Seattle

[Winsor_Pilates]

I'm thinking of going to Seattle this weekend with my GF and would like some advice.
Anyone know if good hotels, restaurants, shopping, shows etc?

Anything really...

We will have a car so getting around will be no problem and we don't want to break the bank on a hotel, because we'd rather put that money towards activities. Something decent in a good location would be perfect.

thank you

[MelBridgeman]

if you like planes the musmeum of flight is pretty cool....down by Boeing Field

[Azure]

Space Needle!

[Robbob]

Pikes market is pretty niffty. Try intercepting one of the flying fish.

[TheContact]

You should take the Underground Tour. It's pretty fun, and lots of neat stuff to learn about the city. Right by Pike's Place Market, there's a nice little restaurant called Etta's Seafood if you like that kinda thing.

[peter12]

Walk around the docks. Just experience the city. Forget tours.

[CrazyCaper]

Stay away from the Days Inn downtown. Stayed there 2 summers ago. What a dive.

[getbak]

Hotels in Seattle are pretty expensive, and even the "cheap" ones are pretty high (and still "cheap" in quality).

If you want to save some cash and don't care about a specific hotel, I'd put in a bid on Priceline. If you do that, though, don't bid on anything less than a 3-3.5 star (it gets pretty dodgy below that).

[getbak]

Originally Posted by TheContact

You should take the Underground Tour. It's pretty fun, and lots of neat stuff to learn about the city.

Yeah, an interesting bit of uniquely Seattle history.


You can visit the original Starbucks at Pike Place...and a different Starbucks on virtually every other street corner in the city (but don't look for a donut shop, they're virtually non-existent).

[Delthefunky]

I stayed in the hostel there for $16 =) Pretty nice actually and I actually prefer them just cause you meet some nice people from around the world... I wish I researched a little more before I went, I rode my bike down from Calgary... I would definetly recommend the museum of flight though.

Are you driving down or flying?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

very cool city. the underground tour is neat. The market is a must-see of course.

It's expensive as hell though. Hotels, food...even the coffee!

[tvp2003]

Oh man, Seattle is probably my favorite city -- I would go visit anytime I could.

If you're driving in from Vancouver, stop by Seattle Premium Outlets on your way down I-5 if you're into shopping. It's also next to a Wal-mart Superstore which is a tourist attraction of its own

Pike Place Market is pretty cool (flower bouquets are wicked cheap -- good way to impress the GF!); I also want to go see a Mariners game if I go back this summer (we went to a Seahawks game last year and it was pretty awesome).

No suggestions on a hotel, although I would suggest staying outside of downtown if you have a car and you're trying to save costs. Have fun!

[Resolute 14]

Pikes Market, The Space needle (on a clear day you can see Mt. St. Helens), the Boeing Air museum. I liked the little harbour cruises they do as well.

Their science centre is crap though. The Aquarium was alright.

Off the beaten path, you can go check out the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the Freemont troll, which is in the middle of nowhere:

[tvp2003]

Seattle Attractions (you don't have to buy the citypass but you might be interested in checking out the different attractions)

http://www.citypass.com/city/seattle/now.html

[Resolute 14]

Yeah, between City Pass, and a day/night pass at the Space Needle, you get most of the cool attactions. Pikes market is easy to get to. the Jimi Hendrix Experience is expensive though... but it's worth going by it just for how trippy the building is.

When I went down, I just stayed in a Motel6 in SeaTac. Really, why spend a ton of money on a hotel when you are just going to sleep there and nothing else?

Shame you aren't going in the summer, cause a baseball game in Safeco is just damn cool.

[604flames]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

cause a baseball game in Safeco is just damn cool.

I'll second that, and not only 'cause the Kingdome's only two memories (for the Mariners) were Game 5 against the Yankees and Mariner Moose snapping his ankle.

WP, if she's into sports, the Sonics entertain the Heat on Friday, and if you want a rather unique hockey viewing experience, the T-Birds host Kelowna on Saturday. They can't build that new rink in Kent fast enough.

Also, whoever mentioned the outlet malls is bang on, and also, the Tulalip casino prints coupons in the Vancouver Sun sometimes.

[StrayBullet]

I'm in Sea-Town now. I have stayed in a lot of hotels in the city and in Bellevue. Bellevue is a good idea if you wanna save a little bit. There are tons of activites, sightseeing and shopping in Seattle. You just gotta know the city. The one thing I always suggest for first-timers is the Crab Pot on Alaskan Way. They place a piece of butcher's paper on your table and dump all your food and have at 'er!! Trust me - It's the best experience with a bib on.

[henriksedin33]

Definitely take a walk through Pioneer Square, lots of cool little shops and restaurants there. Nordstroms downtown is a pretty good department store if youre into that kind of thing. I want to do the underground tour next time I'm down there, looks pretty cool.

If you don't need to be right downtown there are quite a few less expensive Holiday Inn type hotels along Aurora Ave a few miles to the north.

[Flames_18_22_12]

I went to the Experience Music Project which is right underneath the Space Needle. It was pretty cool, the Jimi Hendrix museum among many other things. That is if you are into that sort of thing I guess.

I also did the Boeing tour which had its cool moments but in the end was kind of dull. Now again you may be into that sort of thing, and if you are I recommend it, but it doesn't seem like a place you would want to go with your girlfriend.

[Temporary_User]

Well I'm from Seattle, and was just back there last week. Great place!
The funny thing, other than a game @ safeco, and T-birds, and pike place I have never done any of the tourist things mentioned here. I was however told that I went up the space needle when I was younger
I'm not really a fan of the "Seattle Outlet Mall" on I-5. Just IMO not many stores and enough deals to really make me go there again. I'll second the Nordstroms thing though, macy's is good aswell. Seattle does have some great shopping (defintely not limited to department stores).

EDIT: Come to think of it, we did the underground tour back for a field trip one year in school. I was too young to fully enjoy/appreciate it though.