That map is awesome, thanks! And thanks to everyone else too. Some great suggestions...
Seattle Vacation
- Thread starter Cyclonesince78
- Start date
That map is awesome, thanks! And thanks to everyone else too. Some great suggestions...
Ferry ride, EMP, Sci Fi museum. There is a place called something like Unexpected Productions that has a gum wall that you can add to. Pike's Market is iconic. There is a lock and dam. Space Needle was okay.
Down on the piers, I forget which one, there is a good fast food fish place that is right next door to where the Seattle Real World house stands.
Down on the piers, I forget which one, there is a good fast food fish place that is right next door to where the Seattle Real World house stands.
Instead of going all the way to Rainier, you could go to Snoqualmie or Steven's Pass. Both are typically considered skiing destinations by Seattlites, but during the summer I believe the parks are open to hiking. FYI, Whidbey Island is able to be accessed by land as well as ferry, but you'll have to drive a long way north to get around Skagit Bay. IF you do go up there, there is an awesome park called Deception Pass with a bridge about 100' high over a narrow inlet from the Sound to Skagit Bay. The views are breathtaking, and there are two beaches you can get to. FYI these are not swimming beaches - the water is like 55°.
One of the places my boys always wanted to visit whenever we went home. They loved feeding the fries to the seagulls.
My wife and I went to Seattle for our honeymoon. We stayed at the Inn at the Market and spent the vast majority of the time just wandering around, checking out bars, restaurants, shops etc... We did have our one touristy dinner in the Space Needle. Lots of days just grabbing a snack at the Market and roaming the streets. We also took a ferry over to the San Juan Islands and spent two nights at Friday Harbor. I don't remember the names of any bars or restaurants we went to, we just wandered. We had a great time and met a zillion really cool people.
We also did a hike near Lake Hancock, where my grandfather died in a training accident as a fighter pilot instructor in 1945 when he was stationed there. Not exactly touristy obviously but I'll never forget that day.
One of the most enjoyable mornings I had was getting up early and renting a sea kayak on Lake Union. My wife wanted a morning to just sleep in and enjoy some room service, so I enjoyed a beautiful and peaceful morning on the water. It was pretty amazing.
We also did a hike near Lake Hancock, where my grandfather died in a training accident as a fighter pilot instructor in 1945 when he was stationed there. Not exactly touristy obviously but I'll never forget that day.
One of the most enjoyable mornings I had was getting up early and renting a sea kayak on Lake Union. My wife wanted a morning to just sleep in and enjoy some room service, so I enjoyed a beautiful and peaceful morning on the water. It was pretty amazing.
Didn't read all the replies so far but here is my list of things you could do...sorry in advance if these are duplicates
Have this beer (African Amber)
http://www.macandjacks.com/beers.php
Places to see....
See Gas Works Park
http://www.seattle.gov/tour/union.htm
Fremont Troll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_Troll
Snoqualmie Falls
http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/
The Gum Wall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_Wall
The First Starbucks
http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/store-design/1st-and-pike
Places to drink....
Shorty's Bar (Creepy Clowns & Pinball Machines)
http://www.shortydog.com/
Lava Lounge Bar
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lava-lounge-seattle
The Dray Bar (Squirrel Bar)
http://thedray.com/
Pyramid Brewery
http://www.pyramidbrew.com/alehouses/seattle/
Red Door
http://www.reddoorseattle.com/
Have this beer (African Amber)
http://www.macandjacks.com/beers.php
Places to see....
See Gas Works Park
http://www.seattle.gov/tour/union.htm
Fremont Troll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_Troll
Snoqualmie Falls
http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/
The Gum Wall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_Wall
The First Starbucks
http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/store-design/1st-and-pike
Places to drink....
Shorty's Bar (Creepy Clowns & Pinball Machines)
http://www.shortydog.com/
Lava Lounge Bar
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lava-lounge-seattle
The Dray Bar (Squirrel Bar)
http://thedray.com/
Pyramid Brewery
http://www.pyramidbrew.com/alehouses/seattle/
Red Door
http://www.reddoorseattle.com/
There is a local coffee shop you should check out while you are in Seattle... I think it's called Starbucks.
Olympic National Park is pretty awesome if you're into hiking and whatnot. For enginerdiness, you can go to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Taking a ferry ride out to Bainbridge and back is a cheap/fun way to get out on the sound and get some nice city shots on the return trip, especially after it gets dark.
Otherwise Pike Market you kind of have to do, Snoqualmie Falls is worth the short drive, to second some others.
Otherwise Pike Market you kind of have to do, Snoqualmie Falls is worth the short drive, to second some others.
I'd recommend getting a "City Pass": http://www.citypass.com/seattle. They're $65 and include admission to a bunch of the major attractions. My wife and I just moved here in January, but when my mother in-law and sister in-law visited we bought these city passes and found them to be a pretty good deal.
Tours:
The 1 hour boat tour of the Puget Sound is pretty cool. There's also "Duck Boat" tours that are pretty popular.
Seattle Center:
The Space Needle is a must. The EMP Museum is right next door, but is not as cool as it would seem. I don't plan on visiting it again. The Pacific Science Center is also right next to the Space Needle, but is only worth going to if you have kids. Pretty much every exhibit is geared entirely to kids.
Market:
Definitely plan to visit Pikes Market. It's really cool, and will be a great place to get both great food and some cool artwork or souvenirs. Downhill from the market is the aquarium, the boat tour launch, and the Ferris Wheel (the Ferris Wheel is way overpriced). The Aquarium is one of the better ones I've seen.
Breweries:
There are a ton of local breweries in Seattle, so do some research and pick out a couple to go visit.
There's also one-day boat trips to Vancouver that you could do, and experience two cities in one trip. I think it's a 1 or 2 hour boat ride north to Vancouver, and you'll get a chance to see much more of the Puget Sound, and possibly see some whales too. That's on my to-do list here.
The traffic gets really congested going towards downtown from 7-9 am, and away from downtown from 4-6. Plan accordingly. The bus system works really well. I'd recommend planning bus routes on the Google Maps app.
Tours:
The 1 hour boat tour of the Puget Sound is pretty cool. There's also "Duck Boat" tours that are pretty popular.
Seattle Center:
The Space Needle is a must. The EMP Museum is right next door, but is not as cool as it would seem. I don't plan on visiting it again. The Pacific Science Center is also right next to the Space Needle, but is only worth going to if you have kids. Pretty much every exhibit is geared entirely to kids.
Market:
Definitely plan to visit Pikes Market. It's really cool, and will be a great place to get both great food and some cool artwork or souvenirs. Downhill from the market is the aquarium, the boat tour launch, and the Ferris Wheel (the Ferris Wheel is way overpriced). The Aquarium is one of the better ones I've seen.
Breweries:
There are a ton of local breweries in Seattle, so do some research and pick out a couple to go visit.
There's also one-day boat trips to Vancouver that you could do, and experience two cities in one trip. I think it's a 1 or 2 hour boat ride north to Vancouver, and you'll get a chance to see much more of the Puget Sound, and possibly see some whales too. That's on my to-do list here.
The traffic gets really congested going towards downtown from 7-9 am, and away from downtown from 4-6. Plan accordingly. The bus system works really well. I'd recommend planning bus routes on the Google Maps app.
Yes, the CityPass is a great idea. We plan to buy them when my parents come to visit in August. In addition to the Pacific Science Center, there is also the Museum of Flight if you're into planes.
FYI, the Pike Place Market is far more than just the fish market. It's a huge, multi-story building filled with hundreds of eclectic shops and hole-in-the-wall places to eat.
Also, there are something like 2500 Cyclone alums in the Seattle area. If you are going to "miss" a football game, there is usually a gamewatch in the area. There's a facebook page for the ISUAA Club of Seattle that posts details.
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