Seattle question for after Alaska-anything fun?

[alre309]

I am looking for something more fun and exciting to do in Seattle than a museum, space needle, market etc. (all the tourist things) I will have at least 5 hours to kill the sunday after my cruise- any ideas??

[NoobCruise]

It would help if you gave more info. What I think is fun may be completely different then what you think. Hiking? Pub tour? History? Amusement park? Boat ride through the locks? What do you like to do for fun?

DH and I plan on doing the Underground Tour, which, unless you're a history fan, you may find really boring lol

[alre309]

so i dont have specific interests- i like amusement parks but not before a long flight and after a cruise were 2 young girls in our upper 20s and not really the tourist type- My dad told me the boeing FACTORY tour (not the museum) would be interesting for us but its far- would imagine taxi would be a fortune and he doesnt know if its open on sundays. Any ideas would be great- thanks!

[alre309]

oh and def not hiking or anything strenuous

[NoobCruise]

You might be interested in the Chihuly Glass Garden near the Space Needle.

http://www.spaceneedle.com/chihuly.html

I found this website for Seattle very helpful:

http://www.seattle.gov/visiting/

[Level six]

If you rent a car(budget is not too expensive and will pick you up at the pier), go to the ballard locks, free and very interesting. Also, we went to the Fremont street fair(kind of flea market, kind of art/crafts fair). It was fun and interesting, also, Free. We spent the whole day there and then off to the airport, back home, ugh! Have a fun cruise.

[MilliesMom]

http://www.museumofflight.org/visit
The Museum of Flight (I believe is the Boeing Museum your dad is talking about).
Museum Hours

Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
First Thursday of each month:
10 a.m.-9 p.m. (5 p.m.-9 p.m. Free.)
Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

9404 East Marginal Way S
Seattle, WA 98108-4097
Phone: 206.764.5720

The Museum of Flight is located South of downtown Seattle, at the south end of Boeing Field / King County Airport; Exit 158 off Interstate 5. Free Parking adjacent to the Museum and Airpark. Metro Bus Route #124

General Admission

• Adults $17
• Seniors (65+) $14
• Youths (5-17) $9
• Children (4 and under) Free
• Active Military $14
• Adult Groups $14*
• Senior Groups $12*
• Youth Groups $7*

The independent, non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than 400,000 visitors annually. The Museum’s collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the Red Barn®—the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Co. The Museum’s aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More than 100,000 individuals are served annually by the Museum’s on-site and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Associations of Museums, and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

This will put you close to the airport. The issue will be your luggage. You cannot check it at the airport early ... think the max is 3 hours ahead of time. Seattle security can be a bear to get thru on cruise arrival date with people flying out so allow yourself a minimum of 2 hours for the airport. Last time it took us over an hour to get thru just the security area there were so many people.

[Casagordita]

Originally Posted by Level six

If you rent a car(budget is not too expensive and will pick you up at the pier), go to the ballard locks, free and very interesting. Also, we went to the Fremont street fair(kind of flea market, kind of art/crafts fair). It was fun and interesting, also, Free. We spent the whole day there and then off to the airport, back home, ugh! Have a fun cruise.

I was just going to say: Fremont. It wouldn't be a bad cab ride from either pier, or downtown--or you could get take a bus. The Fremont Sunday Market is fun if you like crafts that tend toward the quirky and different, and street food. The neighborhood has a lot of good restaurants and pubs. Fremont is proud to be weird, and there's a lot of public art and other fun stuff--you can take an organized tour or just wander around on your own (downloading this guide might help). Theo Chocolates does a very interesting factory tour, and you get to eat free samples. Or you can go for a walk along the ship canal--nice and flat and pretty.

[mapleleaves]

Are the hours to kill from 8am - 1pm ? so your flight is at 3 or 4pm?
Originally i was going to suggest a cab to Post Alley .. add to the Gum Wall then hang out at Kells Irish Pub, but at 9am it doesn't sound fun!

If you have good weather, take a water taxi from the waterfront to Alki Beach in West Seattle. Grab coffee and baked goods from a local bakery, walk along the beach, and enjoy views of the Seattle skyline. Or take a taxi to Lake Union and kayak for a couple of hours ... lots of boats, floatplanes, houseboats to paddle around.

If your father mentioned a Boeing factory tour, he probably means a tour at the plant in Everett, about 30 minutes north. It's very interesting but probably not what you had in mind. A taxi to Everett would be very expensive. But you could get a rental car, then drop the car at the airport. How were you planning getting to the airport? Light Rail?

Other ideas in http://visitseattle.org/Visitors/Discover.aspx
Or look at the Seattle forum of tripadvisor.

[alre309]

ok…so 1st i was talking about boeing FACTORY it is 30 minutes and definitely not doing that…my flight is 5:30…I figured taxi to airport and I would pay the $20 fee to have my luggage sent so i would only have my carry on throughout the day- fremont sounds like our type of thing-my friend is a complete junk addict buys everything weird you ever saw and would looove that…just dont know how long we could handle wandering! we're such late night people and I'm devastated that I'm going to be rudely kicked out of my room so bright and early that we probably barely would have had time to go to sleep!! We rarely fall asleep before sunrise(its both of our first cruise so i was shocked to learn this) I was thinking maybe just make it a silly fun day at the zoo/aquarium but that may be tiring too? i was hoping for some indoor time but maybe we could go to a movie for a nap I saw theres an imax! im going to feel homeless!

[MilliesMom]

Originally Posted by alre309

ok…so 1st i was talking about boeing FACTORY it is 30 minutes and definitely not doing that!

Oops ... I really did misread your original post. When you wrote Boeing, I immediately thought of the museum. We have a friend who really, really wants to see that.

[LEtue]

Why not check with your cruise line to see what is offered as an excursion on the day you disembark in Seattle? They should offer a few options and that would also cover taking you to the airport for your flight home. That would help with any luggage issues too.....

[Northern Aurora]

Even though the original post excluded museums, the Seattle Art Museum may be a consideration. It was remodeled/redesigned approximately six years ago, and has a contemporary edgy feel to it now. The SAM is located downtown near Pike Place Market, so would be easy to reach using the light rail.

[kenish]

Originally Posted by alre309

-my friend is a complete junk addict buys everything weird you ever saw and would looove that…just dont know how long we could handle wandering!

Archie McPhee's is about as weird and junky as it gets...and they're proud of it! http://www.mcphee.com/shop/

Click on the "Seattle Store" button on the right side of the webpage.

[MilliesMom]

http://www.yeoldecuriosityshop.com/c.../yocs-home.php
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop - Seattle

1001 Alaskan Way
Seattle, Wa. 98104
(206) 682-5844

Open 7 days a week:

(Summer hours)
M-Su 9am to 9:30pm

(Winter)
Su-Th :
10am to 6pm
Fr-Sa :
9am to 9pm

http://www.yeoldecuriosityshop.com/c...photo-tour.php
Photo tour ... 1st picture is of a mummy.

I remember many trips to this store as a kid. It is on the Seattle waterfront by Pier 54. It definitely has "unique" items.

[Gardyloo]

If you shared the date ("Sunday" happens every week) then we might be able to point you to events or activities that are happening that day.

[CupKayke]

This may be too touristy for you however....we did a fun and yummy foodie-type tour last year and loved it so much, we are probably going to do it again next year. Several others here on Cruise Critic have taken these tours. You can do a CC search for Spirit Review and read my in-depth review of the tour and someone else's too.

Here is the link..
http://www.savorseattletours.com/

I would recommend the Pike Place Market Tour because it starts early - you meet at a Starbucks at 9:30am...you walk maybe 20 to 50 feet between different stores/markets/places and you taste food all along the way. They start the tour with some fantastic coffee at Starbucks to wake you up ~ we had a pumpkin spice latte and I loved it! Reservations and payment ahead is required - $49 per person. You will also learn a lot about the history of the market, the Seattle F.L.O.S.S. idea, and some very interesting tales about the businesses located around Pike Place Market - again, may seem touristy but we absolutely loved it!! The tour takes a little over 2 hours and you are on your feet the entire time but never really "walking" as all the businesses are a short jaunt away from each other. The tour ends at the waterfront ~ close to where the ferry leaves and on the other side, where the park is ~ and several other places are nearby you could also visit before going to the airport. There is also a movie theatre a very short walk away from where the tour ends - near the Warwick Hotel - look at it on Google Maps. It is an easy-breezy walk - we did it twice!

By the way - that tour company offers several other tours that last 2 to 3 hours and do not start until 11/11:30 so you may be interested in one of those, too.

[I Luv Crusin]

We are getting off our ship at Pier 91, on Saturday Sept 15 and will be flying out Sunday around noon.

Does anyone know of a tour company that would pick us up at the pier, do a tour and drop us off at hour airport hotel(Clarion-Renton)?

We are doing a Qwik Tour before the cruise and we are thinking of the Boeing Tour after but are open to ideas.

TIA

Lesley