How to Best Savor Seattle Before and After your Kosherica Cruise

How to Best Savor Seattle Before and After your Kosherica Cruise 724 483 Sarity Gervais

Seattle, Washington, the Northernmost capital city on the west coast is the port of choice for most cruises departing for Alaska.

You’ll be delighted if you take advantage of your time in this amazing city, whether it’s pre-cruise or post- cruise.

Seattle is fresh, filled with culture, art museums, technology, incredible views, iconic sights and endless excitement. A single day could give you a deliciously memorable taster’s menu’ of this city.

It would be wise to begin with Occidental Square and Pioneer Square Park the birthplace of this this magical city.

Seattle played a major role as a gateway during the Gold Rush. The Klondike Gold Rush Museum covers outstandingly the city’s involvement in the 1890 mass migration to the Canadian Yukons.

The oldest neighborhood in the city is around Pioneer Square. The wide cobblestone facades, old buildings filled with boutiques are a mix of the new with a deep sense of history. The area has the first skyscraper in the Northwest, the thirty story Smith Building built in 1914, and is a must see for history lovers.

From here you can head onto the very famous, fragrant and colorful Pike Place Market which is a short way from the tower and is another tourist attraction and a world famous must-see. Local artisans display their wares, flowers bloom brightly, handmade jewelry and crafts line an area so large and vibrant that it’s bound to lift the spirits. Even if you look at the displays of colorful art and absorb the atmosphere without buying anything, it will leave you delighted.

If your time in the city is limited, your next stop should be the location of the original Starbucks – a bit of contemporary nostalgia and a reminder of how a man’s dream for a coffee shop became an international empire – the limitless possibilities of will and hard work. What’s super cool is that it happened during most of our lifetimes. It’s not ancient history. If you build it – it will come. Inspiring.

Next is the Chihuly Garden of incredible glass art. There, the most exquisite, strangely unexpected colorful pieces of art by the master-glass artist can be seen. Even for people who are not art aficionados per se, the work of Dale Chihuly, whose use of colors, shapes and unique style is perhaps the most fascinating in the world and is a true must-see.

Then on to the Space Needle, right by the Chihuly garden. This is a very popular tourist attraction; the building was erected for the 1962 World Fair by Edward Carlson who was inspired by the Stuttgart Tower in Germany. The tower has a great view of the city.

The EMP museum is brilliant. It’s a tribute to the music of the Northwest, from Jimi Hendrix, to Nirvana, the venn diagram where Isaac Asimov and Kurt Cobain meet. It’s a surreal place of contemporary high culture and intellect. Fascinating!

The Seattle Art Museum or SAM is another exceptional collection of art any visitor to the city must see. It contains native American art at its best and the exhibits are forever changing. There are many people who claim it’s worth visiting the city for this museum alone and they keep returning again and again.

Another center of for immense fun is the Museum of Pop Culture (MEO) for an interactive and super fun experience. Here you can be a rock star, jam on the soundproof rooms on electric guitars, play drums as loudly as you want without any complaints. In the Fantasy Hall Of Fame mingle with your virtual heroes! ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

The Woodland Park Zoo is incredibly interesting for it has amazing animals you’re not likely to see elsewhere, like the Malayan Tapir (a strange combination between a horse and a rhino).

Then head on to a disgusting but massively fun place – The Infamous Gum Wall. You can smell the pungent smell of the vibrantly colored balls of chewed gum stuck on the wall, creating a public co-creation of pop art. You may participate if you like and add your touch by plastering your very own gum on the masterpiece. I heard it said that going to Seattle and not visiting the gum wall is like going to NYC and not visiting the Statue of Liberty.

Next, walk along the waterfront and see the barnacle covered piers, souvenir stores, street performers, aggressive seagulls and the quirky, famous one-eyed Fremont Troll who was sculpted in 1990. He is in the heart of the coolest and artsy neighborhoods and looks like he has a secret.

At this point you could take a ride on the Big Wheel and see Seattle from above, as you take a short breather.

Then it’s time to head to your ocean liner, and board. You will be famished and the most incredible welcome buffet will be awaiting you and all other Kosherica guests. As you embark on your Luxury Glatt Kosher Adventure to the magnificent Alaska, there will be already loads of adventure worth sharing with your new friends at the glowing dinner table.