted to say that I stand with the Substack writers who are against the proliferation of Nazis and white supremacists on this platform and think the response from Substack’s founders has been lazy at best and actively harmful at worst. Profiting from hate speech and disguising it as “protecting free speech” is disgusting.
I’ve chosen to stay on Substack until I have the resources to host my newsletter on its own domain. I’m not moving to a competitor because there’s no guarantee that any of Substack’s competitors won’t also behave in the same way. Additionally, I read over 40 newsletters from other writers on Substack, many of which genuinely enrich my life and my mind. I don’t judge anyone for staying here, since many great writers make an income from their work here. I’m not going to stop reading Substacks, even if I do stop writing on the platform. I hope the outcry will lead to some positive change, but am not optimistic that any tech CEO will forgo profit, even a small amount of it, out of the goodness of their hearts.
Today’s newsletter
Until then, let’s pivot back to lightweight stuff. I’ve lived in Seattle proper for about 7 years now, and grew up on the Eastside of the Greater Seattle Area, with frequent trips to downtown. Seattle is my home and I have a big lovers-to-enemies-and-back-to-lovers arc with it. It’s hard to live here. It’s very expensive, and often very dreary. Sometimes I feel like there is a general miasma of misanthropy that presses down on the city and separates people from each other. Getting around is inconvenient and going anywhere on a weekday from the hours of 3pm-7pm is a nightmare.
Furthermore, Seattle tourist attractions are a wildly mixed bag. Obviously getting outside is the best thing to do here, but sometimes the weather gets ugly, or you’re a sedentary sage like me. So these are in the “mild physical activity” category of our attractions, and they all just require comfy walking shoes.
I’m keeping these reviews short and sweet, so I won’t be giving an explanation for each attraction. If you want to learn more, definitely use the Google box!
Space Needle
Definitely a must-do at least once. It’s a pretty view and a fun elevator ride. Do not go to the restaurant. 4/5
MoPOP
I love this place, no matter what the name is (when I was growing up it was called the EMP). The sci-fi exhibit in the basement is worth the entrance price alone. They have cool, varied pop culture exhibitions on the top floor that change frequently. 5/5
Seattle Art Museum
It’s a pretty good museum! If the guest exhibition is interesting to you, you should go and just check out the whole place. Some of the exhibits are stale, but its still a good way to spend an afternoon. 4/5
Pike Place Market
Crowded, dirty, often smells weird. Also somehow still feels like “Old Seattle” despite being THEE tourist attraction, and I deeply appreciate that. Great places to eat at every price point. I recommend just eating here and walking around, because most of the shops and storefronts are underwhelming. I might do a whole post on the Market because it’s super dense and I definitely have some favorite spots! Let me know if you’d be interested. 4/5
Chihuly Glass Museum
Expensive and doesn’t take very long to see the whole thing, but the art is stunning. Go when it’s sunny so the outdoor portion is at its prettiest. And get someone else to pay for it if you can :) 4/5
Seattle Great Wheel
Slow and overpriced and has long lines in the summer, but the views over the water are really nice. And it can be pretty romantic, if you’re into that sort of thing. Good to do once. 3/5
Seattle Aquarium
My favorite place on the list! The aquarium is beautiful, has an emphasis on local PNW fauna, and is worth a visit at any time of the year, with any group of people. Say hi to the otters for me. 5/5
The Fremont Troll
Boring. Not particularly safe for kids to play on, even though they regularly do. Best left to the forces of entropy. 1/5
Fremont Sunday Street Market
I’m biased because I live in Fremont, but it’s such a lovely neighborhood. Vintage shopping and eating street food while ambling along the market is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Great lowkey activity for locals and visitors alike. 5/5
Kerry Park
It’s so funny that this is a tourist attraction because it’s BARELY a park. It’s more like a small patch of grass with a famous view. Don’t take the family here, but maybe stroll by with a date if you’re in the upper Queen Anne area for some reason. 3/5
Gas Works Park
Now this is a park. Great views, gets crowded often. And a filming location for the paintball scene in 10 Things I Hate About You! 4/5
Seattle Central Public Library
Huge and beautiful. I’m rarely in that part of town, but it’s worth a visit. 5/5
Ballard Locks
Let’s stop pretending that these are interesting. Please. 1/5
Tourist attractions I haven’t been to yet:
Snoqualmie Falls (interested)
Leavenworth (not interested)
Woodland Park Zoo (interested)
Washington Park Arboretum (interested)
The Museum of Flight (not interested)
Ferries (interested)
Feel free to argue with me in the comments! <3