Just a few miles south of downtown Seattle,Seattle Southsideoffers a family-friendly vibe and easy access to the region’s popular sites. Including the towns of SeaTac, Des Moines, and Tukwila, Seattle Southside offers beaches, green spaces, and hundreds of microadventures—all inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the diverse Pacific Northwest culture.
Wait, what’s a microadventure?
So glad you asked!Microadventuresare epic adventures—just bite-sized. They’re snackable, stackable options for off-the-beaten-path experiences that help build the perfect itinerary. Some of the best travel stories come from finding joy, wonder, and fun in unexpected places. A Seattle Southside microadventure could be something as simple as enjoying amead or wine-tasting flight, as daring as scuba diving off the coast of Des Moines to explore an artificial reef, or as impressive as exploring the world-famous Museum of Flight. Seattle Southside is where you’ll discover things you can’t find, or do, anywhere else.
Let’s take a look at a few examples where you can …
Feast across Asia at The Eatery
The Eatery at Lam’s Seafoodin Tukwila is a hidden foodie paradise. Tucked into the corner of a shopping center and attached to the fantastic Vietnamese Lam’s Seafood market, this isn’t your ordinary food court. With options ranging from Dochi Donuts to Banh Mi Station and goPoké to Golden Daisy Dim Sum, Natalie’s Sugarcane and Desserts for boba—and even Vietnam House, a full-service Vietnamese restaurant—you have a wide array of Asian cuisines to choose from for your feast. But why pick just one spot when you can, say, pick up a bowl of poké from goPoké, some bao from Golden Daisy, and wash those down with boba from Natalie’s, then indulge in a mochi donut from Dochi for dessert? The possibilities are endlessly delicious.
Game your heart out at Legacy Gaming
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a gamer, you’ll find an experience atLegacy Gaming Communitythat is right up your alley. Whether you like retro games like Pong, Galaga, and Ms. Pac-Man, or the latest and greatest in cutting-edge VR technology, Legacy has an incredible array of consoles and PCs to help you game your heart out. The VR experiences available will have you so immersed that you’ll forget that you’re even playing a game! This local Black-owned business is a real gem in a corner of Tukwila.
Find a moment of Serenity at Seike Japanese Garden
One of multiple gardens located inHighline SeaTac Botanical Garden, the Seike Japanese Garden is more than just a garden—it’s a beautiful memorial to a fallen WWII soldier. This beloved garden was saved by the community when it was threatened by construction and moved to its new home, where it is accessible to the public year-round for free. It’s a sight to behold in all four seasons, but the spring blooms might just be the ideal time to see the gardens.
Get out of this world at the Maury Island Incident Mural
The origins of the Men in Black can be traced right back here to Seattle Southside, where a UFO sighting and subsequent possible hush-up operation called the Maury Island Incident took place over 75 years ago. Today, the events of this incident are commemorated with theMaury Island Incident Mural, which you can visit at any time, and the annual Men in Black Birthday Bash, which takes place every June 22. You can also take a self-guided walking tour, which will guide you through points of interest related to the story.
Take to the skies at the Museum of Flight
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of aviation history and innovation at the largest private aerospace museum in the world,The Museum of Flight! The 15-acre campus features over 175 air and spacecraft, the original Boeing Aircraft factory, flight simulators, fantastic 3D aviation and space movies, and dozens of fun, interactive exhibits and family activities. Climb aboard Air Force One to see how former presidents traveled in style or get up close and personal to spacecraft and moon rocks in the Space Gallery.
Seattle Southside is where you’ll uncover mysteries and discover things you can’t find, or do, anywhere else.Welcome to Seattle Southside—your headquarters for curiously wonderful microadventures!
Photos provided by Explore Seattle Southside
