Ride The Duck

a family picture-don't have too many of these

Lake Union and gas works park

our hilarious captain

a perspective of just how close we were to the water

Sleepless in Seattle home

space needle from Lake Union

Almost exactly two years ago I made a list of things we wanted to do in Seattle before we left. I'm happy to see we've done about half. Unfortunately, with the help of some friends, we've added about twice as many things to do before we all leave this summer and next. We still have so much left to do, but we're determined to take every opportunity to do and see all we want before we go.

This past long weekend, my parents came for one last visit before we leave. At the top of my list of things to do while they were here was to go on the Duck Tour of Seattle. I have always wanted to go on one, and my parents (who are world travelers) had never been on one before (they are in all major cities with land and water, ie. Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, London, etc). We gave my parents a "Seattle experience" Christmas present a few years ago, so we decided the Duck Tour would be the perfect thing to do with them.

Basically, you take a World War II amphibious vehicle around the Seattle waterfront, Pikes Place Market, Pioneer Square, and other places on land, then the vehicle goes to a boat launch to Lake Union and drives right into the water, and you float around Lake Union for part of the tour.

The ride was hysterical. The tour guide/captain was a riot. We couldn't stop laughing. He was absolutely crazy. We started out by doing donuts in the parking lot before the tour began and never stopped laughing for the next 2 1/2 hours. He honked at poor, random pedestrians and played loud, obnoxious music (think Brick House and Play That Funky Music) throughout the entire ride. That was Henry's favorite part. He sat still (which he doesn't seem to know how to do AT ALL anymore) on Joe's lap and laughed and danced to the music. The girls blew their little duck whistles and were entertained waving at the people on the sidewalk. My parents and Joe and I just kept looking at each other the whole time laughing. It was honestly the most fun! Worth every single penny.

On the tour we saw the hotel where the Beattles stayed and fished out their window, where Elvis Presley got his car washed (my mom's favorite of all time), where they shoot the outside shots of the Grey's Anatomy hospital (that's not a hospital at all, just a bunch of buildings), a famous recording studio, the Deadliest Catch barge, where they've filmed The Amazing Race finish line, and of course, the Sleepless in Seattle floating home.

It was a little scary to drive right into the water in a car. Half the vehicle was submerged in water. And, at first, the girls wanted to get off. You could put your hand out the window and touch the water. But it was so cool to be floating out there. While we were on the lake, a by plane flew right over us and landed on the lake just down from us. The information we got while on the water was really interesting too.

I can't recommend this enough. Our group enthusiastically gives it 14 thumbs up! One "to-do" down, about 37 to go.