Eat a Seattle dog! (Cream cheese, caramelized onions and roasted vegetables.) Then, go visit the Space Needle, lol.

The Space Needle has been called the United States’ Eiffel Tower. Built for the 1962 World Fair, it is, like the Eiffel Tower, a fairly useless structure that has become an international icon. The needle underwent a remodel last year (2018) for the first time since it was built. It is truly a lot of fun to visit and offers a great view of the Puget Sound and Lake Union. And downtown Seattle if you like to look at buildings.

Level 1 has an outdoor (enclosed, obviously) observation deck around the rim, with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow fresh air to enter between panes. So prepare…the temperature on deck is the same as the ambient temperature outside. Inside on Level 1 there is a food-court-style cafe counter with limited seating that faces the view you’ve paid so much to see. There is also a restaurant that is open during the evening and costs way extra.

Level 2 has a glass floor and rotates. Really cool. Some visitors are very afraid of it before descending the staircase to get there, but seem to calm down once there. Other visitors lay flat out on the glass floor face down. The inner core area of the floor is carpeted, so you aren’t forced to “look down” if you don’t want to. We all loved the Space Needle experience.

There is a great playground below the needle called “Artists at Play”. Jackson had a lot of fun here. Huge labyrinth, huge bells, huge rope jungle gym with sliding boards, fast merry-go-round that is level with the ground, and lots of whimsy.