It’s always beneficial to familiarize yourself with a city the first day you get there. When I arrived in Seattle, I quickly noticed that my accommodations were right next to Pike Place, but having never been to the area before, I was at a loss as to where anything else was. Walking EVERYWHERE would have taken all day (more likely a week), and I had no car to turn to.

So when I learned about Kenmore Air’s Scenic Flight Tours, I was sold. I hadn’t been on a small plane (we’re talking 8 passengers, max) since Hawaii and Belize.

And what better way to see the Emerald City than from the sky!?

No better way, if you ask me.

On the day of my scheduled tour, the Seattle weather was being extremely uncooperative- not rainy per say, but extremely cloudy! I was disappointed to say the least, because I thought those precious city views would be tampered.

Oh, I was wrong, completely wrong!

As you’ll see below. 🙂

Taking Off

The process was super simple- we walked from check-in to the seaplane in a matter of 5 minutes. Our pilot quickly introduced himself, then went over some routine safety drills. He explained that although we were to wear our headsets (a winning combo of “narrated tour” and “noise canceling headphones” I later learned) we were free to move around the cabin as we wished. I was offered a seat next to the pilot (co-pilot?! yes please!), but it was evident the others appreciated the fact that they weren’t stuck in their seat belt.

All in all, take off from Lake Union was easy breezy. You could hardly feel a thing against the water!

City Views

As we ascended higher and higher and the houses and trees got smaller and smaller, my smile literally got wider and wider. It was quite obvious by now that the silly clouds couldn’t impede the views we were about to see.

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It was pretty spectacular, to say the least. A few things we saw on our 20-minute flight with Kenmore Air:

Elliot Bay’s dramatic downtown skyline
Seattle’s professional sports stadiums
University of Washington campus
Houseboat communities
An aerial view of the Space Needle

The Seaplane and Safety

Planes were top-notch and obviously very well maintained. We sat in a 8-passenger (plus pilot and co-pilot seat), also known as a Grand Caravan. They have other planes called an Otter and a Beaver, which are very similar in nature. Never once did I feel unsafe, and there were seat belts to buckle into if you wished. Seats very extremely comfortable, and the large windows provided spectacular views from every angle.

Tours Offered

I chose to partake in the Scenic Flight tour over Seattle, but Kenmore Air offers a multitude of other tours. From whale-watching and floatplane picnics to flights to and from Victoria Harbor and the San Juan Islands, it’s obvious the company takes it adventures to whole new level.

Next time I’m in the area, I’d love to take a San Juan Islands Kayak & Seaplane Tour or see some Orca’s close up. Two things that are still on my bucket list!