“Look Mom, No Hands!”

Photo (above): Jet city woman (that’s me) with daughter in tow. Taken from the Pier 66 Parasail crew at Elliott Bay.  If you’ve never been parasailing, give it a try in Seattle because it’s much safer than in Mexico and it is A THIRILLING experience with epic views of Elliott Bay including Port of Seattle’s Smith Cove terminal (for those of you who have a thing for cruise ships) and Alki Point in West Seattle (another hot spot).

Parasailing is a fun thing to do with your tween, but not for the faint at heart. As my daughter exclaimed, “look mom, no hands!” I actually had to close my eyes and practice relaxation breathing (I knew Lamaze would eventually come in handy).  Pier 66 Parasail is only upon during the summer months, (206) 622-5757 to make reservations.

I guess we were just born to fly. By the time my daughter was two years old, she had logged 15,000 air miles. I know, I know, I know… infants can fly for free on most airlines, but I believe in starting them early and racking up those highly coveted Alaska Airlines frequent flyer miles.  And guess what? THIS SUMMER, we will be racking up even MORE frequent flyer miles, 10,000 each to be exact, on Condor German Airlines.  Yup we are flying non-stop from Seattle to Frankfurt International. If you want to travel to Europe this summer, one-way tickets start at $626 USD, not including the fuel surcharge, German aviation tax, commercial fees and services charge. Condor’s non-stop Seattle-Frankfurt flights will be offered twice a week starting in June. So stay tuned as my teenage daughter and I do a little mother-daughter bonding in Germany.

Until then, you’ll probably find us out at these local hot spots: Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park because it’s a great way to spend the entire day with the family. When you go, dine at the Old Spaghetti Factory it’s on Elliott right next to the OSP.  Also a good time for little kids, the Seattle Waterfront Arcade on Pier 57 and on Pier 55 Red Robin…YUM!  If your kids are a bit older and well mannered, dine at Anthony’s Home Port (right in front of Pier 66 Parasail) or Argosy Cruises on Pier 56. I highly recommend Argosy Cruises, and even if your kids aren’t well behaved you can threaten to throw them overboard if they don’t straighten up.  Problem solved. ANYWAY… all are great ways to enjoy Seattle’s waterfront on Mother’s Day or any day of the year.

Oh and by the way, if you haven’t picked up a copy of the Seattle TourSaver, you can get one at Argosy Cruises. Lots of great 2-for-1 deals on cool things to do in Seattle.