Friday, October 4, 2019

Fun Things do to in Seattle - Tips from your conference co-chair, Kim Killgore


What a happy coincidence. My first year as a Conference Committee Co-Chair DPHA is coming to my home town! I am so excited to share my city with all of you - yes, ALL OF YOU - you don't want to miss this one!

If you can, make sure you give yourself a bit of extra time to spend in the Emerald City. You won't regret it! Here is a sampling of fun things to do while in town. 

A nine minute walk from the Hyatt Seattle, where we will be headquartered, are the glorious Olympic Mountain, beautiful Puget Sound and Pike Place Market - the oldest continuously running farmers market in the country. There you will find Pike Place Fish - made famous by MTV Real World. Watch them fling a salmon - or a dungeness crab - THE delicacy of the sea. From the overlook you can see the beautiful mountains, islands and watch the Washington State Ferries make their runs back and forth for commuters and tourists alike. The sights, sounds and scents are a feast for the senses. While there, check out Beecher's Cheese for some curds, grilled sandwiches or incredible Mac & Cheese. And don't miss the original Starbucks!
Just a very short walk south is the Seattle Art Museum with the Hammering Man out front - yes he hammers. And a bit further south takes you to Pioneer Square. The underground tour is most enlightening - and you can even learn about a guy that was blown off his toilet - you can't make this stuff up. The original sewer system had a wee bit of a problem with the tide table. There were certainly some very colorful folks that founded this city. Don't forget to grab a token for an all night "seamstress" session. Tokens no longer accepted for services. This is in fact the seedier part of the city.

One of my favorite facets of Seattle is its thriving blown glass community. Seattle is home to Dale Chihuly - the first receipient of the National Living Treasure title. The famous Pilchuk Glass School is just north of town and has populated the city with many other artists. 5th Avenue Glass is very close to the hotel and you can stop in and watch them work or pick up some great souvenirs. Great idea on a cold and rainy day. Under the Space Needle (Great IF we have clear weather and you don't have vertigo from standing on glass floors 600 feet in the air) is the Chihuly Glass Garden. Even being a local I have been there many times and always recommend it!
Also under the Space Needle, which was built for the 1962 Worlds Fair, you will find the MoPOP (formerly EMP experience music project) museum of pop culture and the science center. From there you can ride one of the first Monorails back to the middle of town just a couple of blocks from the hotel.

So, this is just a taste of what Seattle has to offer. In my next installments look for: Seattle Music Scene, Foodies, What to Pack, and Sasquatch!

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