I’ve been to quite a few aquariums over my lifetime, and the Seattle Aquarium is my favorite. It is a non-profit aquarium that focuses on education, it isn’t exploitative—there are no dolphin shows here! A large portion of the aquarium focuses on sea life that is common in the pacific northwest such as otters, seals, salmon, and a giant pacific octopus. There is also a large area in the center of the aquarium that features ‘touch tanks’ where you can get up close and personal with different sea creatures. They have a variety of things that you could find in the tide pools of the pacific coast and Puget Sound. You can reach into the cold water and feel the texture of a starfish, the squishy skin of a sea cucumber, and my favorite, the gentle embrace of a sea anemone’s little tentacle on your finger. It’s the coolest thing! Make sure you have plenty of time for your visit too. Even though the aquarium is on the small side, it’s easy to lose track of time. You might find yourself spending 30 minutes watching otters float around while juggling rocks on their tummies or becoming hypnotized by swimming jellyfish. I’ll be honest, both of those things happened to me…and I have no shame.