Seattle: Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo was frustrating; it was also a zoo so there were moments of magic.

The frustrations mainly came through navigation.

I know there was some construction going on, so I don't know if the navigation difficulties are temporary or normal.

I just know that we kept going places that did not lead where we thought they were going.

I can confirm that some of it was confusing signage.

For the rest, I am not sure.

Construction may have led to one of the really cool moments, though.

There were people clearing some wood in the wolf exhibit. This could have been construction or temporary maintenance, but the wolves were fascinated.

The other thing that was interesting is that it was not clear where the barriers were, so it looked like the humans, the wolves, and the elk were all sharing a space. 

For practical reasons I am going to assume that was not true, but it was interesting.

The day before we had seen divers in the tank at the aquarium... this was like the equivalent with wolves.

In addition, we came across five porcupines chowing down on cabbage...

bears playing in the water...

and a penguin nosing around a little soccer ball (I couldn't get a picture of them together).

Animals are wonderful, so there is always the chance of seeing something cool and certainly something beautiful.

They also had some great statues. 

But zoo navigation is a huge issue.

COVID: It is primarily outside, but there are some closed spaces and there can be a lot of people. 

Accessibility: In some ways this may be better. I didn't see anything that couldn't be navigate with mobility devices and they have a sensory guide with some help for enjoying the zoo on different levels.

https://zoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2023-ZM-Social-Story-FINAL.pdf 

However, some of that can make it more tiring for mobility issues without devices, like bad knees or stamina issues.

For example, the Living Northwest Trail kept going up. It was a ramp with a gradual incline, so not taxing, and at the end of the path there was a Steller's Sea Eagle.

However, you then have to go all the way back the same way; there are no stairs down or connecting paths.

There are multiple entrances, so it may be best to plan ahead for which exhibits are priorities and chart a path. 

https://zoo.org/

Seattle: Bill Speidel Underground Tour

This was a strong contender for my favorite attraction.

It was also the one that gave me the hardest workout.

Going underground, I expected there to be stairs. I didn't realize how many there would be.

There is a lot of underground territory for the tour, but not all of the areas are connected. 

Sometimes, even if they are connected, it might not be a connection that can be safely traversed down there.

If you can do it, I think it's totally worth it.

There was so much history, with fascinating details and humor.

Details were also given in an order that built up logically.

Introduced to the skylights and how the minerals turned purple over time, suddenly you see them everywhere, and know where they came from.

Plenty of the aboveground history was explained too.

There were some photos and artifacts throughout the tour, then we ended in a small museum where there was more to look at and more opportunities to ask questions.

It was a great time.

COVID: While between underground sections you do spend a fair amount of time aboveground, though the group was pretty dense. I sometimes took off my mask above, but mainly kept it on.

Accessibility: Not good. It's not just that there were at least ten flights of stairs, but sometimes even the flat areas were pretty rough and the door frames were low where you did have to be careful. I made it and I had a good time, but in addition to not being well-suited for mobility devices, mobility issues like bad knees could be a real problem. 

Just be prepared.

https://undergroundtour.com/ 

Seattle: Monorail

Like the Space Needle, the monorail was built in conjunction with the Century 21 Exposition. Surely at the time it seemed very futuristic.

Unlike the Space Needle, it's not that fun. This makes it not even my second-favorite attraction associated with that fair, because that's the Almond Roca store in Tacoma.

                                                        

More to the point, the monorail is not that efficient. There are two stops: Seattle Center and Westlake Center Mall. This would also be more impressive if Westlake was a better mall, and it probably used to be. Lots of malls have started emptying out. Wikipedia says Westlake has "fallen into dead mall status":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westlake_Center 

The monorail stays open longer than the mall does, so there is a separate exit and entrance. It seems logical to me that there is a way to enter the mall directly and that there must be an elevator, but the flow of traffic carried us down several flights of stairs and dumped us outside of the mall, which we then re-entered, because, hey, we were there.

Because I am not sure about that, I feel like this isn't a very good review, but it wasn't a very good attraction. (Also, I filled my photo card right when I was finishing up at Chihuly Garden and Glass, so these are phone pictures.)

It seems like there should be convenient transfers to other public transportation, though that is uncertain. 

https://www.theurbanist.org/monorail-to-nix-transfer-credits-raising-costs-on-some-orca-card-users/  

I suspect the primary attraction is that the valet parking at Seattle Center is $25 and there must be cheaper parking near the mall. You do pass through the weird architecture of the EMP.

COVID: There were lots of people, with not many masked besides us. It does seem popular, even if I don't get it.

Accessibility: The FAQ for the monorail says they have ramps, but they also suggest asking for help... my confidence is limited, which may be unfair. 

https://www.seattlemonorail.com/