Mark P. Shea: Places

Places

Seattle The most beautiful city in the world!

Lopez Island Every Memorial Day, we go to this fine island in the San Juans (in Puget Sound, not the Caribbean) and hang out at Spencer Spit. Lots of nothing but beaching and biking for a whole weekend. Ahhh!

Skagit River I spent my childhood here, fishing with my Dad. It's still intensely beautiful.

Blessed Sacrament parish As my pal Dave so aptly put it, "I love the very stones of this place!" Dominican to the core and wonderfully so. It's the parish I call home. Don't forget to check out our annual Greenspire Medieval Arts Festival!

Butchart Gardens Like dying and going to heaven without the dying part.

Smithsonian You can't walk a foot in any of these museums without running across something amazing.

Woodland Park Zoo A great zoo that just gets better. We go there with the kidlets frequently.

Seattle Aquarium One of the world's great aquariums. Be sure to check out the underwater room!

Greenlake A wonderful lake for walking around and shooting the breeze with friends in the evening.

Pike Place Market Whatever you can't get at Alice's Restaurant, you can find here. Beware of flying salmon!

Pioneer Square This is the place that gave the world the term "Skid Road". They've spruced it up since then.

Museum of Flight Boeing's contribution to American history, boxed up and put in a cool museum.

Northwest Trek Jan and I spent a lovely Christmas vacation day here a few years ago.

Seattle Center From the fountain to the Food Circus to the rides to the Science Center to the Space Needle, a fun place to spend a day with the kidlets.

Ballard Locks Still another fun place to go with the kidlets! Lovely gardens and a fish ladder to boot! Plus, this was the scene of Seattle's titanic struggle with Herschel the Sea Lion and his pals!

Greenfield Village I used to go here when we lived in Michigan eons ago and I always thought it was cool.