A weekend of firsts: Pacific Science Center, Space Needle & Pacific Northwest Ballet

Each year millions of tourists descend upon Seattle and the surrounding areas to visit places like the Space Needle, Pikes Place Market, and Ballard Locks. Recently I explored one popular area of the Emerald City which turned out to be a weekend of firsts.

Pacific Science Center

It’s not every day you get the opportunity to walk around a space specifically designed for people to enjoy an up close experience with butterflies and learn about them. Our trip to the Pacific Science Center made it possible and the picture below sums up my reaction while in the Tropical Butterfly House exhibit.

It’s a butterfly! (Think of the “It’s a fluffy!” line from the little girl in the movie Despicable Me. She says it while tightly gripping and shaking a stuffed animal.) This particular butterfly patiently waited for me to get the shot.

After employees brief you on the rules, you walk into a tropical oasis – a bright colorful space filled with plants, flowers, and butterflies. The exhibit is kept warm, sunny, and humid to mimic the conditions the colorful winged insects need to thrive. Some of them stood out while others blended into the background. They were everywhere from the ceiling to the ground.

James watching the butterflies at the feeding station.

They set up “feeding stations” where the winged beauties dined on fruit. They stayed there for a while which gave us plenty of time to watch them and take pictures. The exhibit also included a glass display showcasing butterflies in different stages of transformation.

What was nice about this exhibit is that it felt like we were guests in their home. They went about their lives seemingly paying no attention to us while we observed them.

You could easily spend the entire day at Pacific Science Center. The butterfly house was just one of many cool and interesting exhibits there from being able to hold Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to watching bees in a hive.

Space Needle

Built in 1962, it’s the tallest structure in the Seattle skyline. It’s unmistakable and what sets us apart from other major cities; our iconic symbol that’s as synonymous as rain.

When I first moved here a year and a half ago my Mom and I didn’t go to the Space Needle, instead we opted for the Smith Tower. At one point it was the highest building on the West Coast, still has a great view of the city, and holds a lot of early Seattle history.

Visiting the Space Needle stayed on my list of things to do and I finally got the chance over the weekend. It’s one thing to see the needle from the interstate but it’s another when you’re standing at the bottom of it looking up.

Whoa.

Elevators zip up and down its sides taking crowds of people to the observatory and restaurant. After buying tickets and a short wait, we were on our way to the top. Hovering more than 600 feet in the air was a bit unsettling for me, but I was fine after a few minutes. The observation deck is marked with directional signs which made it easier to find landmarks like the ferry terminal, Century Link stadium, and South Lake Union.

View of downtown Seattle from the Space Needle.

As expected the needle provides a great view of the city even on an overcast day. I’m glad we went. It was Jeff’s first time going as an adult as well.

Win. *crosses item off list*

International Fountain

This isn’t your ordinary fountain. Settled in the center of a large oval shaped bowl, the International Fountain shoots out water in different patterns from 137 mist nozzles. It’s truly a sight. My favorite was watching water spew out from the super shooters, which can reportedly reach heights of 120 feet. Turns out the fountain was built at the same time as the needle for the 1962 World Fair. It was rebuilt in 1995. Until our visit, I didn’t even know it was there. This summer I plan to go back.

Pacific Northwest Ballet

As a lover of the arts you’d think I would’ve already seen a live professional ballet performance. Until a few days ago that wasn"t the case. Jeff’s Mom Barbara had an extra ticket and she invited me to join her for the opening performance of The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. There was no question I was going to accept the invitation.

After attending a preshow lecture about what to expect we took our seats. I immediately thought of the show Frasier since they often went to ballets, operas, and plays. I imagined Frasier and Niles sitting in the balcony and laughed to myself. The show included three performances and I enjoyed watching all of them.

The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude was marked by a lot of quick movements by the dancers. The ballerinas wore lime green tutus that resembled a saucer (yet they were flexible). We learned beforehand this choice of costume allowed the audience to see more of the dancer’s legs and movements.

New Suite was more traditional. One thing that stood out to me were the lifts. It was like the ballerinas were floating in the air, moving across the stage effortlessly.

In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated was in sharp contrast to the first two. Instead of an orchestra the piece was performed to electronica style music. Their movements were deliberate and staccato-esque which matched the music.

I’m really glad I got the chance to see this show. It's amazing to see the way they can manipulate their bodies. Next month PNB presents Swan Lake. I’m buying a ticket this week. Excited!

Overall I had a great weekend. With so much to do here, there will be a lot more firsts.