How to Spend a Rainy Day in Seattle Southside
The rain doesn’t stop Pacific Northwesterners! Here are some fun things to do indoors on a rainy day. Or embrace the PNW moodiness and check out a hike just 30 miles from Seattle Southside.
Bowlero
Take a solo trip or bring the whole gang over to Bowlero in Tukwila. With its urban and modern design, they offer a unique, and extremely fun bowling experience for each and every visitor. Not only can you bowl, but you can also play pool, lounge around in their sports bar and watch sports on their massive HD TVs, or play some air hockey in the arcade. Bowlero is fun for all ages; you won’t even notice that it’s raining outside!
Experience Chocolate: Seattle Chocolate Factory Tour
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to perk you up on a rainy day, it’s chocolate. Experience Chocolate is the delicious tour of the Seattle Chocolate factory in Tukwila! You’ll be lead by professional chocolatiers, see how the delicious chocolate is made and of course, there will be plenty of sweet samples along the way.
The Museum of Flight
How about a trip to the Museum of Flight to live your childhood dream of being a pilot? You can journey through the history of aviation and spaceflight from the Wright brothers to missions to Mars. The Museum of Flight has so many airplanes and artifacts, that you’ll get lost in the world of aviation and never want to leave!
The museum is constantly changing as new exhibits, planes, and artifacts switch out frequently. The APOLLO exhibit explores the early days of American spaceflight and the space race with the Soviet Union. Vietnam Divided: War Above Southeast Asia reflects on the experience of airmen and helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War.
If you haven’t been to the museum in a few years, you’re going to be blown away by the Aviation Pavilion. Housing an original Air Force One, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Concorde, a B-17 “Flying Fortress,” and many other historic aircraft. This sprawling, 3-acre complex resembles an air hangar which spans several decades of American aviation innovation. My favorite plane in this exhibit is the B-29 “Superfortress” (seen in the picture above) which after years of restoration, is finally available for public viewing.
Back inside the Museum, you’ll find plenty of air and spacecraft, as well as interactive, kid-friendly exhibits. The flight simulators, 3D movie theater, and cockpit experiences make the museum feel more like a theme park for kids. Before you go, make sure to stop by the gift shop for plenty of aviation/space themed toys, books, models, apparel, and more!
Lastly, here’s an insider tip…don’t leave the museum without exploring the Personal Courage Wing to check out WWII and WWI fighter planes. It’s my personal favorite exhibit and I can’t recommend it enough. When you walk through the gateway and into the dimly lit WWII gallery, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into another time. Not to mention, with Pearl Harbor Day fast approaching, it makes for an awe-inspiring, educational experience for the whole family.
Whether it’s raining or not, The Museum of Flight is a must-see attraction in Seattle Southside. Take the kids (or the parents) out for a day at the museum, and have fun!
iFLY Indoor Skydiving
It’s all in the name. A new experience will be discovered at iFLY in Tukwila. It’s not a ride or a simulator, you actually get to go skydiving (without having to jump out of a plane)! No experience is required, and there’s no age limit (well, it’s 3 to 103). You have professional and experienced instructors that will help you every step of the way. Take up the challenge and do something new and exciting!
Take a Hike
Maybe you like the rain? Taking a hike is actually quite refreshing and fun when it’s raining, and it keeps you pretty cool, especially when you’re going up hills and sweating up a storm. Rattlesnake Ridge is a fun and popular trail that’s perfect for beginners if you have not hiked before. When you get to the top, enjoy a lovely view of Rattlesnake Lake (pictured above).
Rattlesnake Ridge is located 31 miles from Seattle Southside. Directions: From Seattle, drive east on I-90 to exit 32 for 436th Avenue SE. Turn right onto 436th Avenue SE, also signed as Cedar Falls Road SE. Proceed about four miles down the road to the Rattlesnake Lake parking lot on the right.
The hiking trail is closed for access an hour before sunset.
Sykart Indoor Racing
Who doesn’t enjoy a good go-kart race? It’s fast, fun, and perfect for thrill seekers. You race an inch off the ground at 30-35 mph, which is probably the most intense fun you can have indoors. The adrenaline and thrill of the ride will have you forget all about the rain outside.
AMC Southcenter 16 Movie Theatre
Catch a movie at AMC Southcenter, featuring the top box office movies, you can watch on huge screens both standard size and in IMAX, while lounging back in extremely comfortable seats with a large tub of popcorn!
Westfield Southcenter Mall
Go shopping at Westfield Southcenter Mall, with more than 240 specialty shops, you can enjoy first class shopping with limitless choices. After purchasing the shoes you always wanted, or the purse on your wish list, you can visit one of the numerous restaurants in or around the mall area, where there’s something to eat for everybody!
