Seattle - so much to do; so little time

Prior to our Alaska cruise, we will be staying downtown Seattle for the day/night. The plane arrives around 11 am, so we should be at the hotel by 1pm. This give us the afternoon and early evening. Once it is dinner time, we will eat and retire for the night.

So, what should we do? We both like to shop (Mom and I) so I guess we should go to Pike's Market? How much time should we plan on for this?

What about Chinatown? Is it anything special? I really like Asian things (especally the food).

There is also the historic Pioneer Square. Is it worth some time?

How about up and down the waterfront? Anything fun there? There is a free bus that you can hop on and off.

We don't really want a boat excursion. We figure we will be getting enough of that in the coming days..... How much of this can we really do in the time we have?

We appreciate you advice, experiences, and recommendations.........

Pike street market is a great place to see what Seattle is like. There are also many good restaurants in the vicinity where you can lunch and watch the ferry traffic. Our other favorites are the Experience Music Project and the Pacific Science Center, depending on your interests. If shopping is your goal, try Westlake Center or any of the shops in that area. Have dinner at Cafe Campagne if you like french, they have yummy cassoulet in the winter.

Hope you enjoy Seattle!

Here's a suggestion for a very foodie rapid intro to Seattle.

First, don't eat. Then, once you've checked into your hotel, hop a bus (free in the downtown area) or take a cab if need be to Chinatown (technically the International District.) Go to Uwajimaya Village, a big Japanese supermarket/mall. Walk through the produce section and play "name that vegetable" then head across the main store to the food court. There you'll find numerous Asian cuisines - all affordable and, for the most part quite delicious, offering lunches - sushi, Chinese, Thai, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese... you really can't go wrong. Plenty of tables and chairs (shared) - and plenty of eaters. (My favorite is Aloha Plates, where you can get a Hawaiian-style plate lunch, complete with rice and macaroni salad to go with your Huli Huli chicken or BBQ shortribs...)

Then hit the fish section. A-mazing.

Then take another free bus back uptown and hit the Pike Market (note no 's.) It's easier to cruise the stalls on a semi-full stomach than otherwise; nevertheless make room for a latte from the original Starbucks (with anatomically correct mermaid logo), have a pastry from one of the French-style bakeries, or walkaway dim sum, crab cocktail.... Buy some flowers for your cabin on the ship. Watch the lads fling salmon around. Tip the buskers.

Then a light meal at Cafe Campagne (French) or try some delicious Bolivian empanadas at Copacabana, overlooking Pike Place and out over the sound. Or if you're actually hungry, try decent Italian at the Pink Door on Post Alley (parallel to Pike Place half a block uphill) - eat on the deck overlooking the market and the sound. You'll find it by looking for a... pink door. No signs.

Finish with a pretty decent pint of Guinness at Kells also on Post Alley.

Dont' worry about all these calories. You can diet on the cruise.

As if.

If shopping is your goal, try Westlake Center or any of the shops in that area.

Thanks for the recommendations. What sort of stuff is at Westlake Center? Is it mall stuff, or unique things?

Wow! Thanks for the itinerary accompanied by delightful humor. I'm so glad you recommended the "International District" for lunch. I was thinking about doing that, but since I have never been there, I did not know what to expect. Of course for us it will be 4pm EST when we are eating our lunch, so it will be dinner. A crab snack with French desert will be perfect for an evening snack. My travel companion is my Mom, so some flowers would be nice for her as we are sailing on Mother's Day. I wonder, will Princess let me bring on flowers?

Here's a suggestion for a very foodie rapid intro to Seattle.

 

First, don't eat. Then, once you've checked into your hotel, hop a bus (free in the downtown area) or take a cab if need be to Chinatown (technically the International District.) Go to Uwajimaya Village, a big Japanese supermarket/mall. Walk through the produce section and play "name that vegetable" then head across the main store to the food court. There you'll find numerous Asian cuisines - all affordable and, for the most part quite delicious, offering lunches - sushi, Chinese, Thai, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese... you really can't go wrong. Plenty of tables and chairs (shared) - and plenty of eaters. (My favorite is Aloha Plates, where you can get a Hawaiian-style plate lunch, complete with rice and macaroni salad to go with your Huli Huli chicken or BBQ shortribs...)

 

Then hit the fish section. A-mazing.

 

Then take another free bus back uptown and hit the Pike Market (note no 's.) It's easier to cruise the stalls on a semi-full stomach than otherwise; nevertheless make room for a latte from the original Starbucks (with anatomically correct mermaid logo), have a pastry from one of the French-style bakeries, or walkaway dim sum, crab cocktail.... Buy some flowers for your cabin on the ship. Watch the lads fling salmon around. Tip the buskers.

 

Then a light meal at Cafe Campagne (French) or try some delicious Bolivian empanadas at Copacabana, overlooking Pike Place and out over the sound. Or if you're actually hungry, try decent Italian at the Pink Door on Post Alley (parallel to Pike Place half a block uphill) - eat on the deck overlooking the market and the sound. You'll find it by looking for a... pink door. No signs.

 

Finish with a pretty decent pint of Guinness at Kells also on Post Alley.

 

Dont' worry about all these calories. You can diet on the cruise.

 

As if.

Don't miss Pike's Market. I thought it would be too touristy but I really enjoyed it. Make sure you buy some flowers to put in your state room for your cruise.

I thought the Space Needle was a waste, especially if you have been to the Statue of Liberty or the Washington Monument.

If you like planes, the highlight of our Seattle Trip was the Flight Museum near the Boeing plant. We couldn't stay as long as we wanted to but did get to see an historic Air Force One and the Concorde.

Has anyone taken the Seattle Underground Tour? We will be in Seattle for a couple of days before our 6/25/06 cruise on the Star. We will also be staying in the area for a couple of days after the cruise. Any feedback on Mt. Rainer or Olympic Nat'l. Park?

Thanks,

Jodi

I wasnt to do 2 days in Seattle prior to cruise, and wonder this. I want to go to Friday Harbor on an orca cruise..are there shuttles to the ferries? Is it too far to cab? do I need to rent a car that day?

I went to Seattle for 6 days last summer and will be spending extra time there again this summer before and after my Alaskan cruise on May 26th. I didn't really enjoy Pike's Place, but I'm sure I'm in the minority. I live in Albuquerque and between that and Santa Fe, small high-priced shops crammed into a tiny space no longer impress me. If you go though, don't miss the very affordable flowers. A gorgeous arrangement of dahlias was only $5!

I did love the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum, even though I normally detest all things science fiction. Be sure to budget enough time for this though; it will take several hours to do it right. This time I'm going to do my best to fit the Pacific Science Center into the agenda. Ran out of time last year.

The ferry to Bainbridge island was great. Reasonably priced mom-and-pop shops spread out in a quaint little town. Restaurants on the waterfront and boats everywhere. I understand skipping this though since you're heading out the next day for the cruise.

There was a great Indian restaurant a few blocks down from Seattle Center if you like ethnic food. I forget the name, but it had a very affordable lunch buffet with fresh na'an brought to your table.

International district: Was okay, but a little scary with all the homeless if you frighten easily. Some great sites in this area too. I recommend taking the streetcar that runs up and down the piers. It's about $1.25 per person, but they give you a transfer ticket good for about 2 hours. If you head over this way don't miss Salumi's for fantastic salamis.

Besides the whale watching trip in Anacortes, my favorite activity in Seattle was visiting Fremont on a Sunday morning. If you enjoy public art and funky shops, this place is great. I highly recommend taking a cab over there and just walking around (tons of signs pointing the way to art and sites).

Hope that helps some.

I wasnt to do 2 days in Seattle prior to cruise, and wonder this. I want to go to Friday Harbor on an orca cruise..are there shuttles to the ferries? Is it too far to cab? do I need to rent a car that day?

Definitely too far to cab it, in my opinion. The whale-watching was great, but if it were me I would focus on all the great things in Seattle and save the whale watching for the cruise. It was about an hour-and-a-half drive up there very early in the morning (you have to show up early to check in, etc.) and then you hit rush-hour traffic on the way back.

We spent a day pre and post cruise in Seattle last July and loved it. I'm ready to go back!!

We loved Pike Place Market.

We also did the Show Me Seattle tour and it was great. Very informative and we got to see so much of the city. It was like a 3-hour tour and we got to see the locks and the salmon running, fishermans wharf, the market, the houseboat where they filmed the movie "Sleepless in Seattle", the residential districts, the Troll Bridge, a famous park, the Seahawks & Mariners stadiums, etc. They picked us up right at our hotel and dropped us back there. It cost around $35 and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

While the shops had beautiful things, we thought it was pricey and opted to save our pennies for our cruise to Alaska! :)

Hope you have a great time in Seattle.

We have been to Seattle several times. We are from Albuquerque. I generaly do not like to shop.

1) We loved pikes peak market. The fruit, flowers and fish were excellant. We bought lunch and sat over looking the water and eat. The original Starbuck's is fun too.

2) We like the World's Fair center which has great fountains, museums..the butterfly exhibit is great.

3) We stayed once on the waterfront. We enjoyed the aquarium and just strolling.

4) our favorite hotel is the Hotel Monaco. Reguest a gold fish in your room.

5) We also did the locks which were fun. You can watch the baots close up and enjoy the surronding gardens as well.

No matter what you do you will enjoy yourselves.

We spent a day pre and post cruise in Seattle last July and loved it. I'm ready to go back!!

We loved Pike Place Market.

We also did the Show Me Seattle tour and it was great. Very informative and we got to see so much of the city. It was like a 3-hour tour and we got to see the locks and the salmon running, fishermans wharf, the market, the houseboat where they filmed the movie "Sleepless in Seattle", the residential districts, the Troll Bridge, a famous park, the Seahawks & Mariners stadiums, etc. They picked us up right at our hotel and dropped us back there. It cost around $35 and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

While the shops had beautiful things, we thought it was pricey and opted to save our pennies for our cruise to Alaska! :)

Hope you have a great time in Seattle.

Hi, where can I get info on the Show Me Seattle tour? Sounds perfect.

TIA

You are right, there is a lot of great stuff to do in Seattle.

Here is our VERY detailed review with lots of tips. For the Seattle details, be sure to read both precruise and post cruise events.

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/alaska.html

luvocean9--Are you, by any chance, flying in from Atlanta via Denver on Frontier? My friend and I are coming in around 11 a.m. from Atlanta. You mentioned eating "lunch" that would be "dinner" for you on EST. Just wondering:)

You are right, there is a lot of great stuff to do in Seattle.

Here is our VERY detailed review with lots of tips. For the Seattle details, be sure to read both precruise and post cruise events.

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/alaska.html

Your report is very good and much appreciated. It's nice to have some budget minded tips as Alaska is expensive. It would be helpful to know the year as prices change for car rentals etc. Perhaps I missed this in the write-up.

On another note, why don't you just post it in the trip review section of the many travel boards instead of a site you are paying for and ask for donations to maintain?

luvocean9--Are you, by any chance, flying in from Atlanta via Denver on Frontier? My friend and I are coming in around 11 a.m. from Atlanta. You mentioned eating "lunch" that would be "dinner" for you on EST. Just wondering:)

We are flying in from Atlanta (non-stop) on Delta using frequent flyers. It's such a long flight. You may enjoy the stop in Denver.

Has anyone taken the Seattle Underground Tour? We will be in Seattle for a couple of days before our 6/25/06 cruise on the Star. We will also be staying in the area for a couple of days after the cruise. Any feedback on Mt. Rainer or Olympic Nat'l. Park?

Thanks,

Jodi

We've done the Seattle Underground Tour twice. It's a humorous interpretation of early Seattle. You will enjoy it.

We've also be to the Olympic National Park. It is great with mountains, ocean, rain forest and hot springs all in one very large park. I recommend staying in Port Angeles for a couple of days to see most of the sites. We took a commuter ferry across Puget Sound to save time rather than driving through Tacoma.

I have to say that Westlake Center is mostly mall stuff. Seattle is not a great shopping city, though the original nordy's and REI are here. Just depends what you're looking for (polartec, yes; strappy sandals no). Definately not as good as SF or NYC.

Friday harbor is definately too far to cab. If money isn't an option, consider a seaplane trip to Friday Harbor on Kenmore Airlines - much faster and more scenic. For the budget minded, a simple ferry ride to and from Bainbridge island is a great way to see seattle from the water as well as experience a little seattle lifestyle.

Uwajimaya's is better than China town, and there is an asian food court there also. Jazz Alley, espresso bars, pho noodle shops, fresh cheese and fruit from the market while watching ferry traffic - that's my seattle.

Lee77:

Trip was late May 2003.

We did submit the complete review for posting under "Cruise Reviews". We also posted the review under the Alaska port thread and under the Princess thread. However, after a couple weeks the review gets lost on the threads, so we posted it to my website in an attempt at being helpful for folks long after the threads disappeared.

While the prices have changed, the relative values are still current and the hints and tips are still valid.

Thanks.

We are going to be in Seattle on a Sunday before our cruise and want to make sure that all of the shops will be open. I collect art glass and Seattle is the top city for glass artists. Does anyone know if everything is open? Also does anyone know about any glass galleries?

Thanks,

Irene

We've done the Seattle Underground Tour twice. It's a humorous interpretation of early Seattle. You will enjoy it.

 

We've also be to the Olympic National Park. It is great with mountains, ocean, rain forest and hot springs all in one very large park. I recommend staying in Port Angeles for a couple of days to see most of the sites. We took a commuter ferry across Puget Sound to save time rather than driving through Tacoma.

Thanks for the info, Natasha487. I will definitely sign us up for the Seattle Underground Tour and will talk to the others in our group about Olympic Nat'l. Park.

Thanks again,

Jodi

We are going to be in Seattle on a Sunday before our cruise and want to make sure that all of the shops will be open. I collect art glass and Seattle is the top city for glass artists. Does anyone know if everything is open? Also does anyone know about any glass galleries?

 

Thanks,

 

Irene

William Traver Gallery downtown is probably the best choice for high-end glass by recognized artists. http://www.travergallery.com/seattlespace.html

Foster/White has two outlets downtown, one in Pioneer Square, the other up at Rainier Square (close to the Four Seasons Olympic and other major downton hotels.) http://www.fosterwhite.com/

A number of glass galleries are located here and there downtown, but mainly aimed at low- to mid-market pricing, not glass collectors.

If you had three or four hours and want a fun excursion, head to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma (around 40 min. from downtown Seattle) - see Chihuly's Glass Bridge, watch them do things with gooey glass in the museum's hot shop... the museum gift shop is excellent and there are a couple of good retail galleries next door. http://www.museumofglass.org

Most galleries are open Sundays, typically opening at noon.

Hi, where can I get info on the Show Me Seattle tour? Sounds perfect.

 

TIA

Go to showmeseattle.com to find out more about the tour.