Search Results for: blog christmas tree less in seattle

Christmastime in Chicago

I grew up in a very small town on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Which means as a child I was not exposed to the holiday pomp and pageantry displayed in many major metropolitan areas. However, in the years since moving from my hometown in Hawaii I have tried to make up for lost time by frequenting large cities during the holidays. I’ve been to New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Dallas, but without a doubt my favorite city to visit during the month of December is Chicago. Chicago is an incredible place to visit year … Continue reading →

Seattle Airport Going Secular

If you happen to be flying in or out of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this holiday season don’t expect to see the same festive decorations as last year. After last year’s brouhaha over Christmas trees placed in its main terminal–—an incident that set off a debate between religious leaders–—airport administrators are going secular. Forget about Santa Claus, sparkly trees and menorahs, the new decorations that travelers will pass by this holiday season include a set of 18 concrete-and-cardboard birch trees sitting on a bed of synthetic snow. Ho, ho, ho. But, wait there’s more. According to airport officials, the display … Continue reading →

Sightseeing In Seattle

I don’t know about you, but when I travel to a new city I tend to prioritize my sightseeing according to interest. On day one I visit the attractions that I have the most interest in and have done the most research on. Then, on subsequent days, I fan out across the rest of the city visiting sites that I am not as familiar with. Interestingly, there have been cases where the lesser known attractions turn out to be real gems and I end up wondering why I hadn’t put them on the top of my list. This happened to … Continue reading →

Seattle For Science Lovers

You’ve already seen the fish fly at the Pike Place Market and you have enough pictures of the Space Needle to last you a lifetime. So what does Seattle have to offer the parent looking to entertain their science-loving child? Here are some ideas: Pacific Science Center Nothing will delight your budding scientist more than a visit to the Pacific Science Center. The facility is home to not one, but two, IMAX theaters. There’s also a planetarium, robotic dinosaurs, a butterfly house and an insect village. For the budding broadcast journalist the Pacific Science Center has an in-house kid-friendly TV … Continue reading →

Hawaii’s All-Inclusive Airport–Deck The Halls With Trees AND Menorahs

Much has been made of the whole Seattle airport/Christmas trees/menorahs brouhaha, but off the the coast of the Evergreen State (about 2,000 miles off the coast) sits a pearl of islands where Chritmas trees and menorahs co-exist in harmony void of controversy. ALOHA! And welcome to paradise. Yes, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, far from the threats of rabbis and 14 plastic Christmas trees– airports throughout the Hawaiian Islands have both Christmas trees and menorahs prominently displayed for tourist of all religious affiliations to admire. “In light of everything that’s going on, we thought it was a good … Continue reading →

Why People Are Traveling To Iowa To View Christmas Lights

I grew up in a small city on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Needless to say, our family’s annual car ride to view local Christmas lights lasted approximately… oh, about, 7 minutes. Of course that was decades ago… long before the advent of icicle lights and inflatable waving Santas. And as for driving to other cities or (gasp) states, well that was simply not an option. Thirty years after my first car ride to view Christmas lights my situation has changed rather dramatically. I currently live in the frozen tundra (Wisconsin) where holiday light displays are … Continue reading →

Christmas Tree-less In Seattle

If your holiday travels take you through the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport you may notice something missing—holiday decorations. Did the Grinch descend upon the Evergreen State and steal its holiday décor? Not quite. It’s more like Captain P.C. (as in politically correct). Here’s the real story: According to local newspapers, airport staff stripped the building of all holiday decorations, including nine large Christmas trees, rather than add a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested. Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice. “We … Continue reading →

Washington State Landmark Reopens

My friends from high school moved from Hawaii to Spokane, Washington nine years ago and have never once regretted their decision to do so. Sadly, I’ve only been out to visit once since they’ve moved and had their first child. It’s unfortunate not only because I miss seeing them, but also because Spokane is a beautiful area and I have yet to explore all that it has to offer. One attraction that I am looking forward to visiting the next time I get out there is the legendary Fox Theater. The structure was scheduled to be torn down and replaced … Continue reading →

Pre Winter Travel Deals

Travel experts call this time of year “off-peak.” It’s the period of time between the busy summer travel season and the start of the even busier holiday season. Typically, the weeks leading up to the late November crush is when airlines and hotels pull out all the stops to lure travelers to certain destinations. One of those places is the Pacific Northwest where there are deals galore for those of you who don’t mind dodging raindrops from time to time. SAN JUAN ISLANDS The picturesque San Juan Islands are located about 80 miles northwest of Seattle, Washington. If you have … Continue reading →