Mary Jo Manzanares: Mary Jo is the Travel Editor here at PlanetEye Traveler as well as the contributing writer for her home town of Seattle. She is a lifelong resident of the Seattle area, and when she's not out exploring and enjoying all that the city has to offer, she's probably tackling the rest of the world. Mary Jo can be reached at maryjo@planeteye.com or you can follow her on Twitter @flyawaycafe In addition to travel, Mary Jo enjoys a great meal and glass of wine, especially when combined with wonderful friends and conversation. She's also a movie buff, avid reader, and has been known to hit a shopping mall or boutique now and again. Mary Jo also writes about travel, and her experiences as a Flight Attendant at Traveling with MJ (www.travelingwithmj.com).

Haunted Seattle

Just a few more weeks until Halloween, and you can already feel the chill in the air as Seattle plunges head first into fall. And while the Seattle area has been well known, of late, for vampires and werewolves ala Twilight, there’s plenty more spooky happenings around the city and state. Here are some suggested haunts for a little spine-tingling October fun: Seattle Ghost Tours: Pike Place Market Ghost Tours takes takes you through the Market with accompanying ghost stories of actual events. ...

October 8th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Unlock the Mysteries of Mindbender Mansion

Math, science, and technology all mesh together in a new exhibit opening at the Pacific Science Center next weekend. Sure to be full of family fun, Mindbender Mansion starts off with a welcome from wacky Mister E, master brainteaser and puzzler extraordinaire, and current curator of the Mindbender Society. The place is full of puzzles, brainteasers, and interactive challenges guaranteed to test the brain power and problem solving skills of even the most experienced puzzlers. Adults and children will...

September 26th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Food & Wine Weekend 2010 Taste of Tulalip

Following up its successful inaugural year, the Taste of Tulalip returns with a weekend of gourmet food, parties, wine education and tasting, demonstrations, and lots of conversation about two of my favorite topics – food and wine. The weekend kicks off with a champagne reception on Friday evening featuring special guest Marc Mondavi. That’s just the teaser to start the evening, though, and after that you’ll enjoy a 5-course dinner with wine pairings. After dinner, the festivities continue...

September 16th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

200 Year Anniversary of Munich’s Oktoberfest

Heft a stein of beer, chow down on some wurst, enjoy some music, and hang out with several thousand friends and strangers because, yes my friends, it’s time for Munich’s Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is the world’s largest fair, and is probably Germany’s most famous event, attracting over six million people every year. That’s a lot of beer and wurst! With 14 main beer tents set up around the venue, there will be plenty to eat and drink. Bavarian food is hearty food and includes dishes...

September 15th, 2010 | Munich | Read More

Head East to Spokane for South Pacific

South Pacific, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 10 Tony Awards, is making its way to Spokane for a brief run as part of the Best of Broadway Spokane lineup. The musical is based on James Michener’s novel, Tales of the South Pacific, and has been considered one of the greatest Broadway musicals, weaving sensational music and lyrics with its exploration of war and racial prejudice in the plot. The 2008 revival of South Pacific was just as big of a hit, winning 7 Tony Awards, and features...

September 13th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Fall Foliage Drives: Seattle in Color

Fall foliage starts turning color in about mid-September, and now is a great time to start planning a fall foliage car trip. Indian Summer is a perfect time to pack up the car for a road trip to watch the green of summer give way to red, yellow, and orange. Get out of the city for some beautiful viewing. Here are a few suggestions to get you started (in alphabetical order): Blewett Pass: Highway 97, Peshastin to Ellensburg Chinook Pass: State Route 410 from Enumclaw to Naches Mountain Loop...

September 5th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Fresh Food Flavor on Whatcom County Farm Tour

Eleven Whatcom County farms offer visitors a chance to learn where their food comes from in the 3rd annual Whatcom County Farm Tour next weekend. Farms promise that it will be a festive day of fresh flavors and local food exploration in a family-friendly environment. This sweet little cow delivers milk for drinking and for cheese The tour is self-guided, so you can pace yourself to see all of the farms or just a few, based upon your available time. Each location will offer special events ranging...

September 4th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Plenty of Pampering at Seattle’s Spa Week

Seattle’s semi-annual Spa Week provides pampering for women looking to ease their way into fall with a relaxing massage, special treatment, or other spa experience. Here are the spas in the Seattle area that are participating, along with the treatments offered at a heavily discounted price: Advanced Skin & Body Solutions – 1808 Richards Road Southeast, Suite 120, Bellevue (map) 60 Min Infrared Heat Body Wrap for Cellulite Reduction and Weight Loss, includes Free Airbrush Spray Tan and...

August 30th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Washington State Develops Agritourism Packages & Promotions

There’s no doubting that culinary tourism has hit Washington State in a big way. Everywhere you turn you’ll find food and cooking classes, farm and ranch tours, you-pick farms for fruit and vegetables, an increase in farm-to-table restaurants, and plenty of hands-on experiences designed to bring consumers closer to the source of their food. The state produces 300 crops, and with over 650 wineries, trails only California as a top wine producing state. So how do you enjoy the agritourism of...

August 27th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Fremont Statue Honors J.P. Patches & Gertrude

Seattle is not really a city filled with statues, as many others are, and the community of Fremont seems to have the corner on the city’s statue quota: Lenin, the Fremont Troll, and Julius Pierpont Patches. While other cities may erect statues honoring founding fathers, local heroes, and outstanding citizens, we have the a Russian Marxist revolutionary, and the Mayor of the City Dump and his girlfriend. With JP Patches heading one way, and Gertrude the other, it's no wonder they're...

August 22nd, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

23 Family Activities for the Remaining Seattle Summer

The countdown to the end of summer has begun, with parents and kids alike eying the calendar for the start of school. There’s lots of things to be done, but there’s also lots of time to enjoy those waning days of summer. Here are 23 suggestions of things to do, one for each remaining day through Labor Day, offering a variety of family friendly Seattle activities to help you end the summer with a bang! Visit Woodland Park Zoo (map). This is one of my all-time favorite things to do in Seattle...

August 14th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Meet, Plan, Go! Seattle Event on September 14th

Have you ever dreamed of quitting your 9-to-5 work life to set out on a great adventure to see the world? Round-the-world travel is not just for college kids anymore, and whether you want to become location independent permanently, or just take a bit of a career break, September 14th, 2010 is an important day to mark on your calendar. Meet, Plan, Go! wants to start a nationwide movement raising awareness about extended travel and career breaks. They’ve created events across the country that...

August 8th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Walk the Ruins of Pompeii

The city of Pompeii (map), located near Naples, Italy (map) was destroyed during a 2-day eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The city was buried under ash and pumice, and for nearly 1700 years was presumed lost. In the mid 1700’s it was discovered, and an excavation of the site gave the world a glimpse of what life was like during the height of the Roman Empire. Pompeii is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has become a popular tourist attraction with millions of visitors each year. You...

August 7th, 2010 | Photo Highlights | Read More

See the Full Monty at Village Theater

Based on the award winning and critically acclaimed movie of the same name, The Full Monty chronicles six men’s journey from unemployment, depression, and isolation, through a bold and creative plan to become employed, get out of debt, and patch up the damage done to their various relationships. Sound depressing? Think again! The bold and creative plan is to put together a male striptease act (ala Chippendale dancers), despite the fact that they are all out of shape and can’t dance. But...

August 5th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Road Trip: Family Vacation to Idaho’s Experimental Breeder Reactor

There’s still time for a summer family road trip, and here’s an idea that combines a little education along with your vacation fun. Pack up the kids and the car and head east to Arco, Idaho for a family vacation stop with an emphasis on science and history. The town of Arco is less than a square mile in size and has a population just over a thousand, but this off-the-beaten-path desert town left its mark on the world as the first city to be lit by nuclear power. About 18...

August 2nd, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

FREE August Entertainment at Seattle Center

August weekends are budget friendly with FREE entertainment at the Seattle Center. Every Friday night KEXP presents Concerts at the Mural. The concerts start at 6 pm and feature the best of the area’s independent music scene. They are suitable for all ages. As an added event, KEXP will feature music and a barbecue on Saturday, August 14th, from 2-9 pm. Here’s the FREE music line up. Friday, August 6th: Elliott Brood, Grand Hallway, Gabriel Mintz Friday, August 13th: Brite Futures,...

July 31st, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Pour on the Plaza Partners Great Wine & Food

There’s nothing that I like more than good food, good wine, and good friends, and when I can combine those three with good cause it has the making of a perfect plan. And that’s just what will happen at the 2nd Annual Pour on the Plaza which offers some of the region’s most impressive wineries and restaurants in a tasting event that supports terrific organization Room to Read. Room to read promotes literacy and gender equality in developing countries in Asia and Africa. Pour on the Plaza...

July 30th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

7 Days of ART in Seattle

Chef Kerry Sear of ART Restaurant, located at the Four Seasons Seattle, has come up with another dining experience that will showcase all that’s good and right and delicious about the Pacific Northwest. 7 Days of ART kicks of Sunday, July 25th, 2010, with each day of the week featuring a special dinner menu that highlights a notable dish, ingredient, beverage or preparation method. ART Restaurant is located at the Four Seasons Seattle hotel Here’s what the days of the week have to offer: Sunday: ...

July 25th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Kids Will be Kids at Seattle Waterfront Arcade

On a sunny Seattle day no one wants to be inside! But since the weather can take a turn with little notice, it’s good to have a few back up plans just in case. Especially if you’re traveling with kids who need a little space to let off steam. If the kids have been troopers shuffling through the Seattle’s cultural and educational spots, give them a chance to just be kids at the Seattle Waterfront Arcade on Pier 57. Everyone can be a kid, in fact, with the variety of games and attractions. ...

July 24th, 2010 | Seattle | Read More

Retro Fun & Food at XXX Rootbeer Drive-In

It’s hard to imagine Triple XXX and family friendly being used in the same sentence, but that’s exactly what you get at the XXX Rootbeer Drive-In in Issaquah. The drive-in is a veritable museum of retro kitsch, and you’ll swear that you stepped out of American Graffiti. They buy 50’s and 60’s memorabilia, and also accept loaned items to put on display. The burgers are big, covering the entire bun, and messy. The foot long hot dogs are really a foot long. The milk shakes are hand...

July 23rd, 2010 | Seattle | Read More