Seaplane rides

Lake Union is not only a functioning marina and home to a number of houseboats, it's also an airport for a number of small seaplanes which are mostly based out of the south-western side of the lake. Walking along the shore between South Lake Union and Eastlake, you can find a couple of signs advertising seaplane flying lessons and seaplane tours of the city.

We haven't been up in any of the planes yet, although the idea of being able to fly out of an airport that's a 15-20 minute walk away is definitely enticing...

Ballard Locks

Officially known as the "Hiram M. Chittenden Locks", this pair of boat locks are some of the busier locks in the country, as ships traveling between Puget Sound and Lake Union or Lake Washington must traverse these locks. There are two locks; one for large ships and one for small ships, in addition to a salmon run to allow salmon to climb the 22 feet between sea level and the level of Lake Washington.

In addition to the locks themselves, the northern side of the locks (which includes about 50 spaces of parking) also hosts the Carl English Botanical Gardens.

Pacific Science Center (and IMAX)

The southwest corner of the Seattle Center hosts a kid-friendly science museum and IMAX screen, though adults may also enjoy a lot of the material presented. The featured exhibit seems to change seasonally, for Feb-May 9 2010 it seems to be a series about human travel to Mars. Permanent exhibits include a butterfly house, robot insects, 3D technology and a planetarium, among others.

The IMAX screen shows a mix of current movies and science films including 3D films. As a warning, popular films will sell out in advance on the opening weekend.

Exhibit information

Gasworks Park

Gasworks park is a very nice small park at the north end of Lake Union, accessible via the Burke-Gilman trail or by car (about 50 parking spaces or so are at the north end of the park). The old machinery has been repainted in primary colors and there is a covered picnic area on the east side next to the former Gasworks. In addition to the old buildings and machinery, there are great views of Eastlake, South Lake Union and Queen Anne hill from a walkway around the south end of the point.

Discovery Park

This is a great park on the west edge of Magnolia. It has great views of Puget Sound and nice walking trails with a variety of loops for different distances and exertion levels. On the north side is a small Navy station, and there are some great birdwatching opportunities on the west side near the lighthouse. The west end also houses a sewage treatment facility, but it seems well-run and is reasonably-well concealed in the forested section along that coast.
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Seattle Center - SIFF

SIFF is the "Seattle International Film Festival" at the Seattle Center.  They have a number of art and foreign films, sometimes also including popular films in the mix.

• Main Schedule
• "Dinner and a Movie" series  (limited space, 4x per year)