Question for Karen--Seattle CruiseLover

[dfitz]

"Doability" Question for Karen--Seattle CruiseLover

Hi Karen, just wondering if I can get your opinion on this.

We leave home on the 21st, overnight in San Jose, fly from SJC to SEA-Tac on 5/22, scheduled flight arrival is 10am.

We will catch a cab to the W Seattle downtown to drop our luggage and ck in if our room is ready early ... cab is best transport, right?

 

Thought we'd use your Pike's walking tour, maybe spend a little time near the waterfront, and grab some lunch.

 

Interested in doing the Underground Tour.

 

Have 7pm reservations at the Space Needle Restaraunt ... I know people say there's much better places to eat, but we kind of want to do the touristy Space Needle thing, know it's going to be overly crowded in the area (5/22), so as long as the weather permits some kind of view, figured we'll just go with this.

 

My question is, what would you think the best time would be for us to make a reservation for the Underground Tour in order to fit it in w/ the Pike's walking tour and Space Needle dinner taking into consideration the extra crowds and fact buses may be harder to hop on?

 

We catch the early train Saturday morning, want to keep Fri at a somewhat leisurely pace since the beginning of our trip includes a lot of legs of travel.

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions :)

~Denise

[SeattleCruiselover]

"Doability" Question for Karen--Seattle CruiseLover

Hi Karen, just wondering if I can get your opinion on this.

We leave home on the 21st, overnight in San Jose, fly from SJC to SEA-Tac on 5/22, scheduled flight arrival is 10am.

We will catch a cab to the W Seattle downtown to drop our luggage and ck in if our room is ready early ... cab is best transport, right?

 

Thought we'd use your Pike's walking tour, maybe spend a little time near the waterfront, and grab some lunch.

 

Interested in doing the Underground Tour.

 

Have 7pm reservations at the Space Needle Restaraunt ... I know people say there's much better places to eat, but we kind of want to do the touristy Space Needle thing, know it's going to be overly crowded in the area (5/22), so as long as the weather permits some kind of view, figured we'll just go with this.

 

My question is, what would you think the best time would be for us to make a reservation for the Underground Tour in order to fit it in w/ the Pike's walking tour and Space Needle dinner taking into consideration the extra crowds and fact buses may be harder to hop on?

 

We catch the early train Saturday morning, want to keep Fri at a somewhat leisurely pace since the beginning of our trip includes a lot of legs of travel.

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions :)

~Denise

 

Given that weekend's extra traffic, I would aim for the first am tour or shortly thereafter if you can......no later than 10'ish

[dfitz]

Thanks Karen. Our flight arrives SEA-TAC 10am, need to get luggage, and cab to downtown ... figure we'll be in the downtown area by around noon? Maybe plan 1:00 for underground tour, then Pike's walking tour, freshen up at hotel, then off to Space Needle? Our hotel has a car, so they will drive us to the Space Needle.

 

I was using google earth to try to find my way around a bit ... it didn't help :p

[judyf]

Thanks Karen. Our flight arrives SEA-TAC 10am, need to get luggage, and cab to downtown ... figure we'll be in the downtown area by around noon? Maybe plan 1:00 for underground tour, then Pike's walking tour, freshen up at hotel, then off to Space Needle? Our hotel has a car, so they will drive us to the Space Needle.

 

I was using google earth to try to find my way around a bit ... it didn't help :p

 

 

Have a great time at the Needle. We pre-booked the underground tour this weekend.

 

Planning Seattle is much harder then Alaska :p

[dfitz]

Have a great time at the Needle. We pre-booked the underground tour this weekend.

Planning Seattle is much harder then Alaska :p

Hi Judy, what time did you end up booking Underground for ... I forget, you're going to be there the same weekend as us, right? I know I need to book it soon since it will be a busy weekend. Talked to someone at a local shop recently ... when I told him we were going to Seattle, first thing he said was a positive about the Underground Tour :)

One thing w/ planning for Seattle, I already basically knew what we wanted to see w/ limited time. With Alaska there were SO many choices and having to coordinate ship port times with getting to places (since I don't book anything through the ship - exept the murder mystery dinner this time).

~Denise

[rubytue]

We will catch a cab to the W Seattle downtown to drop our luggage and ck in if our room is ready early ... cab is best transport, right?

Not Karen, and I don't know how many folks you have, but I just took the Gray Line Downtowner Airporter last night and cannot say enough good things about it. It cost me $11 to get from the Airport to my hotel (Madison Renaissance). The drive was a hoot! She might as well have been a tour guide, pointing out Amazon, Boeing, the church where Conan O'Brian got married, etc. The W is two blocks from the Renaissance (one block flat, one downhill). If its only 2 of you, I would say for $22 and a short walk, its great. Not sure a 30 minute cab ride would beat that. Oh, and a couple people got off the bus here and then hopped into cabs to other hotels :) Other good thing, it was a shorter walk than to the taxi line. http://www.graylineseattle.com/airportexpress1.cfm

[judyf]

Yes, Denise we will both be there with the folklife crowds.;)

 

I just posted a much too long post with the plans my GF and I came up with for the 2 days. If you get a minute look nat it and let me know what you think?

 

I love to hear what others think. :D We decided on the Underground Tour at 6:00 pm on Sat.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Thanks Karen. Our flight arrives SEA-TAC 10am, need to get luggage, and cab to downtown ... figure we'll be in the downtown area by around noon? Maybe plan 1:00 for underground tour, then Pike's walking tour, freshen up at hotel, then off to Space Needle? Our hotel has a car, so they will drive us to the Space Needle.

 

I was using google earth to try to find my way around a bit ... it didn't help :p

 

Those google earth pix are generally two or more years old. Nothing looks like that any more.

[dfitz]

Hi rubytue, thanks for the info about Gray Line, I bookmarked it and will look at it when I "fresh" ... been looking at too much today! We are a group of 3, so it would be close to the same cost. Did you have to buy your transporter tickets in advance? Just wondering what time I'd chose not knowing if the plane will be on time, and getting checked luggage. One flat block and one downhill wouldn't be a problem for us to walk.

 

 

Hi Judy, what thread is your long post on? My posts are wordy too :p Today I put my email on a thread for someone to get a bunch of details and links from me privately about Skagway because I was afraid to post such a long one! If you want to email me privately it's dfitz0321@aol (dot) com.

 

 

Hi Karen, have they changed the area a lot in Pioneer Square by the Underground Tour? I liked the look of the area w/ old buildings on google earth.

[judyf]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=984561

 

Here it is. I need to check google Earth :)

 

So much to do and here I am online still.

 

Please feel free to e-mail me autumnsam at aol dot com. with any suggestions :)

[rubytue]

Hi rubytue, thanks for the info about Gray Line, I bookmarked it and will look at it when I "fresh" ... been looking at too much today! We are a group of 3, so it would be close to the same cost. Did you have to buy your transporter tickets in advance? Just wondering what time I'd chose not knowing if the plane will be on time, and getting checked luggage. One flat block and one downhill wouldn't be a problem for us to walk.

I didn't buy tickets in advance, nor did I do reservations or anything. Its right by baggage claim, over where all the cruises are. I have no idea what its like during the day, as I was on the 10pm shuttle, only about 8 of us, but it was a full sized bus, and they put the bags under the bus.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Hi rubytue, thanks for the info about Gray Line, I bookmarked it and will look at it when I "fresh" ... been looking at too much today! We are a group of 3, so it would be close to the same cost. Did you have to buy your transporter tickets in advance? Just wondering what time I'd chose not knowing if the plane will be on time, and getting checked luggage. One flat block and one downhill wouldn't be a problem for us to walk.

 

 

Hi Judy, what thread is your long post on? My posts are wordy too :p Today I put my email on a thread for someone to get a bunch of details and links from me privately about Skagway because I was afraid to post such a long one! If you want to email me privately it's dfitz0321@aol(dot) com.

 

 

Hi Karen, have they changed the area a lot in Pioneer Square by the Underground Tour? I liked the look of the area w/ old buildings on google earth.

 

Nope, that's a National Historic District. Very little has changed in that area.

[Sweet Carolina Girl]

Does anyone know how far the Chataeu St. Michelle winery is from where the Mariner docks? Would love to visit!:D

[SeattleCruiselover]

Does anyone know how far the Chataeu St. Michelle winery is from where the Mariner docks? Would love to visit!:D

 

30-40 miles. It is in Woodinville.

[Sweet Carolina Girl]

Thanks! I think that may be a little to far to travel. Oh well:(

[SeattleCruiselover]

Thanks! I think that may be a little to far to travel. Oh well:(

 

Just a tad. They do have tours that go out there, and they take pretty much all day.