No. 298 5 Places to take Dad and the Family to over the Holiday Season

If you have Dad or Grandfather in town here are some great places to take him in and around Seattle over the Holidays (other than the shopping malls)

No. 1 Museum of Flight    http://pugetexposure.blogspot.com/2013/03/171.html

The museum collection boasts over 85 different aircraft displayed in 9 different galleries starting with the early manned flying machines to more modern jet aircraft.
Museum Hours
Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
First Thursday of each month:
10 a.m. - 9 p.m. (free after 5 p.m.)
Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

Free First Thursday Evenings

Thanks to sponsor Wells Fargo Bank, Museum admission is free of charge on the first Thursday evening of every month from 5-9 pm   

No.2 LeMay Car Collection 



http://pugetexposure.blogspot.com/2012/11/139_20.html
The museum is located next to the Tacoma dome and resembles an oblong entry that resembles a giant hood scoop to drivers passing by on I-5. The 4 level building houses 165,000 sq f of show floor for more than 350 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations and the private LeMay Collection, which is in the Guiness Book of World Records with more than 3,500 vehicles.

 No. 3 MOG Museum of Glass Tacoma, WA 
http://pugetexposure.blogspot.com/2011/09/museum-of-glass-mog-tacoma-wa.html

Inside the landmark Hot Shop dome is an amphitheater where you can sit and watch resident and visiting art glass blowers performing their craft live with narration. At the MOG they are making glass blown art, not 4 glass bottles a second, so depending on what the current piece will be the process from start to finish can take 30min to over an hour. I started off in the amphitheater for about 30 min then went to the gallery and came back to see the last phase of making the art piece.





 No. 4 Seattle Pinball Museum 

Come play an amazing collection of pinball machines! Over 50 games arranged in chronological order, 7 decades of pinball history on free play! 
From 1960's Swing Along & King Tut to 2013 The Wizard of OZ Limited Edition & 2014 Star Trek Limited Edition. Enjoy soda, snacks, beer,cider & pinball swag!







 No. 5 Seattle Great Wheel and Aquarium
http://pugetexposure.blogspot.com/2012/07/seattle-great-wheel-ferris.html

Great Wheel is a 175 foot tall Big Wheel type "Ferris Wheel" with 42 enclosed gondolas that rotates 40 feet out over Elliot Bay behind Pier 57. The 42 air conditioned gondolas each hold up to six passengers, and there's also a VIP gondola with a glass bottom floor and four leather seats

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No. 296 Pacific Rim Bonsai Museum

Pacific Rim Bonsai Museum
2515 S. 336th St.
Federal Way, WA 98003
website: http://pacificbonsaimuseum.org/
MAP IT 

Hours

Tuesdays – Sundays (closed Mondays)
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM year-round

Admission is free.

The Pacific Bonsai Museum features outstanding bonsai from the Pacific Rim nations of Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the United States.

Weyerhaeuser Company opened the Collection in 1989, in conjunction with the Washington State Centennial celebration. The Collection was established to symbolize Weyerhaeuser’s long-term commitments to its customers, its community, and its forest resources. At the end of 2013 the corporation gifted the entire collection to a new non-profit, The George Weyerhaeuser Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection, now known as the Pacific Bonsai Museum.

There are currently about 100 trees in the Collection, about 60 of which are on display in the viewing area, while the others are held in reserve in a “growing area” that is not open to the public. Trees are periodically rotated between the growing area and display area in order to add variety and seasonal interest to the exhibit. Many of the trees are well-known to those familiar with the art, having been featured in books or magazines. Several of the trees have won awards for quality and many are the work of nationally or internationally famous artists. All have been nurtured with care and patience by skilled hands.

Museum Mission

The Pacific Bonsai Museum collection serves as cultural and educational resource for the Puget Sound region and beyond. Visitors of all ages and cultures will be inspired and delighted as they discover the depth and beauty of this interpretive art form.

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No. 232 5 Places to take your camera indoors when it raining in Seattle

The Pacific Northwest and Seattle is known for its grey and rain filled days. And the butt of many "rain jokes." It was given the nickname "The Evergreen State" by Charles Tallmadge, a Seattle Newspaper columnist and realtor for its thick moss forest floors and abundant evergreen forests.
One would think that Seattle is the rainiest city in the United States given its portrayal in the news and hollywood. But that rainiest city award goes to Mobile, Alabama. You have to look down the list of US Rainiest Cities to find Olympia, Washington in the No. 24th spot.

Here are some locations to check out and keep your camera dry on a rainy day in Puget Sound and around Seattle

 #1 The Tropical Butterfly House inside the Pacific Science Center
When you visit Pacific Science Center's Tropical Butterfly House be prepared to enter a tropical oasis. You will be encouraged to lighten your load by leaving coats and bulky items behind at the entrance. 

#2 MOG Museum of Glass Tacoma, WA
Inside the landmark Hot Shop dome is an amphitheater where you can sit and watch resident and visiting art glass blowers performing their craft live with narration. At the MOG they are making glass blown art, not 4 glass bottles a second, so depending on what the current piece will be the process from start to finish can take 30min to over an hour. I started off in the amphitheater for about 30 min then went to the gallery and came back to see the last phase of making the art piece.


# 3 LeMay America's Car Museum
One of Tacoma's newest attractions in the developing Museum District is a great destination both for young and old motor heads. The museum is located next to the Tacoma dome and resembles an oblong entry that resembles a giant hood scoop to drivers passing by on I-5. The 4 level building houses 165,000 sq f of show floor for more than 350 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations and the private LeMay Collection, which is in the Guiness Book of World Records with more than 3,500 vehicles.  







# 4 Museum of Flight -Seattle, WA

The Museum of Flight is located at the south west corner of Runway 13R/31L at Boeing Field-King County International Airport and is open daily and stays open late on First Thursday evenings, free of charge. The museum collection boasts over 85 different aircraft displayed in 9 different galleries  starting with the early manned flying machines to more modern jet aircraft. There are museum complex features nine indoor and outdoor galleries and air park and in 2012 The Museum of Flight was awarded NASA's retired Space Shuttle Crew Trainer.

#5 Seattle Aquarium 
The region’s premier resource for hands-on marine experiences and conservation education, the Seattle Aquarium offers fun, exciting ways to discover more about the amazing Puget Sound and our world’s one big ocean. Join us in our mission: Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment. 





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No. 174 2013 Pacific North West Air Show Calendar

2013 Vintage and GA Air Show Circuit in the Pacific Northwest  

Version 1.1 updated 4/5/2013

These flights are planned activities, but somewhat tentative, based on weather conditions, pilot availability and the mechanical condition of the aircraft. Decisions to cancel an air show or specific aircraft may not be made until shortly before the flight, so if you have a concern please contact the organizer for up to the minute details


*April 12th Flying Heritage Collection Hangar 2 Grand Opening, Free Entry 11am-5pm

*April 13th Historic Flight Foundation Spring Shake-Down KPAE canceled due to WX
*April 20th Historic Flight Foundation Spring Shake-Down KPAE

*May 18th Paine Field Aviation Day, KPAE Hurricane/Zero

*May 23rd - 27th EAA B-17 Flights, MoF KBFI

*May 25th Cascade Warbirds Fly-In, Mof KBFI

*June 8th Flying Tigers Day FHC KPAE P-40/Zero

*June 14th-16th Collings Foundation, HFF KPAE B-17/B-24/P-51
*June 15th Father's Day FHC P-51/P-47

*June 16th War Bird Weekend, HFM, KBLI

*June 21st - 25th Collings Foundation, MoF KBFI B-17/B-24/P-51

*June 29th Pacific Legends Day FHC , KPAE

*July 4th Tacoma Freedom Fair Air Show, Commencement Bay, Tacoma, WA

*July 6th Tacoma Freedom Fair Wings & Wheels Tacoma Narrows Airport, Tacoma, WA

*July 11th ~ July 13th EAA Arlington Fly-In, KAWO

*July 13th American Heroes Air Show /Helicopter Day, MoF, KBFI

*July 13th~14th Olympic Airshow KOLM

*July 20th Allied Aces Day, HFF, KPAE Spitfire/P-51

*July 20nd/21st JBLM Expo, KTCM

*July 19th~July 21st North Cascades Fly-In,  Concrete, WA 3W5

*July 26th-28th  Tri-City Water Follies - Over the River Airshow Kennewick, Pasco, WA
*July 31- August 2nd Seafair KBFI/Lake Washington F/A18, B-25, Patriots, Zero, A-10, C-135

*August 17th Luftwaffe Day, HFF, KPAE BF 109/FW 109, Storch

*August 17th Props and Ponies, HFM, KBLI  

*August 30th~September 1st Vintage Aircraft Weekend, HFF, KPAE B-25/P-40/P-51/F7F/F8F/DC3

*September 7th Battle of Britain, FHC,  KPAE BF 109/Spitfire

*September 21st Air War over Russia Day, HFC, KPAE IL-2/FW 109

*September 28th Arlington Airport Appreciation Day

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No. 139 LeMay Americas Car Museum

2702 E. D St. Tacoma, WA
MAP IT
Website: http://www.lemaymuseum.org/

Open 10am to 5pm Mon-Sun
Admission: Adult - $14
Senior (Age 65)/Student/Military - $12
Youth (Age 5-12) - $8
Child (Under 5) - Free
Members - Free

From southbound I-5, take exit 133 for I-705 north toward City Center and take the first exit for the Tacoma Dome. Turn right onto E. 26th Street. Take the second right onto E. D Street. Onsite parking between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. costs $5 for three hours, $10 for six hours.

 

 One of Tacoma's newest attractions in the developing Museum District is a great destination both for young and old motor heads. The museum is located next to the Tacoma dome and resembles an oblong entry that resembles a giant hood scoop to drivers passing by on I-5. The 4 level building houses 165,000 sq f of show floor for more than 350 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations and the private LeMay Collection, which is in the Guiness Book of World Records with more than 3,500 vehicles.  

Main Entrance

Entrance Hall

The Great Hall features cars from the private LeMay Collection

A Look at the start of the American Automobile Industry

One of three long garage style halls

  Gear Used:

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No. 64 Museum of Glass, MOG Tacoma, WA

Distance from Seattle, WA = 34 miles

Museum of Glass

1801 Dock Street

Tacoma, WA 98402

http://www.museumofglass.org/

Reason to go: See the Dome Districts modern improvements. Lots of money is going into remodeling of this waterfront area. New apartment buildings, restaurants and growing artistic neighborhood. Parking is easy. There is a garage with a great deal of space under the museum, and the cost is reasonable. Taking the elevator up to the museum is easy in case someone is disabled. 

You can plan on spending 1 1/2 - 2hrs visiting the museum. The gallery portion isn't the largest I have seen about blown glass, but the quality and difficulty of the collection makes enjoyable. I would start off with the "Hot Shop." Inside the landmark Hot Shop dome is an amphitheater where you can sit and watch resident and visiting art glass blowers performing their craft live with narration. At the MOG they are making glass blown art, not 4 glass bottles a second, so depending on what the current piece will be the process from start to finish can take 30min to over an hour. I started off in the amphitheater for about 30 min then went to the gallery and came back to see the last phase of making the art piece. 

The gift shop features all sorts of  glass items from all over the world, and some smaller versions of pieces you can see in the collection. Large section of books on the history of glass art, coffee table sized books of different artists, ornaments, paper weights  etc. 

Click to here to view more images

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