Official Seattle information thread Updated 5/28/2014-Oso update

[mellers]

Will be in Seattle all day with my 6yo son. We are staying downtown at the Mayflower Park. Thinking about doing the space needle, science museum, and aquarium. Can this all be done in one day? Is this a good itinerary or do you have any other suggestions? Also, my son LOVES donuts. Any suggestions for good donuts in the area for breakfast?

Thanks!

You could probably do it, although it's a full day, and I second the Top Pot recommendation--best donuts in Seattle.

 

[Clotho]

American Girl Store in Seattle is a must do I think for anyone with girls. There is a Disney Store in the same mall. I am not a Seattle expert so cannot give directions. My daughter was thrilled to spend a few hours there, she has her dolls ears pierced and hair styled. We ate in the café but would not do that again as the food is overpriced and not very good. Nicer restaurants in the same mall that you can eat at.

Neither of these stores are in Seattle. They are in a city called Lynnwood which is about 35 minutes north of downtown. Easy shot up I-5 if you have a rental car. Expensive by cab, difficult by bus. The mall is called 'Alderwood Mall'.

 

[marlod]

American Girl Store in Seattle is a must do I think for anyone with girls. There is a Disney Store in the same mall. I am not a Seattle expert so cannot give directions. My daughter was thrilled to spend a few hours there, she has her dolls ears pierced and hair styled. We ate in the café but would not do that again as the food is overpriced and not very good. Nicer restaurants in the same mall that you can eat at.

As PP mentioned, this mall is not located in Seattle. Also, the Disney store there recently closed. There is a Disney outlet further north in Marysville at the Seattle Premium Outlets (also not in Seattle). Very convenient from the freeway if driving from Seattle to Vancouver.

 

[mellers]

As PP mentioned, this mall is not located in Seattle. Also, the Disney store there recently closed. There is a Disney outlet further north in Marysville at the Seattle Premium Outlets (also not in Seattle). Very convenient from the freeway if driving from Seattle to Vancouver.

If you want to get to a Disney Store conveniently using public transportation, go to the Transit Tunnel and take the 550 to the Bellevue Transit Center. It's an easy walk to Bellevue Square, where there is a Disney Store. Also, for Chihuly fans, be sure to stop by Lincoln Square, which is attached by a skybridge. They have a large Chihuly sculpture.

Here's the schedule:

http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/ST-Express-Bus/550

 

[Clotho]

If you want to get to a Disney Store conveniently using public transportation, go to the Transit Tunnel and take the 550 to the Bellevue Transit Center. It's an easy walk to Bellevue Square, where there is a Disney Store. Also, for Chihuly fans, be sure to stop by Lincoln Square, which is attached by a skybridge. They have a large Chihuly sculpture.

Here's the schedule:

http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/ST-Express-Bus/550

I would also add that if you are a Chihuly fan, there is a Chihuly glass museum at the Seattle Center. Which also has an awesome science center, IMAX theater, a large local-focus food court, and any number of cultural events going on throughout the year! You will be engulfed in Disney soon enough, why not take in the sights of Seattle rather than a chain store that is all over the country? Just a suggestion.

 

[NWmom]

Bumping this up as the 2015 season begins and the questions have begun.

Please read the first few pages where we give great information on where things are located.

Clarification from a post from last season that got missed. A)Seattle Center has the Space Needle, Science Museum, Experience Museum project plus a few more. From there you can take a one way monorail that takes about 20 minutes and then walk about 10 minutes downhill to get to B) the Market where they flow the fish. From there you take an elevator (ask where it is) down to street level to walk over to the Seattle Aquarium.

My family can spend a day at one or the other but can not do both in one day. Don't overplan and rush things.

Also please check the website for the aquarium -Links in the beginning pages - I can't remember when, but they were doing some construction there that might mix things up.

 

[Kimberly1]

We have one day in Seattle, and there are so many awesome things to do. About to read this entire thread to try to narrow down our selections. Thanks for all the recommendations

 

[MelSpees]

Bumping this up as the 2015 season begins and the questions have begun.

Please read the first few pages where we give great information on where things are located.

Clarification from a post from last season that got missed. A)Seattle Center has the Space Needle, Science Museum, Experience Museum project plus a few more. From there you can take a one way monorail that takes about 20 minutes and then walk about 10 minutes downhill to get to B) the Market where they flow the fish. From there you take an elevator (ask where it is) down to street level to walk over to the Seattle Aquarium.

My family can spend a day at one or the other but can not do both in one day. Don't overplan and rush things.

Also please check the website for the aquarium -Links in the beginning pages - I can't remember when, but they were doing some construction there that might mix things up.

Actually it's the Experience Music Project--EMP at the Center.
The PNW ScienceCcenter is great if you have kids. I agree, I wouldn't try the Science Center and Aquarium in one day. You could do it, but it wouldn't be the best experience.

Oh, and they throw the fish at Pike Place Market. It's fun to wander around, see local crafts, foods and try new foods. Some cool souvenirs can be had there.

Pioneer Square is also interesting. They have an Underground Tour that takes you down to see the original streets of the city before it was regraded to get up above the waterline more.
Unfortunately much of the waterfront is under construction right now. I think it's supposed to finish mid to late summer, but you might want to check that. It's fun to walk along the water and explore shops there. The north end is open.

 

[MelSpees]

Just thought I'd mention there are some big hills in Seattle! When people talk about going down to the waterfront, they mean it.

If you want a taste of Puget Sound, there are the WA State Ferries that run to Bremerton (55-min. one-way) or Bainbridge Island (30 min one-way) from the downtown waterfront. Also fun are the excursions to Blake Island from the waterfront--Argosy http://www.argosycruises.com/ They have Harbor Cruises also, but the Tillicum Village trip is out to the Island. They have Native American crafts and a fantastic salmon dinner. There are trails to explore the beautiful island, as well. It's a fun and tasty outing. (I think I need to go back it's been quite a while.)

 

[bumbershoot]

Top Pot recommendation--best donuts in Seattle.

Oh, I really disagree. I once got to look at the ingredients list (they normally do NOT let patrons look at it...they will look for the ingredient that's the issue and say "yes or no", but I caught an employee on a nice day...and not letting patrons look at the book is really telling to me), ad it's absolute junk. Grocery store donuts have better ingredients. I REFUSE to pay gourmet prices for junky ingredients.

Go to SoDo district on 4th, near the big post office, and go to Dona Queen for really tasty (and not expensive) donuts, IMO. Can get a side of kimchi while you're there, too, if you ask for it. (they say they have donuts and teriyaki (the latter being a Japanese style food), but they are actually Korean and you can get Korean stuff if you ask)

I know, no one will listen to me, but seriously, TP donuts aren't gourmet at all. Sigh.

 

[mellers]

This is just a note from a parent who recently went through the whole college selection/acceptance thing, but if you're visiting the Seattle area with teenaged kids who want to check out the colleges while you're here, I'd recommend contacting the housing departments at the colleges, staying in the dormitories, and eating at the cafeteria for at least a meal or two. It can give your kids a perspective on what dorm life is like on the various campuses, and you can often fit in a tour. It's also sometimes good for younger kids to encourage college attendance, and it's usually an inexpensive way to stay in the city. Not every college will allow this, but some will, and it's generally worth contacting the housing department to ask.

Three of the popular colleges in the Seattle area:

University of Washington (UW): http://admit.washington.edu/Visit/FroshInfoSessionTour ,
Seattle University (SU): https://www.seattleu.edu/visit/
Seattle Pacific University (SPU): http://spu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/visit

 

[MelSpees]

SPU, by the way, is a great school.

 

[sharksfinatic17]

Ok Seattlites (is that a word?) - We are getting to SeaTac around 12 PM and plan to take light rail to our condo which is in Belltown called Harbor Steps. I am hoping it is somewhere near the light rail. Once there I hoping to spend the afternoon (this will be a Wednesday) at and around Pike Place Market. Not sure about dinner.

Then on Thursday, we will be going to Chihuly and the Space Needle by public transportation (hopefully). Both of those are requests from various people in our family (there are 10 of us). Not sure if there is time for other things, so I am open to suggestions. We range in ages 11-72.

Things I am thinking of adding - Duck tour and/or Sculpture Park

Friday morning we are taking the train to Vancouver. I plan to arrange for a car service or something in order to get to the train station in a timely manner.

Thanks for any and all feedback!

 

[MelSpees]

If you're at the center anyway, (that's where the Needle and Chihuly are) the Science center is nice. It's great for kids, but we enjoy it as adults too. You can also take the monorail to Westlake Mall which is in the middle of downtown shopping.
I don't know how close the condo is to the Harbor Steps, but they go down to the waterfront, which is fun to walk along. You would want to check on the construction there first, though. It is quite a few steps. If you have knees like mine they might appreciate it.

 

[mellers]

I second the science museum.

The Museum of Flight is also fun, although it is a bit out of the city proper.

If you have a lot of Chihuly fans, it's worth going to the Piggott Building at Seattle University--they have a really neat Chihuly sculpture there, and the campus is fun to tour. There is also a large Chihuly sculpture at Lincoln Square in Bellevue--it can be reached pretty easily by taking the 550 from the Transit Tunnel. However, it's important to note that these are all single sculptures, and not as showy as the Glass Garden

 

[DahliaRW]

Ok Seattlites (is that a word?) - We are getting to SeaTac around 12 PM and plan to take light rail to our condo which is in Belltown called Harbor Steps. I am hoping it is somewhere near the light rail. Once there I hoping to spend the afternoon (this will be a Wednesday) at and around Pike Place Market. Not sure about dinner.

Then on Thursday, we will be going to Chihuly and the Space Needle by public transportation (hopefully). Both of those are requests from various people in our family (there are 10 of us). Not sure if there is time for other things, so I am open to suggestions. We range in ages 11-72.

Things I am thinking of adding - Duck tour and/or Sculpture Park

Friday morning we are taking the train to Vancouver. I plan to arrange for a car service or something in order to get to the train station in a timely manner.

Thanks for any and all feedback!

If it's in the "harbor steps apartments) it is RIGHT by the steps. Easy (though yes, lots of steps) walk down to the market.

If you like good food, http://lecosho.com/ is right along the harbor steps and is quite tasty.

We LOVED the duck tour when we did it. And we're locals. It was really fun, especially for the kids. My 10 year old, in particular, loved it. It's not too long and they leave from Westlake (you can walk there from where you're staying) and the Seattle Center, so not off of your route at all. As for the space needle, price tickets to go to the observation deck and price going for breakfast/lunch. Usually the meals don't end up being too bad of a deal when you factor in the cost it would be to go to the observation deck alone (obs deck is included when you dine there). You usually come up similar, for lunch, to eat there than it would be to eat at a sit down restaurant and buy observation deck tickets.

To get to the Seattle Center, I recommend walking up to Westlake Center, it's about half a mile, and the monorail is just more fun to ride than the bus. To get there, walk down first towards pine and then go up pine. You also could just walk to the Seattle Center, it's under a mile and a half.

 

[Kimberly1]

Trying to plan a day (yes, only 1) in Seattle in August. There are 6 of us - 3 adults, 1 19 year old, and 2 14 year olds. We are planning a commando type day and packing it full and then relaxing on the ship. I am basically planning about 2-2 1/2 hours at each major location (Pioneer Square, Pike Place, and Seattle Center, and we'll divide into groups at each location and do the activity you want to do the most). This is partly because (of course) when we asked everyone what the one thing they really wanted to do was, they were all in different areas. My plan is to be out and about from about 8:30 am - 7pm so that leaves plenty of time to decide to do something extra, stay longer, etc.

Does this sound feasible even though it is a jammed pack day?

 

[MelSpees]

If it were me, I think I might skip Pioneer Square. It's a neat area, but I don't think there's that much to actually do there. Pike Place is fun to wander through. There are lots of stalls with crafts, fresh produce, flowers, fish-of course, and little shops. The Center has the Science Center, Space Needle, EMP (Experience Music Project) and more. Your choice, but I think that's what I would do.

 

[Kimberly1]

If it were me, I think I might skip Pioneer Square. It's a neat area, but I don't think there's that much to actually do there. Pike Place is fun to wander through. There are lots of stalls with crafts, fresh produce, flowers, fish-of course, and little shops. The Center has the Science Center, Space Needle, EMP (Experience Music Project) and more. Your choice, but I think that's what I would do.

Hmmm. I keep looking at taking something out, but at Pioneer Square, we really want to do the Underground Tour..that will probably be about it though. We are all going to get together soon and rediscuss everyone's "one big thing" they want to do. See if anyone has changed after looking at it more.

 

[Kimberly1]

Right now I think my plan is
1. Underground Tour all together
2. Go to Seattle Center & divide between Space Needle and EMP
3. Spend rest of day at Pike Market and Harbor stuff