9 Cranes Inn

©2011 Emily Veinglory. Image from Bigstock.com.

So what if the Pacific Northwest is suffering the coldest April ever? Now is the best time to poke around places that the casual tourist might overlook, or at least to enjoy them before the crowds escaping the humidity of their own summers back home descend on Seattle’s unique attractions.

For starters, we’re smack in the middle of roller derby season. The Rat City Roller Girls have three bouts left – the next one is May 14. It’s hard to resist the mayhem, merriment, and unbridled enthusiasm of flat-tack roller derby at Key Arena. C’mon, with skaters named Iron Megan, Anya Heels, and Valtron 3000, aren’t you just a little bit curious?

Another, no less offbeat, option is an actual curiosity shop of sorts. Archie McFee, located one neighborhood over from 9 Cranes Inn, provides minutes of entertainment, if not high end, shopping delight. In addition to the standard rubber chickens, bacon-flavored lollipops, and rubber devil duckies of every ilk, you’ll find more practical stuff, such as the world’s largest tweezers, corks in multiple sizes, and the instant inflatable window for a consistently sunny view. By the time you’re done scooping up stocking stuffers and items for your next theme party, perhaps the skies will have cleared and you can go see the tulips, which are finally out in force.