Seattle TravelGram

May 1st starts the official boating season for Seattle with a boat parade that starts at noon. This 87 year old tradition draws thousands of spectators every year come rain or shine. Almost 300 boats are registered to sail, row or motor through the Montlake Cut. You’ll see amphibious cars, boats decorated to the nines, and just about anything that will float go by.

This free event starts off with rowing teams from all over the country who will be competing in the Windermere Cup. University of Washington’s crew teams of course are the crowd favorites to win.

Bring your picnics, chairs, blankets and rain gear and plan to stake our your spot along the cut for the day. Many of the university parking lots will be open or you can try to find parking along the streets which may be a challenge.

Have fun at the uniquely Seattle tradition.

Channel Lodge

Just a 40 minute drive north of Seattle is the wonderful charming town of LaConner. To get there we headed north on I5 and just a few miles north of the Mt. Vernon exit we headed due West into some of the most picturesque farmland in the Northwest. We drove along the tulip fields and stopped at Roozengaarden Display Garden where the perfectly landscaped acres are open to the public for viewing.

The historic town of LaConner is home to wonderful galleries, small unique stores and a wide variety of dining choices. Visitors form all over the country come to stroll and shop. There is also whale watching adventures where you can go out into Puget Sound in hopes of finding the Killer Whales that live here year round.

My husband and I stayed at the charming  Channel Lodge right in downtown LaConner overlooking the Swinomish Channel and the Rainbow Bridge. Our suite was warm and cozy with a fireplace, seating area, huge soaking tub, free wireless Internet, a private balcony, and added to this was a delicious homemade Continental breakfast. LaConner Channel Lodge is on of the participants in the 2010 Seattle TourSaver.

If you need more of a good reason to visit, on May 14th seven of La Conner’s great restaurants will participate in their first “Taste of La Conner”. For $25 you will  be able to choose from 5 tastes. Each location will feature a local ingredient and show off thier delicious specialties.

Only in Seattle Right? Where else can you go to see survival suite races in the chilly waters of Puget Sound?  It’s hilarious to watch people trying to swim in these cumbersome suites. The powerful tug boat races are also amazing to watch.

Go to the  Downtown Seattle Waterfront May 6th -8th. The Seattle Maritime Festival is great fun for the entire family. There is a Chowder Cook-Off, a boat building competition, vessel tours and so much more. The festival celebrates our maritime industry and the important role it plays in the Puget Sound region’s economy.

This festival is FREE to the public. May 6th – 8th.

Ringo Starr

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery announced their line-up for the 2010 Summer Concert Series and they are bringing to the outdoor venue a very diverse and talented group.  The  concert series will offer 17 concerts spanning the range of pop, jazz, rock and blues from June 12th through September 25th.

Acclaimed artists include, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steve Martin, Steve Miller Band, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Jackson Browne, Martina McBride, Jamie Cullum, Ringo Starr, The B-52’s & Blondie, Natalie Merchant, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chris Isaak, Pink Martini, Crowded House, Harry Connick, Jr. as well as the annual KWJZ Music Festival.

These outdoor summer concerts on the Amphitheatre grounds are scenic to say the least. Some evening’s hot air balloons drift overhead while you are enjoying music, drinking fine wines available for purchase and dining on your own gourmet picnic food.  Some concert goers bring elaborate picnics while other purchase from a variety of northwest foods from vendors on the grounds.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s Founding Winery, with some of the oldest and most acclaimed vineyards in the Columbia Valley. Built on the 1912 estate owned by Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson, the winery’s roots date back to the Repeal of Prohibition, when the Pommerelle Wine Company and the National Wine Company were formed. Before the concert you can tour the grounds or if you are early enough, take the winery tour.

We had a fantastic spring tour of Mount Rainier with EverGreen Escapes. EverGreen Escapes in one of the 2010 partners in the Seattle TourSaver.

You know Summer is almost here when the concert line-up for the Woodland Park ZooTunes is announced. Starting May 3rd tickets to for the ZooTunes concert series go on sale. The kick off artist is the three-time Grammy® nominee Jewel on June 27th. Over the summer, 10 evening concerts with big name artists such as Carbon Leaf, Jimmy Cliff and Mary Chapin Carpenter will entertain under the night skys.

When my family was young we all looked forward to enjoying music together at this outdoor venue. My children were able to stand up and dance, respectfully run around and just be kids.  Listen to this, one child 12 years of age and younger is free with each paid ticket.

We would pack up a picnic cooler, bring blankets and low chairs and listen to great music with the roar of lions and other animal sounds in the background. Concession stands are available which offer a variety of picnic foods, treats and beverages. The Zoo will also have a Beer & Wine Garden that offers a selection of beverages for adults over the age of 21.

Win A 2010 Seattle TourSaver

We are giving away 10 Seattle TourSaver  books between April 22 and May 1, 2010. All you have to do is answer five questions about Seattle TourSaver and the Northwest. All answers can be found on the Seattle TourSaver website.

Here are the questions:

1. From where does Victoria Clipper depart Seattle?
2. Where in the Seattle are Kenmore Seaplanes Flightseeing trips based?
3. What Friday Harbor company offers 2-for-1 whale watching coupons?
4. Name two Argosy Cruises 2-for-1 deals in TourSaver.
5. What Island is the home of Tillicum Village?

Send your Win-A-TourSaver Contest Answers Here:

TourSaver April GiveAway

You certainly will need your camera when you take this great Seattle By Foot tour that explores Seattle from A to Z.  Want to know the cities famous landmarks and beloved city icons? You’ll see them on this fun, informative two-hour walk.

If you crave an educational and engaging download on all things Seattle, this will be time well spent. You’ll learn about the history of landmarks like Pike Place Market, why Seattle is called the Emerald City and where some of your favorite movies and TV shows were filmed.  You’ll use Seattle’s free public transportation and visit three amazing urban parks, including the tranquil and eye-opening  Olympic Sculpture Park. Enjoy these activities and so much more while taking in stunning waterfront views of the city.

Seattle By Foot is one of the partners in 2010 Seattle TourSaver.

The Pike Place Market, with its famous flying fish and numerous vendors, has a history that includes much more than meets the eye. The Market Ghost Tour will show you a darker side of the market that even the most die-hard market fan does not yet know. Let the wonderful guides show you the spookier side of Seattle’s most famous tourist attraction.

A twilight walk through a deserted main promenade reveals the past of Post Alley. Behind the infamous gum wall, the Market Theatre is supposed to be haunted by children who passed away during the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918 where 1,600 in the Seattle area died.  The Market Theatre reserves five seats for those ghostly visitors.

You’ll pass the old LaSalle Hotel and hear stories of the infamous brothel governess, Nellie, who had the sailors lining up for a block and has since become the inspiration for Pike Pub and Brewery’s organic brew; Naughty Nellie.

Further into the night, the tale of Princess Angeline, the daughter of Chief Sealth, and her beautiful plum trees reveals that the entire market was likely built atop a Duwamish Indian burial site. To this day Princess Angeline is as a perpetual wanderer of the market.

The Market Ghost Tour is full of many more tales to incite your imagination. Be sure to ask your guide about the sub basement of Kells Irish Pub…or shall I say the Mortuary, which is proposed to be the most haunted place in Seattle.   By Sara Palmer

Once again the Seattle Waterfront will come alive with the arrival of the majestic Cruise Ships at the end of April. This year we will welcome six different cruise lines: Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. All these vessels home port in Seattle and cruise to Alaska.

Cruise Ships are relatively new to Seattle. In 1999 Seattle started this venture modestly with only 6 vessels and 6,615 passengers. Now a few short years later we’ve grown to a whopping 223 vessels and an estimated 858,000 passengers. All these vessels will depart from Terminal 91 Cruise Facility in the Magnolia neighborhood or right on the Seattle waterfront at Pier 66 Cruise Terminal.

Many cruise passengers make their vacation complete with a few days before or after their trip to tour Seattle and discover why Seattle is always one of the top 10 US destination cities. Whether you’re looking for a 5 day cruise or the more leisurely 14-day voyage, it makes sense to sail from Seattle.