Can’t Afford the Seattle Aquarium? Go to Uwajimaya Asian Grocery & Gift Markets

My family and I were on the west side of Washington last weekend visiting friends when we went shopping at one of our favorite stores, Uwajimaya. There's a few locations including one in the international district of Seattle, one in Bellevue and one in Renton. We happen to be in Renton so we stopped by. My kids went straight for the seafood section where they keep a lot of different items in aquariums. Why spend money at the Seattle Aquarium when we can go here for free?

To be fair, the Seattle Aquarium is an awesome experience and we all love it, but it is quite an investment.

Uwajimaya is a grocery store but caters to mostly Asian items. Many items you can't find in traditional grocery stores so whenever we're in the area we like to stock up on supplies like the type of sauce used to flavor udon and seaweed wraps for sushi and musubi. They also have an awesome snack section with interactive candies that you make first before you eat. My kids love that stuff.

The fresh seafood section has a lot of fish and other underwater creatures that they love to see so we always make sure to check it out. To them, it's a fun experience and I love it because, again, it's free. Naturally, I do some shopping while I'm there, too, but the price evens out. We always walk out with an enjoyable experience.

Next time you're in the Seattle area and you drive by this place, maybe consider stopping by. It's pretty neat!