The Seattle Traveler

The Sound of Music, the much loved movie set in the Austrian Alps, was released over 43 years ago, yet still gains new fans with each generation.
Who hasn’t found themselves humming one along to the title theme song, or Do, A Deer, or even Edelweiss? 
Celebrate the New Year with a special showing of the movie at the 5th Avenue Theatre, as they present Sing-A-Long Sound of Music.
This is participatory theater at its finest, with moviegoers encouraged to come in costume.  Cheer for the Von Trapp’s, Boo the Nazi’s, and sing-a-long to all your favorite tunes.  Don’t know the words?  …read more

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Details:  A fall day on the deck outside the Edgewater Hotel.  It was too cold to be sitting outside (at least it wasn’t snowing, though), but I found the starkness of the landscape appealing.
 
Image credit:  personal collection
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Lucy’s Legacy:  The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia was a celebration of a culture that I knew nothing about, as well as a thought provoking exhibit of what might be the missing link in evolution from ape to man.
But now I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s go back to the beginning and I’ll take you along with me through the exhibit.
Back in 1974, Dr. Donald Johanson discovered fossils in Hadar, Ethiopia. The fossils weren’t human, but they weren’t really an ape either, leading to the theory that Lucy could be the link between the two.
The fossil discovery was called …read more

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Fans of David Sedaris’ irreverent sense of humor will find The Santaland Diaries a hilarious escape from the warm fuzziness of the holiday season.
The one-man play tells the story of a man’s experience working as an elf at the New York’s Macy’s Santaland, and the crazy behavior of people under the spell of the Christmas Spirit.  If you’ve read any Sedaris books, you have to know that this story is going to be full of unpredictable twists and turns.
The Santaland Diaries was originally aired on NPR with Sedaris reading this essay.  From that first broadcast, Sedaris parlayed his …read more

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One of the brightest spots during the holiday season is the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and the annual Zoolights exhibit.
Zoolights is a huge holiday light display, with more than half a million lights.  You’ll ooooh and aaaaah at over 70 displays with over 27 miles of lights arranged in traditional holiday displays, along with zoo and aquarium themed displays and local ones.

Wear warm clothes, as the nights are getting colder and I know you’ll want to spend some talking walking among the light displays.
Location:  Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, 5400 North Pearl Street in Tacoma (map it)
Dates & …read more

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In these turbulent times of financial difficulty, complicated cultural relationships, and fear running rampant through society, it was clear Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was the breath of fresh air that the audience was looking for.  Now running at the 5th Avenue Theatre, this musical comedy is sure to leave you feeling light-hearted.

Based on a 1954 musical of the same name, the story is based on a short story by Stephen Vincent Benet.  The movie was a big hit, receiving 7 Oscar nominations, winning two – for Best Music and Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.  The movie was then …read more

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I was traveling into Seattle this morning on the bus.  I confess that I don’t always take the bus when I’m coming into the city, especially at night, but during daylight and/or business hours, I’m a BIG public transportation fan.
As I sat on the bus reading my Kindle, we were zipping along in the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane.  When I’d occasionally glance up, all I could see were the brakes lights of all the cars parked, er, I mean driving, on the freeway.
The feeling of no driving stress, the ability to relax, not having to leave home any …read more

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Details:  The Fairmont Olympic Hotel (411 University Street, downtown) is one of my favorite places during the holiday season.  They have lots of holiday events for all ages, and the hotel is beautifully decorated.
It’s also a great place to introduce a child to a little dress up holiday fun.  Even though this is a very formal hotel, they are quite welcoming to kids, with lots of options for them to enjoy.
Last weekend, after a busy day in the city, I stopped off for a little holiday cheer in the hotel lobby.  Among the beautifully decorated trees, gingerbread displays, and …read more

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A current exhibit at the Frye Museum, Napoleon on the Nile, allows us a glimpse at the Middle East through the eyes of savants who traveled with Napoleon during his 1798 invasion of Egypt.
Writers, philosophers, geographers, map makers, and artists, all provided written details of the journey, along with glimpses into every day life.  These works are represented in this exhibit through a number of plates from the Description de l’Egypte (a compendium from the early 1800’s), Orientalist paintings, a selection of campaign letters and documents, and even some early political humor.
The exhibit was, at times, a little dry.  …read more

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If you have a fashion forward man or woman on your holiday shopping list, this week you’ll have an opportunity to score a great gift, while saving yourself a little coin.
rian Handbags is having a Holiday Sample Sale, with accessories and bags from local designer, Rian Berry.  
This is the company’s first ever sample sale, and it features bags and accessories from the 2008 men’s line, from the women’s limited edition illustration line, and some never-before-seen women’s bags.
 

To celebrate the spirit of giving, the sample sale will also feature a wine tasting of O Wines, a winery that …read more

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