Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA

Woodland Park Zoo, located just minutes north of downtown Seattle, Washington, in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood, is a beautiful 92-acre zoo featuring more than 300 different animal species.

Woodland Park Zoo exhibits nearly 1,100 animals representing almost 300 different animal species. These range from insects and other invertebrates to the largest land mammal on the planet, the African elephant.

San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA, USA

Established in 1874, the San Diego Natural History Museum is one of California’s oldest and most respected cultural and science institutions. The Museum and its members have played a pivotal role the establishment of the San Diego Zoo, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Torrey Pines State Park, and Anza Borrego State Park.

Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, Bainbridge Island, WA, USA

The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum is located in the heart of downtown Winslow, three blocks from the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry terminal. A 1908 restored island schoolhouse features the main exhibit gallery containing a nationally award-winning exhibit “An Island Story”. The museum’s research library (free to the public) contains subject and biographical files, oral histories, videos, books, and historic photographs.

The history of Bainbridge Island covers a wide range of historic eras and themes, including Native American culture, early explorers, lumber and shipbuilding industries, agriculture, WWII, and the Japanese American Internment histories. Visit the museum store for books, children’s gifts and other historic souvenirs.

As you walk through the exhibits, you will hear the sounds of a steamboat underway in Puget Sound, the grinding saws of a lumber mill, or the clang of a school bell. Listen to excerpts from our oral history collection and learn how the island has changed. Watch films about the Filipino and Japanese communities on the island, as well as the town of the Port Blakely. Read a record book of the Port Madison mill store, discover what was selling at the Rotary Auction in the 1970′s, or look at photographs of days gone by in our island neighborhoods.

Seattle, Washington, USA

Seattleites don’t tan, goes the joke, they rust. But overcast days and long winter nights have made the city a haven for movie-going travelers and book readers. Hollywood often tests new films here, and residents’ per-capita book purchases are among North America’s highest. Vacations in Seattle include all the trappings of a metropolitan hub — two daily newspapers; a state-of-the-art convention center; professional sports teams; a diverse music club scene; and top-notch ballet, opera, symphony, and theater companies. A major seaport, the city is a vital link in Pacific Rim trade.

Seattle has so many more unique and authentic attractions, it hard for me to recommend those that clearly targeted to the tourist market. However, I recognize some people prefer these due to lack of time, mobility, or the need to find an activity that will appeal to a diverse group. Here are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Seattle Take a fun and festive tour of Seattle aboard one of the “Ducks” amphibious vehicles.

As you drive or cruise past Seattle landmarks such as the Space Needle, the waterfront, Pioneer Square, Pike Place Market, and the sports stadiums, you’ll learn about local history and culture from the Ducks’ “Wacky Captains.” Tours begin in the boarding area located across the street from Experience Music Project. Departing from Seattle’s downtown waterfront, you’ll take an Argosy cruise ship on a narrated trip to nearby Blake Island State Park.

Once on the island, you’ll enjoy a Native-style salmon bake buffet meal followed by a stage show. The performance highlights Northwest Coast Native culture in a theatrical style with songs, dances, and stories. You’ll also have time to wander Blake Island’s trails and shoreline.

Bainbridge Island Trip, Washington, USA

Bainbridge Island is located just east of the Kitsap Peninsula, across the water from Seattle, Washington. One of the larger islands in the Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island is home to thousands of acres of parks and preserved land. It’s a breathtaking green place where you can walk and wander and enjoy nature. Bainbridge Island is convenient to both Seattle and Portland, making it a great option for a Northwest weekend escape. Couples will find intimate restaurants and cozy lodgings. Families with small children will enjoy the island’s public parks and play spaces. Birders, boaters, horseback riders, and kayakers will all find Bainbridge Island a fun destination.

This small museum focuses on local Bainbridge Island history. Exhibits cover the island’s early Japanese population, as well as its ship-building and lumber heritage. Their exhibit on the internment of the island’s Japanese during World War II is particularly compelling.