Once you’re in Seattle there are many ways of getting around the city and its various interest areas. My favorites were traveling on the monorail which travels to the Space Needle, the beautiful streetcars on the waterfront, and walking around Pioneer Square.
The monorail and streetcars are on opposite sides of the transportation timeline and yet both of them lend character to the area in which they’re located. Along the waterfront things are more relaxed and casual and despite the trendy stores and attractions, there’s a feeling of traditions still being adhered too. The streetcars (although originally from Australia!) promote this feeling of the past and present merged today.
The monorail on the other hand belongs to the future. Built for the World’s Fair that opened in 1962, the monorail together with the Space Needle and the US Science Pavilion (now the Pacific Science Center) still draw huge crowds of tourists visiting Seattle each year. Depending on the time of year, they could be crowded, but they’re well worth the wait – and the monorail experience is certainly worth the ride even if you decide you don’t want to face the crowds in the Space Needle itself!
By far my favorite transportation in Seattle was on the water however. The ferry cruises to the San Juan Islands offering a beautiful, stress-free ride in stunning surroundings – and the whale watching cruise was well worth every cent!
