Jewel of the Northwest

My family took a trip to Seattle in the mid-‘90s while I was still in middle school. I recall visiting Mount Rainier, marveling at the Space Needle, and eating at local seafood restaurant Ivar’s. I’ll never forget the pizza bagel I ate there, either! Somehow, I never made it back in the intervening years. I probably could have joined the Cal Band for an optional football game performance at the University of Washington. Instead, I opted for memorable trips to Phoenix and New Orleans.

Thanks to some expiring airline miles, Dori and I were motivated to plan our Pacific Northwest excursion. On July 12 we departed from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport and were able to enjoy some Vietnamese food at Brodard Express. After landing at Seattle-Tacoma, we picked up a rental car and headed to our hotel.

As you might expect, the coffee culture in Seattle is strong. The same goes with pastries, as we found out at Sea Wolf Bakers the next day. I especially enjoyed the currant scone with lemon flavoring.

I have been a fan of Dale Chihuly’s blown glass art for some time, but nothing properly prepared me for Chihuly Garden and Glass, an incredible collection of his sculptures presented in a variety of ways. Even better, admission is discounted when you also visit the Space Needle next door. We visited some fantastic places in Washington, but this was my favorite. The photo above shows Mille Fiori, a breathtaking collection of works assembled like a single piece. The varied shapes and neon colors make it an experience unlike any other I have enjoyed. Don’t miss the Persian Ceiling, Ikebana boats, greenhouse, garden, or really anything at all here.

Speaking of the Space Needle, we got to spend a fun hour taking in all the city views it has to offer. Built in 1961, it features an elevator that takes visitors to the observation deck 520 feet up. I got into a friendly discussion with an employee even though he declared himself to be a Red Sox fan.

After we grabbed lunch, we made a beeline for T-Mobile Park. Our guide Peggy was highly knowledgeable about the Mariners and made the experience a great one. It’s always a thrill for me to step onto a big league field, and we took a photo to commemorate the moment. Other stops on the tour included the press box, the baseball card wall (they used 3,612 cards), and the museum. There’s even an art piece paying tribute to Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr.’s love of chewing gum. Peggy expressed her frustration that the Astros were division leaders of the American League West, but soon the Mariners would be back in first place.

In 2025, the Mariners were a win away from their first World Series appearance before ultimately falling to the Blue Jays on October 19. Catcher Cal Raleigh had an incredible season with 60 home runs, and Seattle’s pitching should make it a contender again next year. To date, their biggest postseason moment is probably the 1995 Division Series win over the Yankees, an event I have heard about countless times over the years. There’s even an artistic recreation of the series’ final play on a stadium wall. It’s a painful memory for fans of the Bronx Bombers, but the interest that series generated may have saved baseball in Seattle. After enduring heartbreak in 1995, the Yankees retrenched. New York won four of the next five World Series, capturing titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. The Mariners won 116 regular season games in 2001 before being bounced in the ALCS by—you guessed it—those same Yankees.

A nearly 100 mile drive to the town of Anacortes brought us to the “Orca Only” tour run by Outer Island Excursions. Sure enough, Dorina picked a winner of an outing. We had a great time whale watching around Port Susan. The orcas were plentiful and we enjoyed a delicious meal at Adrift after disembarking.

Visiting Pioneer Square with the Beneath The Streets tour company was an interesting look at the city’s history. Seattle has lots of underground passages resulting from an 1889 fire and the resulting decision to build a higher street level. Our guide David enlightened us about Chief Seattle, a leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples who worked with white settlers to avoid conflict as much as possible before his passing in 1866. David also pointed out Merchant’s Cafe, a restaurant dating back to 1890 that is thought to be haunted.

There are many tributes to indigenous people throughout the area. One example is a pair of totem poles in Occidental Square Park I noticed during the tour.

T-Mobile Park featured another reference to native culture. According to a 1922 journal article by T. T. Waterman, Djidjilal’itc was the name for an area village and meant “a little place where one crosses over.”

Another interesting tidbit: some street maintenance hole covers contain tiny maps of the city. One of them features the Kingdome, where the Mariners played prior to moving to their current stadium. Although the Kingdome was demolished in 2000, it’s represented by the circle with spokes going through it at bottom left. That symbol represents the shape of the defunct stadium’s roof. Today, football and soccer venue Lumen Field has taken its place.

Enjoy your holiday break and stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!