seattle - Parenting Healthy

10 Seattle Activities To Do With Kids feat. Seattle Family Adventures Guide

Living near Seattle we are very familiar with heading into the city for a day of fun. There are so many things to see and do especially if you have kids. If you are moving to the area or planning to visit, I first recommend getting a copy of Seattle Family Adventures: City Escapes, Day Trips, Weekend Getaways and Itineraries for Fun-Loving Families by Kate Calamusa.

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We live north of Seattle and a lot of our family is south of Seattle so it makes the city a gathering place for us for birthdays and occasions. We just recently celebrated my Dad’s 70th birthday with the entire family beginning with the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room then dinner at Cutters Point. We topped it of by riding the Wings Over Washington exhibit on the pier and a waterfront walk.

Seattle activities

10 Seattle Activities To Do With Kids feat. Seattle Family Adventures Guide

Woodland Park Zoo – www.zoo.org – watch for ‘rainy day’ discounts they often offer
Seattle Great Wheel – www.seattlegreatwheel.com – must like heights and gorgeous views
Safeco Field and Centurylink Field – Seattle Mariners (MLB), Seahawks (NFL) & Sounders (MLS) games
Firehouse Coffee – in Ballard neighborhood – When you need a coffee break and the kids need a play yard
Wings Over Washington – www.wingsoverwa.com – this is brand new so not in the guide (next to the Great Wheel)
Blue Highway Games – www.bluehighwaygames.com – they have tables to stay and play board games as a family
Underground Tour – www.undergroundtour.com – ages 6+ 90 minute tour of the city…underground.
Pike Place Market – www.pikeplacemarket.org – currently getting a fantastic update, browse vendors and shops. The home of the famous Flying Fish market
The Museum of Flight – museumofflight.org – do the kids like war planes and a NASA training rocket? Must see.
GameWorks – www.gameworks.com – surrounded by many fantastic restaurants, there are over 180 games with a bar and big screen so Dad can catch his game while the kids play

Seattle Sounders

If your family loves sports, I highly recommend attending a Seattle Sounders or Seahawks game while in town. They say around here that if you enter Centurylink Field as a visitor you will leave a fan. Seattle loves its teams and the pride is plentiful inside one of the loudest sports stadium.

**MLS Seattle Sounders game tip: If you score Sounders tickets, head to Occidental Park 90 minutes before kick off where Pre 90 starts with guest speakers and they will announce the starting 11. The last one we attended my son won a hat (above photo). At 60 minutes prior to kick off the crowd starts marching to the field with popular chants. If you are going to the game, this is a must do! Scarves Up! Want to see a video we made of the Pre 90 experience? Watch it here!

Find these activities and so many more in the book, Seattle Family Adventures.

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Food, Food/Beverage, Seattle Area Attractions, Travel

Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room Review-Seattle

December 28, 2016July 2, 2019 Erin Sluka

This is not a sponsored post. I was not compensated

We live near Seattle and recently visited a spot near Capitol Hill I have wanted to visit for a while now. The Seattle Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room is must-stop in Seattle to experience the finest coffee crafting you can’t get anywhere else.

If you are a Starbucks fan you have heard that CEO Howard Schultz stepped down as CEO to focus on these new roastery concepts that I feel can be a huge hit. The outside of the building is tall with very large wood doors and when you walk inside it is almost overwhelming to the eye because there is so much to see.

Yes! It is truly the place to watch the finest beans from around the world being roasted in front of your eyes. I’d say about 40% of the atmosphere is the assembly pieces needed for the roasting and bagging of their special reserve beans. It is all around you and above you working to roast. You are simply intruding on the process to watch, taste and shop. It is an experience you won’t forget, not just a place to get coffee.

Starbucks travels the world for the finest beans and develop a signature roast for the most special of those beans found. These signature roasts become the Starbucks Special Reserve beans for sale at the Roastery, online and some storefronts.

When you walk in you are greeted then you can head into the gift shop or head to the first bar for some coffee or pastries and salads. Keep walking to the back and you get some museum-style decor to view and larger seating areas including a private area for large crowds you can try and hold down for you group.

Walk upstairs to see a fantastic view of roasting from above.

If you take a seat and choose to browse the house menu it can be confusing as there are recipes you have never seen anywhere else. At the front bar you can order your typical drinks you are used to but in the back you get some extra help. If you request an explanation of what you are wanting to taste a Barista will come sit with you like we had. He sat and helped explain the entire menu and choose a drink we may like based on our conversations and tastes we talked about.

Below is the Smoked Butterscotch Latte my BIL ordered. This one is sweet and so creamy. It is espresso and whole milk infused with smoked butterscotch and black pepper. He challenged my BIL to try despite the pepper note and it was fantastic.

They made my son a butterscotch hot chocolate. My son thought it had some orange flavor so perhaps it was a smoked butterscotch used or a special blend.

What did I order? I had to try the Shakerato Bianco. I have no words-speechless to the divine taste. You need to love the espresso taste for this one. A Shakerato is Italian iced coffee drink featuring freshly ground espresso shaken over ice and poured into a martini glass. So you get some crunch of tiny ice particles in each sip.

Because there were more of us we also ordered the taster which means we chose 3 of the days brews and had them in carafes with small tasting cups for sampling. This is a great way to give a few a try and please everyones palate at the table.

From my 8 year old son to my Father we all enjoyed the visit. You cannot comfortably walk here from Pike Place as it is many blocks up hill. However in the day of Seattle traveling you can find a parking spot and visit perhaps after dinner at some of the fantastic restaurants within a block or two of the Roastery. Located at 1124 Pike St. Seattle, Wa.

Seattle Area Attractions, Travel

Wings Over Washington New Attraction

August 30, 2016May 21, 2019 Erin Sluka

wings over washington

Late last week my son and I attended a pre-showing of the new Seattle ride attraction, Wings Over Washington. It is located on Miners Landing just below the Great Wheel. We navigated through the waterfront and made our way to the heart of the Alaskan Way entertainment and shops.

The entire experience is about 20 minutes in a series of 3 stages. The first part was a bit of a holding room. It was full of maps and scenery that would make you feel like your are about to hike through the woods. A huge 3D sculptured map hangs on the wall labeled with the major Wa. cities.

The second stage was a presentation. We were in a room with benches and murals, animal totem heads and pictures that move and are animated. The Buck in the photo blows smoke and blinks his eyes. You would think you are sitting in their territory, being watched by the wildlife and listening to their sounds.

Suddenly the murals open up to a Guide who is not really there appears. He is not live but a bit of a show, walking between posts as if he is really in front of you. He talks about the animals common to the state and bit on Native American culture.

Off to the ride. We walk through doors behind us, through a layer of fog where it smells like pine trees. Make sure you buckle up and stow away purses. You will not want anything loose. The lights fade, the floor drops down and you are taken towards the large screen to soar over the state with the Eagles. I did not time the ride, but it was maybe 5 minutes in length. It was such a fun ride. We had water in our face as we flew over waterfalls (it was just a very light mist-you do not get wet on the ride). We flew with the Blue Angels and watch out! They get very close to you! When it was all done my son blurts out “That’s it? I want it to go longer!” It was that much fun.

We walked out and through a small gift shop where I bought him a small stuffed Eagle he wanted to remember his trip to Seattle and as one of the first to experience the new ride. Make sure you visit http://www.wingsoverwa.com/ to find the hours and more details.

Parenting, Reviews by Anthony

A Holiday Event at Snowflake Lane in Bellevue, Wa

January 13, 2016February 16, 2018 Erin Sluka

Living in the Pacific Northwest brings a lot of fun year round events full of music, traditions and fun for the entire family. The winters up here bring snow to the numerous mountains making the Cascades a beautiful backdrop to many towns all season. From Santa Trains in Mt Rainier to Snowflake Lane in Bellevue, these are traditions many families repeat each year. This year we started a new tradition and with my parents, brother, sisters and nephews we all spent an evening in Bellevue Square so the kids can experience the Snowflake Lane show.

At 7pm during the Holidays, the road is closed for an hour in Bellevue Square and the streets fill with crowds as far as you can see each direction and in the skywalk over head with families ready for an entertaining and interactive show.

Characters are up and down the crowds interacting with people, bands play up and down the sidewalk, street and through the skywalk. In the street there are multiple performances from bands, dancers and other entertainers as you enjoy the music of the holidays. About halfway into the show, cue snow! These ‘suds’ or snow fall up and down the lane and the kids go nuts!

Snowflake Lane is a well known family event worth the drive to the Eastside in the Seattle area. Typically you want to get there in plenty of time to find parking and grab some dinner. We all met at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner, wandered through shops and near the start of the show, found a spot to stand along the lane. You are outside of the mall so there is plenty of shopping you can do and make a day of it.

The boys were so thrilled the entire show and we will have to make this a yearly event. I am just sad I waited so long to experience Snowflake Lane with my son. http://snowflakelane.com/

This is not a sponsored or promotional post