Seattle...When to go...Where to Stay...

[Nufy]

Looking to get away for a long weekend...

Maybe this fall.

Thoughts on Seattle ???

[black rubber disc bunny]

I've stayed at the W there a few times - good, central location.

Check out the Freemont area - lots of good places to eat and nice to wonder around.

The Pikes market is pretty touristy but still some good places in and around that area to eat/drink.

I found the Museum of History and Industry to be way more interesting that I'd expected. https://mohai.org/

Chances are no matter what you do you'll have a good time - it's a pretty great city IMO.

[Weitz]

Last time I was there we did a self guided brewery tour. Just walked around the downtown area to 4 or 5 breweries. That was a good time.

[Rhettzky]

It's a great City to explore, so many interesting things to see and do. The underground tour is really neat and pike place is a must.

Also, check if there is an NFL game on the weekend you are planning to go. If you're not a fan consider moving to a week they don't play as the hotel prices can jump.

[Amethyst]

I love Seattle! I always go in August for the best weather. I stay at the Mayflower Park Hotel. It is right downtown and you can walk to many things. The train from the airport also has an underground stop right next door.

For sightseeing, I recommend Chihuly Garden and Glass. Some amazing glass sculptures.
https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com

I did a couple cruises with Argosy Cruises. I did the Tillicum Excursion and the Locks tour.
https://www.argosycruises.com/argosy...ocks-cruise-2/

I also did the following food tour and it was a great way to see the downtown area and check out some restaurants.
https://www.savorseattletours.com

My favourite was Serious Pie, a pizza place that I return to whenever I go.
https://www.seriouspieseattle.com

Also, when I was there, I went to a couple shows (one a Haim concert and one a Broadway musical). Each was in a different old theatre, within walking distance from my hotel. It was interesting to check out the old buildings, in addition to the shows. So maybe check and see if there are any concerts or shows you are interested in, because the venues are beautiful.

[bc-chris]

my wife and i went to seattle a while ago - it was great!


we planned our trip for when the jay's were in town - it was great to catch ball game (i hadn't seen the jays play live since we moved from ontario in the mid-80s)


we also got this: https://www.citypass.com/seattle
it was fantastic - got to see lots of stuff and when you add up the cost of all the options the pass is a great deal.


we stayed in trent (i think) and just used the transit system to get into seattle and to get around - it worked fantastic. we didn't stay in anything fancy for a hotel since all we really were looking for was a place to crash at night

[cavalera403]

I echo everything that Amethyst and B.C.-Chris have said.

We stay at he Westin for the same reason of access to the train.

Serious pie is not to be missed.

If you want to save some LNG but still go on a boat ride you can go on an evening sailin on the ferry to Bainsbridge Island. Sunset on the way out and night view of the city on the way back. And you can use your orca card to ride it for only 8 bucks round trip.

The orca card is a reloadable transit card. Tap on and tap off the train and only get charged for how far you go.

[MoneyGuy]

The Boeing plant

[Jiggy_12]

Was there in early May, rented an Airbnb in Capitol Hill. Highly recommend the area, close to lots of shops, bars and restaurants. Walking distance to downtown. If you're driving, make sure you get a place that has parking as that can be a struggle. .

[scotty2hotty]

The Boeing Factory tour is pretty cool, too.


Edit: Damn, beaten by MoneyGuy!

[nik-]

This was the best part of Seattle for me http://www.museumofflight.org/

but I'm a bit of a nerd and overall I thought Seattle was kinda weak, so I might not be the best source.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Was there in early May, rented an Airbnb in Capitol Hill. Highly recommend the area, close to lots of shops, bars and restaurants. Walking distance to downtown. If you're driving, make sure you get a place that has parking as that can be a struggle. .

This.

Last time our AirBnB alluded to having parking but actually did not. We had to park on the street. There was 1 little road nearby with free parking so we went there and I had 2 move 2 car2go's to get a spot. Thankfully I was a car2go member!

[blankall]

If you can go to a sports game, of any major sport. The crowds put anything here to shame. By the time you are planning to go the Seahawks should be playing again. Even if you aren't a big NFL fan, the atmosphere is definitely worth the price of admission.

If you're a foodie/beer guy, you may want to consider a trip to Portland instead. The food/brewery scene is much more concentrated and navigable there. It's also much cheaper. Air BnBs are plentiful in Portland. Seattle is a cool city, but it's hard to get too far out of downtown as the traffic is horrendous.

Most of my trips to Seattle have been organized around sporting events. If you're going with a group of friends/significant other and want to walk around downtown and get in a few good meals, Seattle is good for a couple of nights.

[Matata]

We found the Seattle center stuff to be overpriced and not really worth it: Space needle, science center, Chilhully gardens, but a good place for people watching.

Recommendations: spend a day in the downtown harbour area (harbour tours, aquarium, pike place, giant ferris wheel) The Zoo is pretty amazing, can easily spend a full day there. Baseball games are great. Camping in the Olympic national park area has a lot of variety, you've got rain forests, coastline and mountains all really close together. The museum of Pop Culture is really good too.

Went to hotels in Seatac, I'd rather spend an extra 30-40 minutes of driving a day than to pay $100+ more a night for something in a more central location, but Seattle drivers are really aggressive and navigating the free way system is pretty challenging.

Looking at the other posts, I regret not doing the Boeing tour or museum of flight..

[FLAMESRULE]

We were in Seattle this May. We stayed at Loews 1000. Great location, could walk anywhere from the Space Needle to the Sports stadiums.

We did the following trips
- Bill Speidel Underground tour: Pretty good history of Seattle, takes about 90min.
- Mariners game: Cheap, easy to get seats
- Chihuly / Space Needle; the needle is undergoing reno's and was a waste of $$. Chihuly was very cool tho.
- MOPOP; DO THIS. We got to see the Marvel exhibition, Horror Film history, Star Trek expo, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix...very very cool.
- Boeing Tour; Also very cool and well worth the $$. They pick you up at the hotel and drop you off. About 4-5hrs.
- Pikes Market; very touristy, but pretty fun to people watch. The highlight though was the Improv Theatre there. We went on a lark, and it was hilarious. Entrance is right off Gum Alley.

Seattle is a fun town. Its expensive like Vancouver though.

[Resolute 14]

Best time to go: When the Jays are playing in Seattle. Just in case you want to see what a Canadian invasion of the United States would look like.

[troutman]

Remember the Travel Thread sticky for more helpful advice:



https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=139071


https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=127141


https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=125780

[Regular_John]

Seattle is a great city. I wast just there in February for a conference, and the wife and I drive out for our anniversary every 2-3 years.

I won't bother repeating any of the recommendations (Mariners, Pop-Culture Museum are both great) but here's a few of our favourites:

• The Maxwell Hotel in lower Queen Anne is one of our favourite hotels in the world. (Free parking!)
• Shiro's Sushi is the best sushi I've had in North America
• In Pike Place (next to the vomit gum wall) is Ghost Alley Espresso, tiny tiny tiny, had a great mocha last time I was there.
• In the alley's around Pike Place is The Tasting Room, we always stop & have a glass of wine
• Met a local buddy of mine for a couple drinks at Freemont Brewing, I think this the modal Cold Garden is following here in Calgary
• If you're into tech, check out the Amazon Go store, it's a trippy experience to walk out "without paying"

As others have said parking can be a bit of a bear, so park the hotel and take Uber/Public transportation if you can. Oh and the rain... I've only been caught in Seattle's famous rain on my most recent trip... would not recommend.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Best time to go: When the Jays are playing in Seattle. Just in case you want to see what a Canadian invasion of the United States would look like.

I was going to say that the best time to go is after they get their NHL team...

[cral12]

Eat: at any restaurant ran/owned by Tom Douglaus (includes Serious Pie not above).

I loved Paul Allen's EMP (music) Museum, but it has apparently rebranded - very cool place though
https://www.geekwire.com/2016/meet-m...m-pop-culture/