Month: October 2019

Super Fun Things To Do In Seattle Washington

Seattle Washington is a great place to visit with or without the family. There are many fun things to do in and around the Seattle area that lend themselves well to both young and old alike. Here are a few fun ideas to get you started.

Pikes Place Market

Near the Seattle waterfront is none other than Pike Place Market. Here you’ll find fresh seafood that will be displayed in perhaps the largest indoor fish market. Young and old alike will enjoy Pikes Place. When someone buys fresh fish you can watch as they throw the fish to other employees or even the buyer in some cases.

Children young and old will enjoy touring this fresh seafood market where any type of seafood can be found. Fresh seafood is fresh off the fishing trawlers out of the port of Seattle and surrounding areas. It doesn’t come any fresher than this folks!

Woodland Park Zoo

Head over to Woodland Park Zoo and you’re sure to have a day filled with adventure. Here you can wander through the various displays and enjoy visiting the animals. Listen in on the monkey’s and visit the wolf den. Don’t forget to stop in at the retile exhibit where you’ll see all sorts of reptiles in all sizes and shapes.

The Bird display is also full of some exotic birds that you’ll enjoy visiting with. Be sure that you’re here during feeding time to enjoy the magnificent display of plumage as the excited birds prepare to dine on their fresh foods. If you need them, they also have stroller rentals and wheelchair rentals so you don’t have to haul so much on your visit. Be sure to take the time to visit the gift shop on your way out and get some souvenirs.

Seattle Aquarium

If you’re into sea life, you’ll enjoy a visit to the Seattle Aquarium. Here you’ll see all sorts of animals that live in the sea. You’ll enjoy octopus and other deep-sea creatures that swim in the ocean. Children will enjoy various exhibits where they can touch and feel some unique textures and creatures.

You’ll enjoy reading about the various sea creatures and their counterparts as well as visit a variety of exhibits that you can read more information on and touch various objects.

Underground Seattle

If you’re into more mystery, you may wish to pay a visit to Underground Seattle. After an earthquake, they built back up on top of the damaged buildings and structures creating a labyrinth of fascinating tunnels.

Here you’ll want to discuss ghost stories and days gone by and let your imagination run wild. Keep an open mind and be sure to take some pictures so that you can see if any “ghosts” pop up in your pictures when you look at them later. Be sure to wear good walking shoes for this visit as you’ll be doing plenty of walking.

Seattle is home to a diverse culture and a variety of different things that you can visit on your trip. You’ll want several days for your visit to Seattle and you still won’t get it all in.

Seattle Sightseeing Tours On The Puget Sound

Sightseeing in Seattle

Here’s a Brief Description Of The Puget Sound Area

In the northwestern area of the state of Washington is a place called Puget Sound. It is referred to as a estuarine system, a complex interconnected cavalcade of waterways and basins that lead out to the Pacific Ocean. Close to major cities such as Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle, it is a location that is very popular with people that like to boat and fish. Here is an overview of this remarkable system of waterways that you could visit if you are ever in the northwest of the United States.

How Did The Sound Get Its Name?

The name of this body of water originated back in the 1700s. It was provided by an individual called George Vancouver. The name Puget is derived from an individual on the Vancouver Expedition, a lieutenant that was there when this was found. There is also a Native American name for this location, Whulge, that is representative of a name for either the ocean or sound. There are three specific entrances to the south, and there is also the Admiralty Inlet which is close to Deception Pass and Whidbey Island.

An Overview Of This Waterway

There is quite a bit of information that has to discovered over the decades, some of which is provided by NOAA. It is a location that comprises five basins or regions, including the Northern Puget Sound area. Included in this definition is the Strait of Juan de Fuca, marking an international boundary. It was created as a result of continental ice sheets that have, over many thousands of years, carved out this entire location.

How The Puget Sound Area Is Utilized In Modern Times

In this area, there are many homes and businesses that are scattered throughout this region. The Washington state ferry system is responsible for connecting many of the larger islands with the mainland. This will include the transportation of not only people but vehicles, and well over 20 million passengers use these systems every year. It is due to this large amount of traffic, and the use of modern equipment that has prompted many environmental issues. This has led to a significant decrease in fish in the waters, some of which have been placed on the Endangered Species Act. Other environmental issues include the dispersal of radioactive material into the water, plus there have been incidents that created toxic contamination, habitat changes, and the minimal as a nation of oxygen in the waters themselves.

Although there are both good and bad points related to the Puget Sound area, in general, it is still a beautiful and iconic region of the United States. As people continue to improve their ability to use these waterways, perhaps adopting more environmentally friendly transportation solutions, it will preserve this area for hundreds of years to come. All of this was made possible through changes in the environment, likely starting over 10,000 years ago with the end of the last Ice Age. Today, it is something to behold, and will continue to be a great location to visit for many years to come.

Weather Around the Puget Sound Near Seattle

The Northern Pacific Ocean is a cool ocean in general. The Seattle area where the Puget Sound is located is known for particularly wet weather. While it does not rain year-round there are periods where it rains more frequently. As you might imagine, the late spring to summer are the times of year that get the least amount of rain. The fall and especially the winter are the times of year that receive the most amount of rainfall.

This is great if you like to ski in the nearby mountains like Crystal Ski Resort. Crystal Mountain receives about 350 inches of snow a year and is only a two hour car ride, or 85 miles from the Seattle area.

The winter storms come barreling off the Pacific Ocean, through the Puget Sound then slam into the Cascade Mountains and dump a bunch of wet snow on Crystal. This makes for great skiing.

Where To Go On Boat Tours

The northern parts of the Puget Sound area are the most popular. This is because of the growing popularity of the San Juan Islands area. The San Juan Islands are beautiful and attract more and more tourists and boats every year. With this increase activity comes traffic, and a general sense of the boating tour not being as awesome as it could be.

If you travel south, you’ll have more boating options. You can even visit the big city and take Seattle sightseeing tour and see the city and Lake Union, all on a Duck Boat. It’s a lot of fun for the whole family.

The undiscovered jewel of the Puget Sound area is the Southern Puget Sound.

Why?

Because no one goes there, at least not yet. You can still have a sense of adventure and peace and relaxation on your boat as you cruise the gentle, uncrowded waters and catch tremendous views of Mt. Rainier.

No matter what you choose, the Puget Sound has plenty of boat touring options. Go out and have fun and just remember to practice the proper safety techniques while on the water.

Popular Styles of Seattle Homes

Here are a few of our featured projects. You can also view our entire online portfolio by clicking the icon above, or from any page via the top menu.

Vaughn Bay Modern Remodel

We partnered with Gig Harbor Home Services for this ground-up remodel on the sound in Vaughn Bay. There were extensive additions to the main structure including a third garage bay, open kitchen, spacious back deck/patio, and boat garage. The structure was stripped to the studs with new modern windows, fiber-cement siding, and cultured stone exterior.

Bellevue Modern Master Suite

This Bellevue Master Suite was redesigned from the ground up to accommodate a better functioning layout. Warm earth surface tones mix with white and chrome fixtures to create a clean and inviting environment.

West Seattle Basement Renovation

In this West Seattle Craftsman we transformed the daylight basement into a complete living space featuring a master bedroom with walk-in closet, full bath, laundry room, and entertainment den. Our in-house designer worked with the client to ensure the colors and style fit with the period of the home. Solid wood doors and trim were used throughout, and the mixture of marble and glazed ceramics in the bathroom led to a classic, elegant feel.

Seattle Craftsman Attic Suite

The entire upper floor of this 1914 Craftsman in West Seattle was used to create a spacious suite. We kept a classic style featuring large format marble and smoked granite tiling, porcelain and chrome fixtures, and period correct paint colors- but included modern conveniences such as heated flooring and built-in A/V.

3 Great Reasons Why To Rent A Car When Visiting Seattle

It doesn’t really matter if you are coming to Seattle, Washington on business or to relax, because when you get here there is lots to do and see. However, you won’t get to see everything if you are stuck in your hotel room unable to travel around. Yes, we have a great taxi system, but these taxi’s can prove to be expensive if you use them all day and they won’t wait around for very long. We also have great buses, but they won’t take you to exactly where you need to be and they won’t pick you up from outside your hotel. There are predetermined points of pick up and drop off, and you must go there if you expect to use the bus. It’s rather inconvenient and isn’t really conducive to traveling in comfort and style. There is another option, and we will talk about it here.

Car rental in Seattle is a great way to get around and really see the city. Having your own transport is beneficial to both business people and tourists and is a lot cheaper than you may think it is. Let’s take a look at just a few of the many advantages of hiring a car when in Adelaide.

1. Save Significant Cash

Hiring a vehicle is very affordable nowadays and the money you save renting, is money that could be spent on a better hotel or eating out in the great restaurants here. When you think of the fares that will accumulate over the duration of your stay, it doesn’t bear thinking about. With a hire car, you just have to put in your own petrol and off you go to the places that a taxi can’t take you to.

2. You’ll Have More Options

Adelaide is a very popular city to visit in Australia and when people come to our great country, they sometimes want to visit neighboring countries like New Zealand. New Zealand has always been popular, but since the Lord of The Rings movies, even more so. Camper van holidays in New Zealand have become really popular as people try to save money on accommodation. It is not expensive, and there is cheap campervan hire in NZ, where you can get some of the best NZ camper or van rentals like mini RV’s and the larger RV’s, if you want them.

3. A Plethora To Choose From

When you do decide to rent a car when you come to Adelaide, you will find a wide selection of vehicles that are very affordable and come with all the mod cons you need. Air conditioning is standard and the level of comfort is amazing. These vehicles allow you to really explore the area and you will get to see things outside the tourist traps that are really quite amazing. The countryside is there for all to see, you just have to look for it.

Hiring a car when you come to the city is a great idea. You travel when you want, from where you want, and you arrive back at your hotel when you decide.

Car Site offers the best Car Leasing deals on the Internet. They offer a wide range of cars from all the major manufacturers such as Citroen, BMW, Mercedes, Seat, Ford, VW and Nissan.

These Are Our Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. How do I register for classes? Is there a cost for services?
– GED preparation services are offered at our sites for a onetime $20 fee. If you are unable to pay the fee, do
not worry, we do not turn anyone away based on financial hardships. In order to use our GED services, you
must be 17 or older. If you are 17 years old, your parent or guardian needs to come with you to register and
present your drop out papers from school or your court mandated papers.
– What happens when I come in for GED services?
When you come to a site to take GED preparation classes, we will first give you a placement exam to
determine what level of reading and math skills you have. It is typical for most people to have a higher
reading score than math. If you’re at a 6th grade level or below, you will begin with Adult Basic Education.
Adult Basic Education (ABE) is focused on helping you build up your basic reading, writing, and math skills in
order to set the building blocks for your GED preparation. If you score 7th grade or above, you will be
considered pre-GED and will begin working on pre-GED materials and tests geared toward GED preparation.
After your instructor feels that you are ready, they will give you an official GED practice exam to see if you are
ready to take the exam and earn your GED!
2. What services do you offer?
-Adult Basic Education (ABE), GED Preparation, and English as Second Language (ESL) classes
3. When are the classes offered? Where do I go?
Please see our Students tab for service locations, dates, and times.
4. What are the sections of the GED?

Reading

This section has 40 questions to be answered. All the questions are multiple-choice. The essays given in this
section include both fiction and non-fiction. 65 minutes will be provided to complete this section. The passages
given are about 200-400 words each. The questions are not based on prior knowledge, but on you
understanding the material given to you.

Writing

The writing section is divided in to 2 parts. Part I consists of 50 multiple choice questions. Part II consists of
an essay question. Both scores blended together produce the writing section score.

Part I
Multiple choice questions are allotted 75 minutes. 30% of the questions are based on sentences. The
next 30% is used up to mend errors in the given sentences and phrases. The following 25% is allotted
to correct mechanical errors like capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. The final 15% of questions are
based on paragraph organization.

Part II
An essay of general topic will be asked. The student must address the topic in 200-250 words and also
present their opinions and views about the topic. Paper will be provided to use for notes. The final essay
will be written only on a two-paged answer sheets.
The scoring for the writing section is as follows:
· 4- Effective
· 3- Adequate
· 2- Marginal
· 1 – Ineffective

Social Studies

The questions asked in this section are both globally and nationally based. There are 50 multiple choice
questions. There are varied sources from which these questions are taken. To answer questions from this
section, the student must have the ability to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate the information given.

Mathematics

The math section tests the student’s understanding and lasts for 90 minutes. This section is also divided into
two parts. The student can use a scientific calculator for the first part and for the second part a calculator may
not be used. We encourage our students to answer all questions as best they can, because there is no penalty
for wrong answers and an educated guess may turn out to be correct. In case any one part is not done well,
then the student has to re-take the math section again. Both multiple choice questions and alternate format
questions will be asked. The four major areas are tested in this section:
· Numbers, number sense & operations
· Measurement and Geometry
· Data, Statistics and Probability
· Algebra, Functions and Patterns

Science

The Science section has 50 questions. 80 minutes are provided to complete 50 multiple choice questions. Half
of the questions asked may be answeredif you have strong reading skills and the other half are based on
everyday life science topics such as: recycling, heredity, prevention of disease, pollution, climate, etc. The
division of areas in the Science section is as follows:
· Life Science
· Earth and Space Science
· Physical Science, including physics and chemistry
Information in this section may be in the form of a paragraph, chart, table, graph, map or figure to answer the
questions asked.
5. How many sections do I need to pass to be able to take the exam?
– Once students have taken their assessment exams (see question #1), they will work with a one-on-one
tutor at their chosen GED site and take practice exams at the instructor’s discretion. On average, we
recommend that students who have passed at least three out of five subjects go on to register to take the
actual GED exam. (Note: This is different for each person and done at the discretion of the GED site
Coordinator!)
6. How much does the GED cost and where can I take it?
-The GED costs $95 and can be taken at the ACC campus in located in Round Rock or the Austin location at
Middle Fiskville road. There is a $20 charge if a student wishes to re-take any section of the exam.
7. What is literacy?
-Literacy is more than just reading. It is the development of skills needed to function in everyday life. Literacy
includes: health, financial, workforce, and family literacy; as well as: ESL, corrections, citizenship, and GED
preparation.
8. Who can help me if I don’t speak English?
-For assistance in any other language, please call our office at (512) 869-0497.