3 Days in Seattle - Open to Suggestions
 

Hi Folks,

I scored super cheap RT flights SAN to SEA ($68 RT :D ) and the wife and I are flying out Friday morning with a return of Monday afternoon. We don't plan to rent a car, will Uber if/when needed, and are staying in a hotel near the stadium that's easily walkable to the usual places. Will use the light rail for SeaTac <-> Seattle transfers.

We were planning to take the ferry to Bainbridge for a walking excursion and views of Seattle on Sunday. I have read some online reviews arguing Ballard offers more sights and food options?

We are looking for casual food options and sights that perhaps those in the know could weigh in on. Any last minute tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, David

You need to get together with Higgins and Terry, duh

If you go to Pike Place Market try Pike Place Brewing, that is if you like beer. The Athenian is a classic for any meal. The underground tour is cool.

Ferry to island for lunch. Fun day trip after a day in the city.

Seafood is amazing.

Pikes Market is a fun walk.

The Olympic Sculpture Park is cool.

Do you want to be a Pod Person and follow the masses? or get off the beaten path.


I'm Born and raised seattle


If first time here, avoid the Pike Place market. elbow to elbow crowds and tourist central.


With 3 days, spend a day walking the waterfront. FOR SURE do the seattle aquarium. the Pacific Science center and Space needle is a good way to "see" the whole city.

The Boeing Air and Space museum, or a tour of the Everett Boeing Plant.

BUT Get out of downtown.

Its called the evergreen state for a reason... easy access from the City is I-90 that heads up to Snoqualmie pass through tall evergreen firs. Head up to the ski area, maybe 45 minutes from downtown. Pop into the Snoqualmie Falls view point stop. google it.


There are some gorgeous ferry rides up north through the San Juans Islands


You can see a lot of variety in three days and not the tourist traps.

Take in the city, water and mountain view from Kerry Park on Queen Anne, almost walking distance from the Space Needle:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1551899369.jpg

We really enjoyed the tour of "underground" Seattle. Also - over near the needle is the https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/ museum.

Sunset dinner in the Space Needle is expensive but worth every penny. If the Victoria Clipper is running you can take that ferry to San Juan Island for a day trip. I just love ferries and loved to take every one I could around Seattle. My wife and I loved walking Pike Market, even though it is mostly a tourist trap, and we loved walking the water front. We walked down to waterfront and ate seafood as often as possible.

https://www.junebabyseattle.com/
Worth a visit.
The StarBucks Roastery is nice as well even if you don't care for their coffee the food is good.

Here are some recent threads, full of suggestions:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1004186-vacation-seattle-area.html
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1006153-seattle-citypass-5-sights-worth-doing.html
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/947986-seattle-vancouver-anchorage.html
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/916223-short-vacation-seattle-area-2.html


If you want to check out some local coffee, the Starbucks Reserve tasting rooms are pretty neat, as is the La Marzocco Cafe.
Plenty of beer options no matter what part of town you're in... https://washingtonbeer.com/breweries/

Listen to Rusty.

It's 34 and snowing at my house right now...
Less than an hour north of the city.
Sat and Sunday look to be better days. :D

You like asian dumplings? Din Tai Fung is fantastic.

The space needle is expensive, and touristy, but its nice to have a meal in the rotating restaurant.

stay away from Ballard. Just a bunch of homeless an young tech kids spending stupid money at all the restraunts and drinking establishments to make up for not having a car in the garage. oh ya they dont need garages. watch out for needles if you go

Stay out of downtown too. There's a nice new tunnel that gets you through it from one end to the other. The waterfront is a construction zone, tearing down the old viaduct and building a new seawall. Oh yeah, it's snowing now. Yay.

We went to Bainbridge when we were there in Sept. It was a quick easy trip, but kind of snoozy. Not that much going on to look at or do in Bainbridge. Cute little town, couple of places to eat. We hit the museum which had some interesting stuff.

We hit this restaurant a couple of times and really enjoyed it.
Toulouse Petit – Bringing the Big Easy to Seattle.

If you like sushi, then this place is top notch, but it's not cheap, and there's only 2 seatings per night at the bar, I think, and there's usually a line before they open to get a spot.
https://sushikashiba.com/


+1 for both of those items.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend the underground tour as well.
We did the Bill Spiedel Underground tour and loved it. It was very fascinating. They also have an "adult" version that they do in the evenings that I suspect is pretty entertaining.
UNDERGROUND TOUR

My wife really wanted to do the Chihuly tour. I wasn't expecting much, but I have to say, that was another very enjoyable thing to check out. We both really enjoyed it.

I wouldn't recommend MoPoP. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good either. We did skip the music portion though.

They've just done a huge multi million dollar retrofit to the Space needle.


I can't slam the touristy spots. Pod People...........:rolleyes: but I have unplugged my own brain for several days along the San Fran Fishermans Wharf.



but $25 dollars for one Dungeness Crab served with a bib and napkin?

As others have said. What's your flavor of ice cream. Family, Technology, Tidepools, or Forrest woods.



Higgins and I know lots of places to hide the bodies............pffffttttt......shallow grave. people are lazy.

We were there in October. MoPop was fun. We also did the DirtFish rally school. Very fun.

Gotta love all the advise from curmudgeons that don't live in Seattle any more.

Ok, here are some casual food rec's:
Near your hotel:
Salumi - new digs, same great sandwiches. I recommend the meatball sandwich.
Il Corvo Pasta - awesome lunch pasta place. Prepare to wait in line.
Pike Place Market - BBQ pork buns at Mee Sum Pastry, Chowder at Pike place chowder (long line but it is tasty), French bistro food at Le Pichet (around the corner from the market), beer at Old Stove (great view) or Cloudburst brewing. (skip Pike Brewing)

Slightly further away but worth an Uber:
Loretta's Northwesterner - ranked 4th best burger in the US by Thrillist.
Slim's Last Chance Saloon - Tasty Chili - was on that Guy Fieri show many years ago. Live music sometimes as well.
Harry's Chicken Joint - Awesome fried chicken... and the owner is a Porsche guy as well. Friday and Saturday dinner only - Call ahead and reserve your chicken.

If you do cocktails, Canon and Rob Roy are two bars worth a try.

Lemay Museum in Tacoma.

Don't forget Beths Cafe... it's an experience.
Get the 12-egg omelette. Loaded with everything.

It is unclear whether you are riding a ferry. Do. Sunday is going to be gorgeous. With clear skies, Seattle is the most beautiful city in the world. A ferry ride would show you the sound and its rolling wooded edges, and the Cascades and the Olympics and two volcanoes. Ideally, it would be a daytime ride out of Seattle, then a night time ride back. Both perspectives will blow your mind.

I think you will fall in love with Seattle, but it won't be downtown that does it. Ferry ride to the San Juans would be enchanting. Dress warm.

Eat a cup of Ivar's clam chowder. They sell it on the ferries.

Eat everything that has been suggested, plus a Reuben sandwich at the 74th St Ale House.

Those both sound awesome!
OOooo, that sounds cool too!

I agree with Supe, on a nice day you can’t top Seattle. West Seattle is cool and super chill, I love The Mission for excellent Mexican food, tequila, and great beer.

I haven't been to Beth's yet, but my 20 something kids always take out of town friends there. Usually at 3am.

Beth's........Lived around that area in college.....Breakfast after the bars closed. Back in about 1971 or so......Not that I was old enough to be in the bars, but close enough....

Ignore the advice on Ballard as well. There are more Micro breweries in Ballard than you can count and they are all good.

Currently there is no restaurant at the top of the space needle. However it might be worth checking out since it now has a glass floor. Canon is off the charts for booze but you need to make a reservation well in advance.

The Ballard locks are worth seeing:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1551979189.jpg

Many thanks to all for the input. We fly early tomorrow and I will review with the wife when we get there.

Just be sure not to step in the feces on the sidewalk...

Mexican food in Seattle? You have to be from Kansas to think they have good Mexican...especially when you come from Taco town to begin with..

David -- hope it's not too late, but if you like tools and your better half will put up with this short field trip I highly recommend heading over to Hardwick's, just west of the U District. On Roosevelt NE and about 42nd, IIRC. More tools per cubic foot than anywhere else I've seen. Some probably in stock since they opened in the 1930s. Some dust probably that old, too. I make a point to stop there whenever I'm in Seattle.

BTW, I grew up in North County -- sure has changed a lot since the late 80s . . . .

Enjoy Seattle!

Dale

Vegas isn't exactly ground zero for Mexican cuisine either. Plus, it's damn hard to screw up Mexican food. And they have great tequila.

I have only been to Seattle twice...both times on business with the Navy.

I have been lucky enough in my life to have attended the Portland Rose Festival, sailing up the Columbia River on an FFG; Hong Kong, Singapore, San Francisco, San Diego, Philippines, Perth, etc. Same trip, different water.

Nothing beats the ferries in Seattle on a nice day.

I’m so hitting the LA DTF!

Haha. It’s why forums are wearing out on me.

I’ve never been to Seattle. Maybe this summer while I’m in Portland.

I'm 3rd Gen Seattle, my Swedish grandparents got here in 1903 and settle into the Fremont district (where I still am). I'm a bit old school about Seattle.

Pike Place Market is great, particularly early in the morning when it's just waking up and the vendors are moving in for the day and setting up. You can get a cup of coffee at the first Starbucks and then after walking the market you go and have breakfast at Lowell's and head up to the 3rd floor for the best view of Elliott Bay and watch the ferries running. Frequently I drop my wife off at her office at 7:15 downtown and head to the market and pick up flowers for her, and a newspaper and coffee for me and walk the market.... If you're there after they open, the greek restaurant "Athenian" (been in the market since 1901) has great food and fantastic views just like Lowells.

It's an easy walk from the Market to the waterfront and catch the Aquarium and the ferries are just south of there. Ivars is down by the ferry "port" and you can get some great fish and chips and throw your fries for the seagulls to catch.

Ye olde curiosity shop is back at Pier 54, enter at your own risk, very "kitschy"
https://yeoldecuriosityshop.com/

Ballard is a lot of boutiques, new restaurants, and breweries in restored old buildings, every city has this type of "revived" area.... My picks are: Hatties Hat is a throwback bar/restaurant and has been there for over a hundred years, and the Tractor Tavern, great bands.

Seattle Center is great including the Space Needle and Science Center.

If the weather is great, watching boats go through "the locks" on the canal in Ballard and laugh at the people trying to tie up to the locks or each other! Great fish and chips or burgers right across the street at Totem House/Red Mill. Further down the street where the canal empties into Puget Sound is Ray's Boathouse, the upstairs bar and cafe can't be beat for the views and the boats going in and out of the canal.

Back to Pike Place in the evening, I love having a drink and dinner at Il Bistro which is tucked down a tiny alley under the Market. IL Bistro Italian Restaurant in Seattle

A definite yes to the underground tour.

Mohai (Museum of History and Industry) at the south end of Lake Union, it's a long walk or short uber or the SLUT (South Lake Union Trolley) from downtown. Great local history museum, and next door is the Center for Wooden Boats museum/workshop where you can rent a rowboat or sailboat. (yah, it's cold right now, sorry). Good restaurants very close by with great views of Lake Union including old standards "Dukes" and "Daniels Broiler", but lots of other new ones with good reviews.

If you were here over the Solstice weekend (June 22nd -23rd) I'd tell you to head down to my community of Fremont where you could do the Fremont Fair (which my father helped start and he was the first treasurer) and the Solstice Parade where we have thousands of naked bicyclists.
https://fremontfair.com/

Have fun being a tourist!!!

Take the light rail from downtown to the University of Washington campus and take a stroll through the beautiful campus. You will also get some good views of lake Washington there as well.

If you like eclectic, along the way get off at the Broadway station and cruise up and down the street for some good restaurants and interesting shops. If you are a homophobe then skip it.

Next to Lake Union is the Museum of History and Industry which is quite interesting and also near some good restaurants on the lake.

You will have no problem filling three days.