Glacier Lanes

I love bowling, even though I'm terrible at it. In the past decade or so, bowling alleys went fancy -- featuring dark interiors, DJs, neon lights, Top 40 music videos on giant screens and expensive appetizers. 

Family-run Glacier Lanes is having none of that fancy business. Located in working-class Everett's northern end of Highway 99, Glacier Lanes is going to give you some lanes and some bowling balls and beer. 

Which is all anyone needs, right? Prices start at $2/game, which is fantastic. Lots of specials run throughout the week, and the lanes do offer a weekend evening rock-n-bowl.  

Well, no, some of us also need pull-tabs. What are pull-tabs, you ask?

Well, pull-tabs are tear-up game cards that sort of work like slot machines but a pull-tab runs only 25 cents. Yes, I enjoy a rip of the tab now and then. Sometimes I win, but mostly I don't. 

Kids can't play pull-tabs (darn gambling rules). But if your children also like to throw away money, they can spend quarters at the claw machines and arcade games available at Glacier Lanes -- including my favorite, Ms. Pac-Man. 

If someone made a Ms. Pacman-pull-tab-claw machine, I might spend all my dollars on it. 

(When I was in high school, a classmate wrote an English paper on the evils of pull-tabs because she felt some people were spending all their money on pull-tabs vs. rent or food. While I don't honestly think I'm at risk of chronic pull-tabbing, I guess it's a problem for others)

Anyhow, now you know one of my embarrassing habits. 

Glacier Lanes is always downright noisy with the cracks of strikes, whenever we've visited. Sometimes we can only get a half-hour play on a lane, due to the number of individuals and office parties going on. A variety of ages populate the hard plastic chairs and lanes, but watching grandparents bowl with their grandkids is always super-cute (and I get bowling tips if I eavesdrop). Thursday nights is family bowl, with games running just $2/each. 

Bowling is something no one needs to get dressed up to enjoy and anyone can play (well, with bumpers and assist devices for little kids). 

Glacier Lanes also contains a little restaurant for breakfasting and dining. I can't speak to the quality, but I'll try it soon and let you know. Once I'm finished playing pull-tabs and bowling strikes. 

Glacier Lanes

Website: glacierlanes.com
Address: 9630 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98204 
Phone: (425) 353-8292 
Hours: 
Sunday       7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 
Monday      7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 
Tuesday      7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 
Wednesday 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 
Thursday    7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 
Friday         7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 
Saturday     7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 

Another Castle

Another Castle's interior is divided into two sections. Half of Another Castle's fluorescent-lit interior is a video-game shop selling new and used games for the Playstation, DS, XBox and even Gameboy.

There are also Pokemon stuffed animals and these adorable fridge magnets made from fuse beads (created by lying plastic beads out in a pattern, then ironing the beads to fuse them).

But the other half, well -- it's a darkened three-room circus of retro arcade games and pinball. You'll see Frogger, Contra, Donkey Kong, The Simpsons, Dig Dug and Tetris. Pull up a Mario Brothers-style red-mushroom stool and play a few games (or more).

Most still only cost a quarter or at most, two quarters, even newer games like Mario Kart, Dance Dance Revolution or Star Wars Racer. A roll of quarters comes in hand, or bring cash to draw coins out of the change-making machines.

The store's small kiosk window offers beer, pop and snacky things like chips. But I'd eat before arriving.

I like Another Castle better than other video-game locations in the area; it's a more manageable size, the pricing is straightforward, and I really like the retro games. One employee described it as a dive-arcade, and that's about right. 

A few downsides: Limited hours and limited parking. It's not open until 5 p.m. on weekends, and there are only a few parking spots outside in the tiny lot. You might need to wait, or park in a lot just to the south. Also, trying to turn left out of the lot onto Highway 99 is a recipe for certain death. Just turn right, for the love of Mario.

On weekends, the arcade opens at noon.

Oh, and if you come with kids, they might see some 1980s sexism of the cheesy variety.

Would I play again? An unequivocal yes. GAME OVER.

Another Castle 

Address: 23303 WA-99, Edmonds, WA 98026
Phone: (425) 967-3740 or Arcade: 425-967-7043

Store Hours: 
Monday – Saturday: 10 am – 8 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm

Arcade Hours:  
Monday - Thursday: 5 pm – 11 pm
Friday: 2 pm – 2 am
Saturday: 12 pm – 2 am
Sunday: 12 pm – 10 pm

Website: http://www.anothercastlegames.com/