Parsons Gardens was formerly the family garden of Reginald H. Parsons but was donated to the city by his family in 1956. This beautifully groomed garden is a great place to take pictures, have a picnic or celebrate an event as the park can be rented on special occasions.
Pier 59 is actually the home to the Seattle Aquarium which is an amazing aquarium that incorporates the waterside location in a magnificent way. The pier is undergoing some remodeling to make it as authentic as possible, despite the addition of an aquarium. The pier itself may not thrill but the Aquarium is sure to interest you and your family.
The Salmon Bay Bridge in Seattle was built in 1914 by the Great Northern Railway and still serves the city as a railway line. This bascule style bridge crosses the ship canal near the Ballard Locks so it provides an interesting working view of the juxtaposition of water and machinery in this region.
The Stimson Green Mansion was originally owned by Charles Stimson a wealthy real estate and timber industry businessman. Construction began on the home in 1899 on First Hill, a prestigious neighborhood. The Tudor Revival home features steep pitched roofs, decorative timbering, casement windows with leaded panes and elaborate chimneys. In 1914 Stimson decided to move and sold the home to Joshua Green, a wealthy steamship owner. Green has such an influence on the Seattle area that the city named him man of the century in 1968. Green inhabited the home until his death at age 105. The home is one of the few surviving homes in that neighborhood that is basically in its original form. Tours are infrequent but worth a stop.
The Seattle Center Monorail is the country’s first full-scale commercial monorail system. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair the monorail is actually a privately run business that actually makes money for the business. Around 1.5 million people a year use this form of transportation and it’s become quite popular with locals during major events when traffic can get nasty. On the monorail you can travel from downtown to Seattle Center quickly, effortlessly and while watching incredible views.
The Kobe Bell was given to Seattle in 1962 by its first sister city, Kobe Japan. The bell serves as a symbol of friendship between the two cities and as a way to erase some of the paint that remained from World War II. The gift came in time for the World’s Fair Century 21 Exposition and was celebrated in a great ceremony with the mayors of both cities in attendance. As a side note, the sister program between Kobe and Seattle was such a success that Seattle has adopted 20 more sister cities and has the second largest sister city program in the United States.
Photo credit: bensonkua
