I am apparently the only person in the world who hasn’t been on a Duck Tour. Duck tours are where a bus takes you on a city tour then morphs into a boat and shows you the sights on the water. Our driver was full of energy, information, and jokes, which I really enjoyed. Driving through the city we saw many of the famous landmarks—along with stories from the lesser known spots. In the water we got to see the seaplanes landing and of course, the Sleepless in Seattle house, which our tour guide claims was originally purchased for 600k and sold for several million. It was neat to see the house from the Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks classic.

Up next—It was time to get our underground on! Did you know that Seattle was burned down and rebuilt above the original city?  This tour was very interesting because they actually took us down under to see where those original businesses were—including the red light district. I even saw an original “crapper!” These photos give you an idea of the rich history here.

 Here is one of the “Crappers” 

You will see these on the streets of Seattle—-these were the skylights for the underground city!

As a musician I have known that Seattle is birthplace of “grunge” music-with connections to Hendrix, Nirvana, and many more. The Experience Music Project is an amazing place that displays everything from Jimi Hendrix’s flashy clothes, notebooks, and pictures—to Kurt Cobain’s potted meat collection. One of the first things that catches your eye is this huge art piece made of over 700- guitars. There was even a walk through gallery which showed the evolution of the guitar—very neat. There was a booth where you could record your “Nirvana story.”  Upstairs is the Sound Lab where you can make your own music—play the drums, record some vocals—all available for purchase of course. Also there is the Battle Star Galactica exhibit, containing pieces from that series. I would highly recommend visiting EMP if you visit Seattle, just be sure to allow time to truly experience it!