Finding ourselves in Seattle midweek, we opted for two distinctly Seattle and Washington activities; a Harbor Cruise in Seattle on Argosy Cruises and blueberry picking (and grazing) at several U-pick blueberry farms near Everitt.
Departures for the Argosy cruises are from Pier 54 along Seattle’s waterfront. You will want to arrive at least 30 minutes early to guarantee a good seat, weather permitting on the top deck.
As you board, you will pass a number of signed trivia questions about Seattle, such as what movie featured Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and is it true that in Seattle, there are more dogs than children?
As the ship pulls out of the harbor, guests will pass The Seattle Great Wheel, built in 2012. It towers some 200 feet above the water at its highest point during low tide. And soon after passing this circular attraction, you will be cruising by the Seattle Aquarium, known in part for their sea otters.
And then beyond that you’ll see Pike’s Place Market; this public institution has been operating continuously since 1907 and features approximately 500 vendors. And nearby is the oldest continuously operating Starbucks on the planet. And often boasts a long line down the block.
More visual treats include the Edgewater Hotel built in 1962; you will want to waive to the assortment of guests sitting out on their porch overlooking the water. Those staying here used to be able fish directly from their porch next to their room. And this hotel is also where the Beatles stayed during their tour in 1964.
Other fun facts imparted by one of the more informative tour guides in Seattle, Lars included the following:
– Seattle is a major grain exporter from crops grown in the Midwest, where it is shipped to Asia by ship.
– Taylor Swift produced a measurable fan-generated earthquake during one of her performances in town.
To book a cruise with Argosy Cruises, visit: www.argosycruises.com
Following the lovely cruise, we jumped on electric scooters and explored more of downtown.
And the next day we located a Zip Car parked a few blocks from where we were staying in Wallingford an drove about 30 minutes to Mountainview Blueberry Farm where we joined mostly mothers with children for several hours harvesting about 15 pounds of tiny blueberries. These were all from heirloom varieties, featuring highly flavorful berries super high in anti-oxidants due to their high skin to juice ratio.
Then it was off to Blueberry Blossom Farm, a much different u-pick experience. We were the only ones picking berries here; parts of their farm are like a blueberry forest, completely untouched. We needed to fight our way through the dense berry pushes. The result of our efforts netted another 26 pounds of blueberries.
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