Unique Emerald City

Space Needle

I have visited quite a few American cities and after a while they can seem to blend together, especially when you spend a lot of your tourism time in the traditional places. Almost every city has a zoo, a park and an art museum. While there are the usual standouts, the San Diego Zoo, Portland's Washington Park or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, in many American cities these places are often indistinguishable. One of my goals when I visit a new city is to try to find the things that make that city unique. The two main attractions in Seattle were the Space Needle and Pike's Market. Obviously, there aren't Space Needles all over America but the idea of seeing the view of the city from the highest point is pretty common. The same thing applies to the market, every city on water has a port and a market. With minimal research I found the two museums that are uniquely Seattle.

Experience Music Project

DJ Un-Smooth

The EMP museum is the brainchild of Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen. This museum is the museum of a kids dream. I have never been to a museum that is so interactive. The sound lab alone was worth the admission price. This area of the museum consists of cubicles and booths where you can play all different instruments. The energy and the smiles in this room were infectious. I am not musically inclined at all and honestly, I'm just not that interested in music. This place made me interested in music.  So interested in fact that I spent an unhealthy amount of time trying to perfect my scratching skills in the DJ booth. There were exhibits with green screens and a stadium size screen playing music videos. This place was loud and FUN! 

Chihuly Garden and Glass

The other unique experience I had in Seattle was at that Chihuly Garden and Glass museum. Dale Chihuly is a famous glass blower and this museum will leave you gawking with your mouth wide open. You'll stare at the formations of the class and the intense colors. You'll find yourself thinking, "How on earth did he do that?" I ended up taking 10 or 15 pictures of the same exhibit because I was  so amazed. The museum continues outdoors in the shadow of the Space Needle. The glass is mixed in with natural gardens. Even if you're not an art or garden lover, this museum is likely to leave you in awe.

On your next city visit try to spend some time in the lesser known museums that just might surprise you. If you love the zoo, go the zoo but don't overlook the unique places that add to the culture of a city. We are bombarded with Starbucks and McDonalds on every corner in every city, so if you have a chance to play a trombone or be entranced in colored glass don't pass it up.