Maybe I’m starting this off wrong, because Seattle is my all-time favorite city so I can only go downhill from here. But seriously, Seattle is great. Sometimes it gets a bad rap for being cloudy and rainy all the time and sure, every time I’ve been there it’s rained. But before and after the rain it is also one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Because of all those clouds the city has spectacular sunrises and sunsets, is green all the time, and never gets really hot. In my case I also happen to like the rain, so that’s a plus as well.
So here’s some stuff about my most recent visit to hopefully help you on yours.
Getting Around: If you’re flying into SeaTac airport the first thing you’ll need to do is leave the airport. You could always rent a car, but that option has always seemed like such a cop-out to me. One of the best things about Seattle is its public transportation. Feel like a local (at least a local who doesn’t have a car waiting at the airport) and take the bus into town. It’s cheap, fast, and gives you the chance to look around. As an added bonus you’ll get to be on the bus when it switches into “quiet mode” and goes underground. When Seattle’s hybrid buses get into downtown, they change running modes and go into a tunnel that feels like a subway. A lot of this tunnel is in the downtown free-ride zone, so if you only ride the buses once you’re in town you may never get to experience the switch. Once you’re in the city Seattle’s downtown free-ride zone is useful. Plus, there’s always the monorail, which runs from downtown to the Seattle Center (home of the Space Needle and The Experience Music Project).
Lodging: When I went to Seattle as a kid my family always stayed with my grandparents. Luckily, if that’s not an option for you (as it no longer is for me now that they’ve moved away), Seattle has some great, inexpensive places to stay. I’d recommend the Moore Hotel. The Moore is located right downtown and when I told my grandparents that that is where I stayed they both started telling me how wonderful and grand the Moore used to be and how it was a staple of the city. Unfortunately the Moore isn’t so grand any more, but that translates into killer prices (we paid around $70 a night for two people and a king sized bed). Plus, even if it is more of a budget hotel these days, it still has the marble-floored lobby, wooden doors, and (in some rooms) claw-footed bath tubs from its former glory days. These are things that would be hard to find in generic higher end chain hotels that cost much, much more. What’s more, the hotel staff is extraordinarily nice. I was a little wary at first because I had read some reviews of the staff online that weren’t very positive. However, whoever prompted those reviews must be gone now because we interacted with at least four or five employees and all of them went out of their way to accommodate us. The Moore isn’t the lap of luxury these days, but it is nice, clean, and charming in a way that more modern facilities can’t be.
To Do: Seattle has a lot of things to do. On my most recent trip I stayed in the downtown area and did fairly touristy things, so that’s what I’ll focus on here. Of course there is the Space Needle, Pike’s Place Market, and the waterfront. If you’re only going to be in Seattle for a short time these places are all relatively close to each other and are well-known enough to warrant a visit. Plus, there are some hidden treasures along the way. At the far end of the waterfront, for example, is the Olympic Sculpture Park. This free park is filled with breath-taking art from world-renowned artists. At the other end, you can hop on a cheap ferry ride around Puget Sound (these ferry rides were recently named among the best in the nation for sightseeing by MSNBC travel). Pikes Place Market is right in the middle. Seattle also has a number of museums. The Seattle Art Museum isn’t the biggest or best museum in the world, but it does have some very impressive exhibits from both local and national artists. If music is your thing The Experience Music Project might be worth a visit, though this museum is pricy and small and even though I’m a music lover, one short visit was more than enough for me. You can also hit up the aquarium or go to Pioneer Square and take a tour of the underground city. I loved that tour as a kid and as an adult it was educational to see the ruined city beneath the city.
To Eat: Because I had never done it, I ate at the Space Needle. For two people, with appetizers, drinks, and a tip it was just under $150. On my budget that was quite a bit, but it was also delicious and beautiful. Our reservation was around 7 PM and as the restaurant rotated we got a 360 degree view of the city at sunset. It was ineffably romantic. If you’re planning on going make your reservations well (as in weeks) in advance, because it fills up, especially on weekends. The rest of the time (to make up for the money spent at the Space Needle), I ate as little and as cheaply as possible. There are small cafes all over the place. I also got some good snacks in Pikes Place Market, and (though it isn’t all that cheap), fish and chips at Ivar’s is both delicious and worth doing if you’re visiting for the first time.
To Sum Up: Seattle is a great place that has a lot to do and a beautiful environment to do it in. Perhaps in a future post I’ll talk more about things to do outside of downtown that are a bit less touristy, but for now that should keep a first time visitor busy.
I love Seattle.
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