Seattle travel tips
February 1st, 2010 by admin

Starting in mid-February 2010 holders of the Go Seattle Card get free admission to even more area attractions. Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville are joining the program.
“We’ve been impressed with how Smart Destinations has grown both in Washington and in their other destinations,” said Whitney DalBalcon, Marketing and Public Relations Manager of Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. “Their focus on the visitor mirrors our own commitment to providing a world class experience. We’re looking forward to working together.”
Point Defiance is not only a wonderful zoo and aquarium, with its innovative Animal Avenue and Asian Forest Sanctuary exhibits, but also boasts breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and Puget Sound. Northwest Trek is home to more than 200 animals that are native to the Pacific Northwest. Visitors can scout for moose, bison, elk, mountain goats, and more from trams as the animals freely roam around them.
For a single price, the Go Seattle Card offers free admission to over 35 museums, tours, and other attractions for a low, fixed price. The Card also provides discounts at popular restaurants and shops and the ability to skip the lines at many attractions. Each Go Seattle Card also comes with a color-printed, pocket-sized guidebook full of maps, travel tips and itineraries for the Seattle area.
“With the help of our newest partners, we’ve taken a great product and made it even better,” said Cecilia Dahl, founder and President of Smart Destinations. “Customers already got a great value using the Card as a ticket to the Space Needle, the Museum of Flight, and our other Seattle partners. Were really excited to have Point Defiance and Northwest Trek. They truly are gems.”
Among the top attractions included in Go Seattle Card are The Space Needle, the Argosy Harbor Cruise, the Experience Music Project, the Pacific Science Center, and many others. In addition to the Zoo and the Northwest Trek, the Go Seattle Card covers a number of activities beyond Seattle such as Deception Pass tours, a number of cruises, the Tacoma Art Museum, a Woodinville Wine Tour and more.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
June 17th, 2009 by admin

Woodinville has become a haven for fine winemakers. Their commitment to quality is quickly becoming legendary among serious wine enthusiasts, and their wineries have more than doubled in number. Many tasting rooms are open to the public and provide the opportunity to sample and purchase wines straight from the wineries.
Three tasting rooms are open year round and 4 or 5 additional tasting rooms are open to the public on weekends. Visit and taste why Seattle is becoming one of the premier wine regions of the world.
The Go Seattle Card includes a wonderful Woodinville Wine tour as one of 35 Seattle area attractions and tours included in the price of the card. Tours are run on Saturdays and include such wineries as Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, Matthews Estate, and Efeste. The tour will pick you up right from your hotel in the morning and have you back in town in time for dinner.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
January 23rd, 2009 by admin
The Seattle Art Museum is hosting a focused exhibition of Edward Hopper’s iconic paintings entitled “Edward Hopper’s Women.” The exhibit is set to run through March 1, 2009. One of the highlights of the exhibit is Hopper’s famous 1929 composition Chop Suey which represents one of Hopper’s first forays into urban settings with his paintings.
Use your Go Seattle Card to get into the Seattle Art Museum and see their impressive collection of art from around the Pacific Rim, Europe, the Middle East and local works from the Pacific Northwest.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
February 25th, 2008 by jamie a
Crystal Mountain Photo uploaded by
While you’re in Seattle, why not check out some of the area’s amazing ski resorts?
For a quick guide to the area’s best offerings, Seattle.net has put together a for your convenience.
From Mt. Baker, the record holder for the most snow annually, to Crystal Mountain with the most ski-able terrain and the longest vertical drop in the state of Washington, there’s fabulous skiing for all levels.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
February 13th, 2008 by jamie a
Flower in a Garden Photo uploaded by
From February 20-24, the Seattle Convention Center will be hosting the .
This world-class event was started 20 years ago and has become a haven for professional as well as amateur gardeners to get together and share ideas. There’s thousands of flowers, six acres of gardens, free seminars for people of all gardening levels, as well as great shopping!
Here’s some from this year’s festival, as well as for children, and . are required, so get yours today!
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
February 7th, 2008 by jamie a
Hotel Max Photo uploaded by
If you’re looking for something special when booking a hotel in Seattle, look no further than . This hotel specializes in offering .
There’s fun packages like “Live Like a Local!” and “Red Rover Red Rover,” where your pet is treated like a real guest! If you’re in the mood for romance, there’s packages for straight and gay couples alike, as well as a “Oh, Get a Room!” packages that includes a game of Twister and a rose petal turndown.
Whatever your reason for visiting Seattle, Hotel Max has the accommodations to make every traveler feel special.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
January 7th, 2008 by susan j

Jazz photo uploaded by
Attention, jazz lovers! Add January 17-20 to your calendars, because Seattle’s Experience Music Project (EMP) is celebrating America’s jazz legacy with , a series of concerts by some of jazz music’s biggest name musicians.
Jazz in January performers include Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, Esperanza Spalding, Michael Shrieve, the Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto, Joe Santiago Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble, JazzReach, the Roosevelt and Garfield High School jazz bands, jazz film historian Mark Cantor, and others. Since the EMP is in the midst of American Sabor, an exhibit about Latin jazz, many of the performances will explore this genre of jazz music.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
December 17th, 2007 by jamie a
Selection at Remedy Teas
Photo uploaded by
While you’re traveling, it’s sometimes hard to find ways to stay connected. In the Emerald City, there’s a wide assortment of places on that provide free wi-fi to their customers, helping you get some work done and experience the city at the same time!
As far as hotels go, you can choose from the , the , or the .
To gear up for your day ahead with a great cup of coffee, check out , which features to admire while you sip or in the , which also serves delicious coffee and features even more to check out! There’s also for homemade waffles or soup and sandwiches for lunch, and if you’d like to relax at a tea bar with over 150 organic artisan tea choices while you nibble on some snacks.
For a hearty breakfast or breakfast foods all day long, check out the . They serve everything from strawberry and banana crepes to Dungeness Crab meat Benedict.
If grabbing a brew while you study is more your style, there’s which proudly serves the best imported beer selections from Germany, all served in their appropriate glassware. If you’re hungry, they also serve traditional German fare like Sauerkraut and Bavarian-style pretzels with German mustard. At , Seattle’s original brew pub, enjoy their award-winning homemade beer with 12 on tap every night in a laid-back pub setting.
If you have any more favorite wi-fi hotspots to share with us, just leave a comment! We’d love to hear from you.
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
November 26th, 2007 by shannon b

Entrance to the Science Fiction Museum
Photo uploaded by Go Card USA
On occasion, we bloggers over here at Smart Destinations have a chance to step away from our desks and enjoy the cities and attractions we’re so happily sharing with our customers. Back in early October, I packed my ancient, olive green bags (with the questionable zippers), grabbed my travel-illiterate boyfriend Russ, and jetted off to spend 5 fun-filled days in the Pacific Northwest (for less than $600).
The Hotel
If you’re traveling on a budget (as I always am), I recommend grabbing a room at the impossibly hip in Seattle. Not only will you be nestled in the heart of Belltown, where the mod, artistic types roam, but this quirky, minimalist hotel is only a few short blocks to Seattle Center and just around the corner from tons of free galleries and yummy dining. Plus, if you’re budgeting the Ace Hotel not only provides reduced parking 2 blocks away and an included continental breakfast featuring granola, toast, and coffee, but it’s set up to be ridiculously affordable.
For $99 (split between us) we got a comfortable bed, earplugs (since Belltown can be loud at night) and enough free magazines to keep Russ busy while I got ready in the morning. The only catch? In exchange for the $99 deal, you must have a shared bath, but I assure you it’s practically a steal. The showers are A.) Super Clean B.) Always Available. C.) There is a Sink and Mirror in your room as well.
But, in the off chance you don’t play nicely with others—you can always pay $75 more for a Delux room complete with a private bath. (more…)
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.
November 19th, 2007 by merrill j

Volunteers, Christmas 2006
Photo uploaded by
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share a family that we’ve started in recent years. We volunteer to serve others before we serve ourselves on Thanksgiving. Whether we’re volunteering to serve dinner at a shelter or delivering meals to those in need, we find it personally gratifying to serve those who are having particularly difficult times. I’d like to encourage readers to please consider volunteering for one of your community organizations. The local and are two good organizations. Local churches in your communities ususally also have holiday meal programs. From our family to yours, have a happy Thanksgiving!
Planning a trip to
Seattle?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Seattle Card.