San Diego and Seattle: Six Splendid Sights.

By Karen

Because my in-laws live in La Jolla, I have been there often. My daughter just moved to Seattle, so I have begun regular trips there too. (Hard life, right?) The last trip to both places, a few weeks ago, introduced me to some especially delightful spots.

San Diego. I was delighted by two institutions, one relatively recent, and one long established.

• Mingei International Museum. The Mingei is one of several museums and other amazing institutions in Balboa Park. Mingei means art of the people. The museum’s purpose is to further the understanding of mingei from all eras and cultures of the world.

• The word mingei, meaning art of the people, was coined by a revered Japanese philosopher named Sōetsu Yanagi. As a young man living in Korea in the early 1920s, he was taken with the timeless beauty of Yi dynasty (1392-1910) pottery—a simple, rustic type made in numberless quantities over the centuries.

• The Mingei is gorgeous. it is housed in an older building—the House of Charm—that has been rigorously renovated. The architecture is stunning. Every detail has been considered, interesting building materials are deployed to great effect, and the public rooms are inviting. You will find a stylish restaurant, a coffee shop, and a fine gift shop. 

• Do go, and do take a tour. And while you’re there, wander around Balboa Park. A remarkable place.

• The Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

• The Salk Institute is spectacularly located high on a bluff looking over the Pacific. I had been on the grounds before—to see hang gliders—but had never taken a tour. This time I was lucky enough to be shown around by an architect who knew a great deal about Louis Kahn, the main architect for the Institute, and about his collaboration with Jonas Salk, the biologist who discovered the polio vaccine. Salk was keenly interested in creating a research institute where scientists advancing cutting edge research would be inspired by their surroundings. 

• Salk succeeded. The collab was a huge success. Every detail has been considered, right down to how the buildings look at each other and the rooms have amazing views, how research labs inside can be reconfigured for different types of work, and how more intimate areas have been created inside and out for consulation and and relaxation.

• The Salk Institute also has a fine cafeteria with a gorgeous view. 

• Do go see it, but note you must reserve a tour due to security concerns, given the projects underway at the Institute. But the tour is so worth it!

• San Diego’s dining scene is lively. We really enjoy Nine-Ten in La Jolla. But if you can, do get a loaf of bread, or a sandwich, or pizza on pizza night, from Wayfarer in Bird Rock. I am very partial to good bread. This bread is superlative.

Seattle. I am just getting to know Seattle. A gorgeous city, full of pleasant and different neighborhoods, set beautifully on the Pacific coast. I have three strong recommendations to add to those from earlier visits:

• The National Nordic Museum. What a fascinating place, in a very cool building complete with its own troll.

• Founded in 1979, the National Nordic Museum is the only institution of its size and scale in the United States to present the history and culture of the entire Nordic region (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the regions of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland, and the cultural region of Sápmi) and the legacy of Nordic immigrants to the United States.

• Located along Seattle’s working waterfront in an iconic building that embodies Nordic design, the institution is both a museum and a community gathering place.

• The Nordic countries often rank among the happiest in the world. We want to help our visitors capture a bit of the hygge lifestyle for themselves. Our exhibits, programs, Store, and Freya all help capture the essence of modern Nordic living, informed by the past.

• The museum also has a great gift shop and a lively cafeteria.

• Gas Works Park.

• This park is located on the north shore of Lake Union, on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. Remnants of the plant remain to be seen (and in some cases played in), and they are a powerful reminder of the scale of industry. I love industrial landscapes, and this is a beauty.

• Gas Works Park has a play area with a large play barn, and big hill popular for flying kites. Special park features include a sundial, and a beautiful view of Seattle.

• Perfect place for a picnic.

• Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park.  I had seen the Seattle Art Museum’s elegant downtown building, but not the sculpture park. Its siting on the water, its winding paths, and its first class works, are sensational. Walk to Olympic Park along the water from Pike Place Market. If you are lucky, you will see a cruise ship debarking or embarking, and the biggest trucks on earth parked along the sidewalk for restocking these gargantuan ships. Olympic Park is another perfect place for a picnic. Lots of scenic spots to sit and enjoy! Some even allowing for y ou to put your feet in the water.

• Seattle has many wonderful places to eat. This time we were determined to try Canlis, a restaurant that has been in its spectacular location for decades. We first heard about it when we learned that a young chef in a neighborhood spot near us in NYC had served there, and then we learned that my husband’s uncle had proposed to his wife at Canlis, over 60 years ago! We loved it. Spectacular, delicious, and inventive. Its building, and its perch overlooking a lake is sublime. A fine place to get engaged, or to visit and wish you had.