06.26.2023

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Today’s Forecast

Consider us your tour guide

Your ultimate guide to tours of Seattle

A hot air balloon with a rainbow geometric pattern hovers above a rural residential area while Mt. Rainier stands proud in the distance during a sunrise trip.

Hello, yes — we would like to go on the dreamy hot air balloon tour. | Photo by @windowseatjonesin

Whether you’re a lifelong Seattleite longing to embrace your inner tourist, or you have a limited amount of time in the Emerald City, here are 15 tours guaranteed to show you the sights you want to see.

Note: Price estimates are based on individual adult rates available at the time of publishing. Check each company’s website to see current pricing.

All in on history

Self-Guided Green Book Tour | Free | Year-round
Download the app created by Seattle’s historic Black & Tan Hall, then stroll around Jackson Street in the Chinatown-International District to explore the city’s jazz age through the lens of the Black community.

Beneath the Streets: Queer History | $27 per person | June-August
From the early underground nightlife scene in Pioneer Square to the first Gay Pride Picnic in Occidental Park, this tour celebrates and explores the roots of the local LGBTQ+ community.

A group of people led by a tour guide looks at flowers at UW's Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle, WA. — The flowers at UW’s Washington Park Arboretum are gorgeous in spring and summer.
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Photo via the University of Washington

Great outdoors

UW Botanic Gardens | Free | January-November
On the first Thursday of every month except December, you can stroll around Washington Park Arboretum to hear more about the seasonal plant collections and see some pretty flowers.

Lake, Old Growth, and Trees in Columbia City | $139 | Spring-Summer
Longtime Seattle resident Lynn Curtis drives small groups of folks around town in her SUV to various sites, sharing her deep knowledge of the area. You’ll get to take a hike with her on this particular journey.

A tour guide holds up a tray of food in front of Marination in downtown Seattle — Eat Seattle is a great option if you want to get acquainted with lunch options around the Spheres.
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Photo via Eat Seattle

Eat and drink

Street Foods of South Lake Union | $56 per person | Year-round
The two-hour trip stops at six locations around the Amazon and Google campuses grabbing bites at fast-casual spots like Marination and Mamnoon Street. You can also get discounts to other local restaurants after the trip.

Woodinville Wineries Day Tour | $89 per person | Year-round
You’ll visit a large winery and a couple of boutique ones in the popular Eastside wine destination. Each tour is catered to the group, so feel free to make requests.

Explore the Emerald City

Asked

If you could design your dream city tour, which of the following features would you include?

A. Historic landmarks and iconic buildings
B. Local cuisine tastings
C. Street art and vibrant murals
D. Other

Give us your thoughts

Events

Monday, June 26

Bubbles on Tour | Monday, June 26 | 4-6 p.m. | Armoire, 83 S. King St., Seattle | $15 | Sip a glass or two of champers from Laurent-Perrier as you browse clothes in the Armoire Go Boutique.
Seattle Mariners vs. Washington Nationals | Monday, June 26-Wednesday, June 28 | Times vary | T-Mobile Park, 1250 First Ave. S., Seattle | $10-$600 | What better way to start off the week than a chill night at the ballpark? Try out new vendors like Moto, if you have time to explore.

Tuesday, June 27

Monthly Craft Social | Tuesday, June 27 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Monster, 1716 NW Market St., Seattle | $5 | Work on your on-going project with some other local artsy folk.
Keenan Norris and Jane Wong | Tuesday, June 27 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Third Place Books, 5041 Wilson Ave. S., Seattle | Free | The two authors will read from their latest memoirs with an audience Q+A to follow.

Wednesday, June 28

Food Truck Fest at Westlake Park | Wednesday, June 28 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Westlake Park, 401 Pine St., Seattle | Free | Grab lunch from any of the five local trucks while enjoying free live music and games.
Canary Live Seattle | Wednesday, June 28 | 6-10 p.m. | KEXP, 472 First Ave. N., Seattle | $49 | Canary, a nonprofit news outlet that covers clean energy, records a live podcast about climate-related tech and other topics — with food + drinks for those attending.

Thursday, June 29

Spotlight Series: Summer of India | Thursday, June 29 | 5-7 p.m. | Pier 62, 1951 Alaskan Way, Seattle | Free | Enjoy live performances from members of the Nrityalaya School of Dance, Urvasi Dance Ensemble, and Seattle Tamil Arts of Rhythm (STAR).
CB Presents: Fun and Flirty | Thursday, June 29 | 7-10 p.m. | Capitol Hill Comedy Bar, 210 Broadway E., Seattle | $15-$20 | Part comedy show and part “dating experience,” you’ll get to laugh and maybe meet a prospective partner during a bawdy, side-splitting night.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Trending

Good job, big fella. Seattle’s famed tunnel boring machine MudHoney made it all the way through 2.7 miles of the city’s underground. The journey for the Ship Canal Water Quality Project created a storage tunnel to boost Seattle’s sewer and storm water system.

Community

An estimated 300,000 people took part in Sunday’s Pride Parade. The 49th annual event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community had 267 groups march through downtown, the most in the parade’s history. It ended at Seattle Center where PrideFest kept the party going with food + live performances. (KING 5)

Closing

Time to say goodbye to a local java favorite. Kaladi Brothers Coffee is closing its East Pike Street location due to the building’s pending redevelopment after 16 years of business on Capitol Hill. The Alaska-based company announced that Saturday, July 29 would be its last day. (Capitol Hill Blog)

Sports

Boom — that’s our guy. Mariners star Julio Rodríguez will be a participant in the 2023 Home Run Derby, the popular hitting contest during MLB’s All-Star Game Week. JRod — who smashed 81 home runs in last year’s derby — will face off against seven other players on Monday, July 10.

Transit

Sound Transit has narrowed down preferred sites for a new station in its Light Rail extension to Everett. The organization’s governing board voted to conduct studies for five possible sites, including one in downtown Everett near the Angel of the Winds Arena and another in West Alderwood near the mall. (Seattle Times)

Arts

The Seattle Opera announced its director Christina Scheppelmann will be leaving after the 2023-24 season concludes. Among Christina’s achievements was the world premiere of “A Thousand Splendid Suns” that was staged at the Seattle Opera earlier this year. She has accepted another position in Brussels.

Tech

We see you, smarties. A team from UW made a big discovery in the field of quantum technology. Studying light atoms stimulated by a laser, researchers found tiny vibrations referred to as “atomic breathing” that could lead to future breakthroughs in quantum computing — or Ant Man. (GeekWire)

Civic

Mayor Bruce Harrell appointed Marshall Foster as the permanent director of Seattle Center. Marshall had been serving as the interim director since January and will now oversee the 74-acre campus with a $58 million budget. One major project on the way for him to tackle is the Memorial Stadium revamp.

Environment

King County’s Boeing Field will be the first airport in the US to get a hybrid electric fire engine. The fancy-sounding Striker Volterra 6x6 Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle should arrive at the small international airport sometime in 2024.

Outdoors

So, when’s the baby shower? The season’s first humpback whale moms and calves have arrived in the Salish Sea, according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association. The lucky ladies include Graze, Strike, and first-time mother Poptart. (FOX 13)

Wellness

Thinning hair? You’re not alone. This No. 1 dermatologist-recommended hair growth supplement brand is physician-formulated with science-backed ingredients to target root causes of thinning for faster-growing, visibly thicker hair. (Pro tip: This five-minute quiz will help you get to the root of your thinning.)*

Health

Support skin elasticity, joint health, bone strength, and muscle growth with NativePath’s Certified Grass-Fed Collagen Powder. Bonus: It contains 18 grams of protein per serving.*

Entertainment

Mt. Rushmore of Seattle music: the finalists

Who would be on your Mt. Rushmore of Seattle music?

A graphic that shows question marks over the faces of the Mount Rushmore monument.

Time to replace these guys with a more rocking fab four. | Graphic by 6AM City

Rock on, Emerald City. After we asked who you would put on the Seattle’s Music Mt. Rushmore, you gave us great choices.

In case you missed it, we wanted to know which four local music legends should be immortalized above all others in our imaginary sculpture. Each nominee needed to have strong Seattle ties or have made their name here locally.

Now, here are the 10 finalists you all can choose from.

Jimi Hendrix
Kurt Cobain
Heart
Quincy Jones
Brandi Carlile
Chris Cornell
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Macklemore
Ben Gibbard
Kenny G

Time to cast your ballot. We’ll end the vote at midnight on Tuesday, July 4.

Vote for your four faves

Answered

Last week we asked: “What was your favorite local ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ moment?”

A red plaque reads "TOM HANKS SAT HERE Sleepless in Seattle" on the counter of the Athenian in Pike Place Market — You can sit where Tom Hanks sat at the Athenian while filming “Sleepless in Seattle.”
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Photo via @youcancallmedes

Isn’t it romantic? As we celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Sleepless in Seattle” we wanted to know which local moment stood out. The majority of you said “all the scenes from Pike Place.” Go to the Athenian and you can see a plaque where Tom Hanks sat.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Gabe

From the editor

Important update — I actually tried the new Costco sushi in Issaquah. It wasn’t bad at all (had a spicy tuna roll that could feed two for $15). It’s so popular that you need to go on off hours to have a chance at grabbing a box of sushi. So, good luck.

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