Seattle TravelGram

Fans of AVATAR, the highest grossing film of all time, will have a chance to get a first-hand look inside the spectacular world of Pandora through AVATAR: The Exhibition organized by Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum (EMP|SFM). The exhibit runs now  through Septemer 3, 2012. Admission:

• Adults (18-64) $15
• Seniors (65+) $12
• Youth  (5-7) $12
• Student (with ID) $12
• Military (with ID) $12
• Kids (4 younger) FREE

Groups of 8 or more, please contact the EMP/PSC Box Office at (206) 770-2702 or send an email to experience@empsfm.org.

Bring dad, grandpa, and the all the rest along for a spectacular, fun-filled dining experience. Argosy Cruises brunch is fabulous, the views are great, and everyone will enjoy spending time together. Note: There will be a special arts & crafts area for all kids and live music.

Sunday, June 19, 2011, 12:00pm-2:00pm
Royal Argosy, Pier 56, Seattle Waterfront

Rate: $59 per adult (Dining Room service charge and applicable taxes additional at time of booking). Children 5-12 $29, Kids 4 and under no charge.  Book It Now!

Alaska Airlines presents American Cellars Wine Club. Enjoy six bottles of hand-selected wine red selections include an extraordinary Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, a California Zinfandel described as “similar to drinking liquid gold” and a food-friendly California Cabernet Sauvignon with flavors of mint and cherry.

Special Offer for Mileage Plan™ Members:
These 6 exceptional wines for just $6.99 per bottle
Plus FREE shipping — a savings of $69!

SIGN UP TODAY!

Special terms and conditions may apply. Read complete details…

“Around the Market in 80 Minutes” is an adventure game at Pike Place Market. Clues are given to participants who must locate five check-in points to receive a prize package.

Date: Sunday, May  28
Cost: FREE

Visit the check in tent under the Market clock anytime between 11:00am and 4:00pm. Visit www.pikeplacemarket.org for more information.

We love Seattle–all the great things to do, places to eat and sites to see! Don’t miss the chance to save $20 on the all-new Seattle TourSaver. It’s the 2-for-1 travel book with all the best stuff to see, do and experience throughout Seattle, Victoria and the San Juan Islands!

Order the Seattle TourSaver online today and save $20 off the regular $79.95 price through April 10, 2011 only. Redeem just one coupon and recoup the cost of the book! Then, use the rest of the coupons all summer long! Also, get the Seattle TravelGram email travel newsletter. Editor Nadra Angerman [hey that's me, really] loves Seattle and spends her time exploring all the cool neighborhoods and secret haunts. It’s free.

Remember, everything in the Seattle TourSaver is 2-for-1. Here are some of our favorite offers in this year’s Seattle TourSaver:

1. 2-for-1 Victoria Clipper. Take the fast cat from downtown Seattle to Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Remember–you’ll need your passport.

2. 2-for-1 Kenmore Air. Seattle premier flightseeing company has a great ride to show off the best Seattle sites–from the air!

3. 2-for-1 Argosy Cruises. Argosy has a gob of cruises in the Seattle TourSaver, from a “Locks Cruise” through the Crittenden Locks to a deluxe dinner cruise to a Harbor Cruise–check ‘em out.

4. 2-for-1 Seattle Food Tours. Get an insider’s peek at the “Soul of Seattle”: Pike Place Market. Several stops along the way for snacks and bites insure you’ll have a good feeling at the end of your stroll–never mind the “inside scoop” on where to eat and what to see when you return on your own!

5. 2-for-1 Future of Flight/Boeing Factory Tour. Whoa. Worth the drive up to Everett to get a tour of the 777, 747-8 and 787 assembly line. All Bow Down, ye airplane geeks!!

6. 2-for-1 Hop On-Hop Off Gray Line of Seattle Double Decker tour. See all the sites of Seattle. Stop along the way. You can’t miss the big red bus! Check it out!!

7. 2-for-1 Seattle Aquarium. Right down on the water. This is an awesome place. MUST SEE!

8. 2-for-1 Experimental Music Project (EMP). Right next to the Space Needle, this awesome exhibit is a mecca for Rock-n-Roll fans. There’s even a studio and instruments where you can bang out your own songs…mix it up. Great fun.

9. 2-for-1 Queen of Seattle. Ride on an historic paddlewheel along Lake Union and the historic Ship Canal!

10. 2-for-1 Whale Watching from Victoria’s Inner Harbour!…plus dozens more.

Use the Seattle TourSaver as your “Gateway to Savings”. What a great city–and a great destination for fun activities and adventures! Again–order today online and save $20 at the website: Seattle TourSaver. Plus, signup for the free travel newsletter here: SeattleTravelGram.com to get weekly reminders of what is happening the the Emerald City!

We love Seattle–all the great things to do, places to eat and sites to see! Don’t miss the chance to save $20 on the all-new Seattle TourSaver. It’s the 2-for-1 travel book with all the best stuff to see, do and experience throughout Seattle, Victoria and the San Juan Islands!

Order the Seattle TourSaver online today and save $20 off the regular $79.95 price through April 10, 2011 only. Redeem just one coupon and recoup the cost of the book! Then, use the rest of the coupons all summer long! Also, get the Seattle TravelGram email travel newsletter. Editor Nadra Angerman [hey that's me, really] loves Seattle and spends her time exploring all the cool neighborhoods and secret haunts. It’s free.

Remember, everything in the Seattle TourSaver is 2-for-1. Here are some of our favorite offers in this year’s Seattle TourSaver:

1. 2-for-1 Victoria Clipper. Take the fast cat from downtown Seattle to Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Remember–you’ll need your passport.

2. 2-for-1 Kenmore Air. Seattle premier flightseeing company has a great ride to show off the best Seattle sites–from the air!

3. 2-for-1 Argosy Cruises. Argosy has a gob of cruises in the Seattle TourSaver, from a “Locks Cruise” through the Crittenden Locks to a deluxe dinner cruise to a Harbor Cruise–check ‘em out.

4. 2-for-1 Seattle Food Tours. Get an insider’s peek at the “Soul of Seattle”: Pike Place Market. Several stops along the way for snacks and bites insure you’ll have a good feeling at the end of your stroll–never mind the “inside scoop” on where to eat and what to see when you return on your own!

5. 2-for-1 Future of Flight/Boeing Factory Tour. Whoa. Worth the drive up to Everett to get a tour of the 777, 747-8 and 787 assembly line. All Bow Down, ye airplane geeks!!

6. 2-for-1 Hop On-Hop Off Gray Line of Seattle Double Decker tour. See all the sites of Seattle. Stop along the way. You can’t miss the big red bus! Check it out!!

7. 2-for-1 Seattle Aquarium. Right down on the water. This is an awesome place. MUST SEE!

8. 2-for-1 Experimental Music Project (EMP). Right next to the Space Needle, this awesome exhibit is a mecca for Rock-n-Roll fans. There’s even a studio and instruments where you can bang out your own songs…mix it up. Great fun.

9. 2-for-1 Queen of Seattle. Ride on an historic paddlewheel along Lake Union and the historic Ship Canal!

10. 2-for-1 Whale Watching from Victoria’s Inner Harbour!…plus dozens more.

Use the Seattle TourSaver as your “Gateway to Savings”. What a great city–and a great destination for fun activities and adventures! Again–order today online and save $20 at the website: Seattle TourSaver. Plus, signup for the free travel newsletter here: SeattleTravelGram.com to get weekly reminders of what is happening the the Emerald City!

May is a busy month for everyone, especially for those  in the travel business. Above, Alaska Airlines hauls tons of Copper River Salmon down to Seattle each year. The first 2011 shipment from Alaska has arrived, here’s where you’ll find it:

Seafood Markets

• Pikes Place Market: 86 Pike Place
• Wild Salmon Seafood Market: 1900 W Nickerson

Restaurants

• Anthony’s: 2201 Alaskan Way, 6135 Seaview Ave
• Chinook’s: 1900 W Nickerson
• Etta’s: 2020 Western Avenue
• Ray’s Boathouse: 6049 Seaview Avenue NW
• Seastar Restaurant: 2121 Terry Ave
• Waterfront Seafood Grill: 2801 Alaskan Way

Our friend, uber-traveler Johnny Jet, is winging his way to Seattle right now on Alaska Airlines. His question? “What’s good to eat?” Pretty basic. Let’s get to the 4-1-1. Above, an inside shot of “Vino Volo” next to Border’s.

a. Anthony’s Home Port. This iconic Seattle eatery operates on a grand scale at Sea-Tac. But smart travelers do the in-and-out at the stand-up take-away bar (clue: it’s where the airline crews get their meals). The dish-du-jour? Fresh Rockfish Tacos. Please don’t tell anyone, but I’ve gone back for seconds. Right, a “retro” Alaska Airlines jet. There’s a whole nest of Alaska 737s on the ground at SEA-TAC.

b. Salad Course. Stroll up the “C” concourse and stop at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant. Sure, you can sit down and feed. But I typically grab a Chicken Caesar Salad from the cooler and keep movin’. Also available: delicious pizza.

c. Gulp-n-Go. I think the “Vino Volo” wine bar is the best spot in the airport (aside from Alaska Airlines’ Board Room–duh.). These folks have delicious wines by the glass, plus small plates of tasty treats ( I do mean s-m-a-l-l). Stop in for a tasty Oregon Pinot Noir or one of Washington’s delicious Syrah blends.

d. SAVE on the 2-for-1 Seattle TourSaver. If you’re sticking around for a few days, pick up a copy of the Seattle TourSaver, the incredible 2-for-1 travel coupon book. More than 80 2-for-1 offers including the Victoria Clipper, Argosy Cruises, the Seattle Art Museum, Kenmore Air flightseeing, the Seattle Aquarium…and much more. Available ONLINE –save $30!!!! Or pick one up from Argosy Tours on the Seattle Waterfront at Pier 56.

Go ahead. I dare you to ask that after you go on Michael Rogers’ Belltown Restaurant tour. Michael gets our “Total Foodie” award following the Seattle Food Tours walkabout in Belltown.

Unlike other “stand up” food tours, Seattle Food Tours is more like a progressive dinner through this wonderful Seattle neighborhood. All the restaurants are within a couple of blocks…it’s a great itinerary!

We started at “Local 360″. No, it’s not the Labor Hall. The name comes from the self-imposed 360-mile limit in the restaurant’s effort to source their foods from the northwest. Our course? Oysters! The perfect appetizer for a Seattle dinner party, eh?

Next, we went to Rob Roy, which reminds me of my father’s 1960s study. Rock wall, a stereo and reel-to-reel mounted in the bookshelf. Hey–they had a whole collection of National Geographic magazines! The bartender made us some custom cocktails. I think he called it a “Communist”. There was some gin, some herbs and a cherry on top (no–a REAL one, not Maraschino!). And it was RED! All of got a brief overview on the history of the cocktail, including “old fashioned” and “cosmopolitan”. Fun!

Next, we went for our sushi course at Shiro Sushi. Master chef Shiro Kashiba was there to greet us–and offered a selection of fresh troll-caught Alaskan King Salmon, complimented by fresh Ahi. This is one of the best sushi houses in Seattle. Check it out!

Several other select eateries serve up special dishes when Michael arrives with the group. We finished off the tour at Spur, with an out-of-this-world dessert of coconut ice cream and some frozen concoction. Still trying to figure it out–it was delicious!

Check Seattle Food Tours’ site for times and prices. And plan a walking dinner in some of Belltown’s best restaurants!

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.