Landmark Birthday

Every time my mom visits me in Seattle, I hear the same sob story… “I can’t believe I have lived my whole life without having gone up the Space Needle even one time!” OK, OK Mom, we get it. So this year I planned a fantastic birthday party for Mommy at the historic Seattle Center landmark – Sky City.

First, my dad, mom, brother and I spend the afternoon at another city hotspot: the Pacific Science Center. I know this sounds nerdy, but we had a really great time! First, we journeyed back through time to the Mesozoic Era dinosaur exhibit, which boasts seven moving, roaring, robotic dinosaurs in a lifelike environment. We also visited the Insect Village, with interactive exhibits and live animal displays – being careful to help Mom avoid the spider cages. Next, we visited the Tropical Butterfly House, which is my favorite part of the Science Center. We saw hundreds of beautiful, free-flying butterflies fly, sun themselves, and feed among tropical flowers.

Even though we are adults, my brother and I had a great time in Kids Works, and my mom even got to see herself on TV as the Guest Meteorologist in the K5 First Alert Weather Center. The animal exhibits were also fun, and we played games in the Body Works exhibit that tested reaction time, energy production and nutrition. I sort of felt like I was on a school field trip, but seeing as my mom is a teacher it was kind of fitting. We spent some time at the Science Playground and the Technology Exhibits before heading back outside into the pouring rain.

A short trek led us over to the Space Needle’s base, where we met up with my sister and climbed into the elevator for our trip to Sky City. The anticipation began immediately: within 10 seconds we could see the sparkling waters of Puget Sound… 20 seconds and we could see Mount Rainier… 30 seconds and skyscrapers began to appear like giant legos… 41 seconds and we were at the top of the world, 520 feet above the metropolis.

The menu was full of award-winning exclusive and signature dishes. We started with some birthday martinis and bread before moving onto the main course, which was completely scrumptious. I had roasted garlic chicken stuffed with roasted garlic. It was served with pan jus, garlic mashed potatoes, red chard and wild boar bacon – yum! After dinner we climbed up to the observation deck. The cold gusty wind and rain made the experience on the outside deck less than ideal, but my brother, mom and I still managed to walk around the entire Needle. Now she can stop complaining!

Overall I think my mom had a fantastic birthday, I’m really glad I took the time to plan something. The Science Center provided for a fun-filled afternoon (I still want to go back there to see the Dead Sea Scrolls sometime soon) and the Space Needle was a fabulous place for dinner. Although price-wise, I would really recommend the lunch menu.

Happy Birthday Mommy!