Washington State Ferry from Seattle Waterfront

Seattle is a port city. It exists and thrives today because of its long history of maritime shipping, trade, and proximity to the natural resources of the Great Northwest. Scenically nestled at the edge of Elliot Bay on Washington’s Puget Sound, Seattle  still has a unique and intertwined relationship with the sea. If you are interested in experiencing a taste of that relationship the next time you visit, leave the high-tech, cosmopolitan atmosphere behind for a refreshing and scenic nearby side trip. No car required, just head down the hill from the heart of downtown shopping and dining, until you find yourself at the waterfront along Alaskan Way.

If you are interested in a walking tour of Seattle’s Waterfront, try starting on the southern end at Pier 52, where Washington’s famous ferries depart Seattle for Vashon and Bainbridge Islands, or Bremerton on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s enough fun to watch the big boats come and go, but if you’re feeling especially adventurous, you can walk on for a $7.00 round trip fare. It would be well worth your time, because on a clear day, the views are outstanding and the air refreshing, though cold, so dress warmly.

Walking North on along the waterfront you will shortly come to Pier 54 and another Seattle icon, Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, a store loaded with interesting artifacts, novelty items, oddities, and the main attraction a pair of actual mummies on display, as well as rice grain carvings (seriously!) and other curiousties. It’s a bit tacky, but fun, so I recommend you stop in and take a peek, so you can at least say you have been there.

Waterfront Pier

Pier 56 is home to Argosy Cruises, where you can book a sightseeing or dinner cruise, book a sailing expedition on Puget Sound, or board the Elliot Bay Water Taxi ($3.00 one way) for a 20 minute crossing to West Seattle and Alki Beach which offers abundant dining and recreational activities.  A free bus shuttle on the other side will take you to Alki Beach or the West Seattle Junction (more on this neighborhood in a future post).

Walking further north along the waterfront, you will pass several shops and restaurants, including Ivar’s Seafood Bar and Elliot’s Oyster House (where I dined on delicious fresh pacific oysters during a rare night out not long ago). Eventually, you will come to The Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59. The recently remodeled Aquarium is a world class facility with several fascinating permanent exhibits focusing on Pacific marine life, including a 360 degree glass domed room which will be a hit with the small people in attendance. I have been a member, and highly recommend the aquarium.

As you continue north along Alaskan Way, you will be treated to abundant breathtaking views of Elliot Bay, and on a clear day, the Majestic Olympic Mountains beyond. Once you reach Pier 67 you will come to an attractive lodging option for your next Seattle stay, the luxury Edgewater Inn. The Edgewater, situated right on the water and which many will remember as the place where the Beatles famously fished out of the window of their hotel room during a 1964 Seattle concert visit, offers what could very well be the most unique and scenic lodging experience in the city.

Fab 4 Fishing from Edgewater Inn

Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park  (free to the public) is a wonderful outdoor space, just before the scenic and peaceful Myrtle Edwards Park. The Olympic Sculpture Park is a spectacular new waterfront park where visitors can view a variety of sculptures 365 days a year, in an outdoor setting. I have not been there yet, but my better half has, and she was duly impressed with the layout and interesting variety of the thought provoking sculpture.

You can check out nearly all these spots in a single day (with the exception of the ferry rides), but they are so nice you might want to take your time!

Enter an underwater world at Shark Reef.

Located in the hot, dry Mojave Desert and hundreds of miles from the Pacific Ocean, one might not expect Las Vegas to be home to a variety of marine life, including sharks, dolphins and sting rays. Luckily, Las Vegas has always made the unconventional into a reality. Today, millions of gallons of blue seawater fill several aquarium attractions to provide visitors an up-close view of the world’s most fascinating marine animal species.

A favorite for our family is the Shark Reef, located inside the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, it is North America’s only predator-based aquarium and exhibit. Filled with over 1.6 million gallons of seawater, Shark Reef’s aquariums are home to more than 2,000 sea animals, including several species of sharks, along with saw fish, giant rays, endangered sea turtles, piranha, jelly fish and the rare golden crocodiles.

A popular exhibit, especially for young children, is the petting pool where visitors can touch the wet, velvety skin of sting rays as they glide by in shallow water. A washing station is conveniently located adjacent to the pool to clean the hands of curious kids.

Shark Reef's sting ray petting pool is a big hit.

Glowing jelly fish float calmly at Shark Reef.

Shark Reef is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. General admission is $16.95 for adults and $10.95 for children age five to 12. Children under four years old are free. Packages are a great buy and come with photos and souvenirs for the whole family or dinner at Mandalay Bay’s Bayside Buffet. Tickets may be purchased online or at the main entrance to Shark Reef.

Another great close encounter with marine life is at The Mirage where Siegfried & Roy’s 2.5-million-gallon Dolphin Habitat is home to a pod of Atlantic bottle nose dolphins. The habitat consists of four connected pools containing an artificial coral reef system and sandy bottom. Opened in 1991 with the purpose of educating the public about marine mammals and their environment, the habitat offers visitors the opportunity to see natural behaviors of dolphins.

Huf n Puff (mom) and new calf at The Mirage Dolphin Habitat.

Visitors are also invited to make their vacation an unforgettable experience by taking part in the Dolphin Trainer for a Day program. Participants get to work side-by-side with dolphin trainers as they participate in daily activities with the dolphins, including playing, training and feeding them. Participants must be at least 13 years old. However, participants 13 to 15 years old require an adult in the program to accompany them, either as a participant or an observer.

For general admission, group VIP and Dolphin Training for a Day prices, call     (702) 792-7889     .

For families on a budget, there are several other aquariums to visit at no cost. At The Mirage, wander over to the main lobby and see the enormous aquarium filled with a variety of fish and sharks of all sizes. Inside The Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace, an aquarium filled with tropical fish is located across from the Cheesecake Factory. It provides an excellent view while waiting to be seated for dinner.

The recently remodeled Silverton Lodge & Casino is also home to several colorful salt and fresh-water aquariums, all of which are free to the public. The main 117,000 gallon aquarium contains an artificial reef and more than 4,000 tropical fish from all over the world, three species of stingrays and three species of sharks. The octagonal aquarium offers premier viewing on all sides.

The adjacent Mermaid Lounge features two colorfully lit 500-gallon jellyfish aquariums and the nearby entrance to the Bass Pro Shop features an 18,000 gallon water feature stocked with over 100 Koi fish. Inside the large Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts there are additional freshwater aquariums, including a 4,000 gallon representation of a spring fed Nevada stream stocked with trout and a 20,000 gallon Nevada lake display stocked with channel catfish, huge carp and bass.

With so many aquarium attractions in Las Vegas, ocean lovers can experience the beauty of exotic marine life while also enjoying the excitement of Las Vegas. You’ll forget you’re in the desert.

Photos by Jason Roth and The Mirage.