After Dave got his travel wheelchair, our first trip was to Seattle with one of our friends. Seattle was an incredibly handicapped friendly city. During our long weekend, we learned quite a few things.
First, people with handicapped placards don’t have to pay for public street parking in Washington state. While time limits still apply, public street parking is free for people with placards. This was a HUGE bonus for us as our Airbnb allegedly had parking included, but when we arrived our parking spot was occupied. There were a couple disabled spots marked near our Airbnb with no time limit listed so we were able to park there for free, using our placard from our home state.
We were able to walk/roll from our Airbnb near the convention center to Pike Place Market to the Seattle Aquarium and back with no issues. In total, we walked/rolled roughly 9 miles on one charge that day. While there are cobblestones around the front of the market, the Golden Cricket had no problems with them, and Dave was easily able to navigate most of the market. People in the market are a challenge as they like to jump in front of the wheelchair, but Dave was able to really explore the whole market as he wished.
For lunch, we ate at Place Pigalle. Place Pigalle is down a half flight of stairs from the main market and is not fully handicapped accessible, so Dave had to walk down the stairs to enter the restaurant, and I had to carry his wheelchair down the half flight of stairs. There is a sturdy railing, though, and Dave had no problems navigating the stairway. Despite the restaurant’s small size, Place Pigalle found a place for me to put the wheelchair, so it was out of the way, and we got to enjoy a seat by the windows with a view of Puget Sound. The food was delicious, especially the mussels.
After lunch, we took an elevator in Pike Place Market down to Western and then took a second elevator, the Waterfront Elevator, down to Elliot Way to get to the Seattle Aquarium. Since our visit, I believe a new Skybridge elevator has now opened that will allow wheelchair users to get from Pike Place Market down to Elliot Way or Alaskan Way.
The Seattle Aquarium is fully accessible, and Dave was able to visit almost all areas of the Aquarium without getting out of his wheelchair. It’s a very good Aquarium. The aquarium gives a $2 off discount for persons with disabilities and required aides get free admission with disabled individuals. Reservations for aides are not required.
The following day, we took a whale watching tour aboard the San Juan Clipper right from Pier 69 in Seattle. The trip was amazing, and we had good luck seeing a lot of whales. We even had a whale breach right in front of the ship! While the San Juan Clipper is accessible, at the time we visited, it only allowed manual wheelchairs aboard, not motorized wheelchairs, so we left Dave’s wheelchair in the car. There is one wheelchair accessible bathroom on the ship. Boarding and disembarking from the San Juan Clipper was easy for Dave with a wide gangway and rails to hold onto. To get to the open air upper deck, you do have to walk up a flight of stairs, but there is a sturdy railing.
For dinner, we ate at Umi Sake House. If you do so, make sure to tell them about any mobility restrictions you may have as they have some traditional Japanese seating with lowered tables and many of their tables are booths. They were glad to accommodate our seating needs and even called to confirm that the type of table we would be seated at would work for us.
On our third day, we visited Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture, which is a fun way to spend a few hours in Seattle. The museum is fully accessible with accessible parking very close to the entrance. If you have limited mobility and don’t have your own wheelchair, the museum has wheelchairs available for loan on a first-come, first-serve basis. For people with sensory disabilities, the museum also offers noise cancelling headphones and sensory bags as well as hidden disability sunflower lanyards.
After the Museum of Pop Culture, we walked/rolled over to Chihuly Garden and Glass. I highly recommend visiting this museum if you have time while you are in Seattle. The art is just so incredible. The Chihuly Garden and Glass also has some complimentary wheelchairs available. All of the galleries, including the garden, are fully accessible.