Keeping Hip-Chic At Bay: Seattle and A Couple Points South
Aug 23rd, 2014, 08:36 AM
#1
Original Poster
Keeping Hip-Chic At Bay: Seattle and A Couple Points South
Ordinarily I would not write a trip report about a sojourn of one-week's duration and taken for the rather arcane reason of attending a "military reunion."
However, as I was just standing in the floor to ceiling window of my Seattle hotel and gazing out at a combination of Elliott Bay, a bunch of what were undoubtedly once dilapidated wharf buildings turned into things like an aquarium, several docked cruise ships, a Public Storage building standing next to a steam generation plant, all of which are overlooked by a hot tub and an infinity edged (well, kinda) pool as traffic speeds by on a multi-level freeway I was reminded of...
A post on this site some years ago from someone who wanted to know where they could find a "hip-chic" hotel in some location somewhere.
I began to realize that our own trip which is currently ongoing is probably as un "hip-chic" (whatever that means and I have a couple of notions) as it gets.
But!!!! Would anyone around here really be interested in that sort of travel report? Non-exotic? Non-FF (all you supposedly "gay friendly" folks know what that FF stands for, right? The first word is "fussy" and you can deduce the second one.
So, on with the report for Seattle and a little beyond with some detail that might actually benefit people who have done the search function number and the most recent thing about their topic was dated in 1994 or thereabouts.
The trip out: on USAirways from Fort Lauderdale with a plane change in Charlotte.
The reality news: USAirways arrived on time in Charlotte and ahead of schedule in Seattle. No kids or "foreigners" took dumps on any of the seats. Our checked luggage arrived at the same time and on the same plane as we did. The food served aboard looked like food, tasted like food, and did not require any medications afterward.
The Seattle airport: it is big, signage seemed good. You get on one of those "consolidated" shuttles over to the "rental car center."
The reality news: that "rental car center" is nothing more than one giant parking garage and a bunch of individual rental car desks. They simply truck you away from the airport proper and THEN turn you loose to fight your way to the front of the line. Somebody does help you with your bags onto and off of the bus which was nice for some.
Used Hertz, as usual. Able to go directly to a car in a slot "with my name on it." But Hertz, like others I suspect, does not content itself with stopping 'the sale" at that point. Rather, on the pathway to that slot "with my name on it" there are huge signs tempting one to upgrade and so forth.
You resist that and then as you get to that person at the exit booth who checks your drivers license and prints out your rental agreement you get the "automatic refueling" pitch which is always cheaper than doing it at some local station yourself.
Oh, you are returning your car at the Portland, Oregon, airport? That's even better because there aren't any gas stations close to that one!
Actually, there are, and I found that out with a little internet research ahead of time so we drove off quickly so he could make the pitch to the folks in the car behind us.
The drive into downtown Seattle on I-5 was pretty simple and we arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel well before the appointed check-in time and were allowed to contemplate what has to be one of the true questions of the Universe: "will the room be ready?"
Recently, no less than that travel authority the "Wall Street Journal" printed a piece on Seattle and the Four Seasons was listed as "the" hotel. BUT, is it really "hip-chic?" (And do smart people really care?)
Go back to the top and read my description of what I am looking out at from my "deluxe" and also corner room and get back to me with your answers. BTW, the room was ready, the staff in this place is wonderfully friendly and efficient, and I had a sit-down with the hotel manager and told her just how great that Front Desk person who put us into this room is, too. Of course she did because I PAID for this type of room but it never hurts to remind the managers about how good their staff members really are.
More details to come about "funky" Seattle or whatever you call it including that market where they throw fish heads and shovels full of ice at people.
However, as I was just standing in the floor to ceiling window of my Seattle hotel and gazing out at a combination of Elliott Bay, a bunch of what were undoubtedly once dilapidated wharf buildings turned into things like an aquarium, several docked cruise ships, a Public Storage building standing next to a steam generation plant, all of which are overlooked by a hot tub and an infinity edged (well, kinda) pool as traffic speeds by on a multi-level freeway I was reminded of...
A post on this site some years ago from someone who wanted to know where they could find a "hip-chic" hotel in some location somewhere.
I began to realize that our own trip which is currently ongoing is probably as un "hip-chic" (whatever that means and I have a couple of notions) as it gets.
But!!!! Would anyone around here really be interested in that sort of travel report? Non-exotic? Non-FF (all you supposedly "gay friendly" folks know what that FF stands for, right? The first word is "fussy" and you can deduce the second one.
So, on with the report for Seattle and a little beyond with some detail that might actually benefit people who have done the search function number and the most recent thing about their topic was dated in 1994 or thereabouts.
The trip out: on USAirways from Fort Lauderdale with a plane change in Charlotte.
The reality news: USAirways arrived on time in Charlotte and ahead of schedule in Seattle. No kids or "foreigners" took dumps on any of the seats. Our checked luggage arrived at the same time and on the same plane as we did. The food served aboard looked like food, tasted like food, and did not require any medications afterward.
The Seattle airport: it is big, signage seemed good. You get on one of those "consolidated" shuttles over to the "rental car center."
The reality news: that "rental car center" is nothing more than one giant parking garage and a bunch of individual rental car desks. They simply truck you away from the airport proper and THEN turn you loose to fight your way to the front of the line. Somebody does help you with your bags onto and off of the bus which was nice for some.
Used Hertz, as usual. Able to go directly to a car in a slot "with my name on it." But Hertz, like others I suspect, does not content itself with stopping 'the sale" at that point. Rather, on the pathway to that slot "with my name on it" there are huge signs tempting one to upgrade and so forth.
You resist that and then as you get to that person at the exit booth who checks your drivers license and prints out your rental agreement you get the "automatic refueling" pitch which is always cheaper than doing it at some local station yourself.
Oh, you are returning your car at the Portland, Oregon, airport? That's even better because there aren't any gas stations close to that one!
Actually, there are, and I found that out with a little internet research ahead of time so we drove off quickly so he could make the pitch to the folks in the car behind us.
The drive into downtown Seattle on I-5 was pretty simple and we arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel well before the appointed check-in time and were allowed to contemplate what has to be one of the true questions of the Universe: "will the room be ready?"
Recently, no less than that travel authority the "Wall Street Journal" printed a piece on Seattle and the Four Seasons was listed as "the" hotel. BUT, is it really "hip-chic?" (And do smart people really care?)
Go back to the top and read my description of what I am looking out at from my "deluxe" and also corner room and get back to me with your answers. BTW, the room was ready, the staff in this place is wonderfully friendly and efficient, and I had a sit-down with the hotel manager and told her just how great that Front Desk person who put us into this room is, too. Of course she did because I PAID for this type of room but it never hurts to remind the managers about how good their staff members really are.
More details to come about "funky" Seattle or whatever you call it including that market where they throw fish heads and shovels full of ice at people.
Aug 23rd, 2014, 09:01 AM
#2
Original Poster
Nothing scheduled for the "reunion" events on Thursday until the first dinner get-together that night so we did walk UP and I do mean UP (hill) the short block to the Public Market and that famous sign. After all, this is supposedly the epicenter of things here at least to hear some people tell it.
But first, a couple of first impressions. The city seems somehow wonderfully relaxed; there is no swirl of humanity as in a place such as Manhattan. Old buildings with some architectural style are still around; it isn't the architectural "feast" of Chicago but it's interesting.
I had some long-time-ago friends who were from Seattle. The wife talked of shopping at the Bon Marche which apppears to have been turned into Macy's; you can still see those cast iron marquees on the ground level that probably marked it as a great place to shop.
Where was Nordstrom whose "mother church" store is also here? Perhaps not even around. And those trolley buses which the husband friend said were dangerous to drivers "because they move away from the sidewalk sideways." They don't but I understand completely.
The Public Market turned out to be an absolute rabbit warren of crazy stores and lots of places to eat and those fish people at the entrance tossing fish parts and shovels of ice around. This has to be the very clever transformation of a long-time venue to meet modern visitor needs. Crazy t-shirts, kitchen wares, lots of levels and stairways, wild paint colors. It is charming in its own Baltimore Inner Harbor/San Francisco Ferry Building/Fast Buck Freddy's on Duval Street kind of way.
Is it hip? is it chic? No, it's just fun and if you are from some smaller town or city and on your way to a cruise or just the Space Needle, why not?
Next: Eating in a place where, "They're all out here smoking dope!"
But first, a couple of first impressions. The city seems somehow wonderfully relaxed; there is no swirl of humanity as in a place such as Manhattan. Old buildings with some architectural style are still around; it isn't the architectural "feast" of Chicago but it's interesting.
I had some long-time-ago friends who were from Seattle. The wife talked of shopping at the Bon Marche which apppears to have been turned into Macy's; you can still see those cast iron marquees on the ground level that probably marked it as a great place to shop.
Where was Nordstrom whose "mother church" store is also here? Perhaps not even around. And those trolley buses which the husband friend said were dangerous to drivers "because they move away from the sidewalk sideways." They don't but I understand completely.
The Public Market turned out to be an absolute rabbit warren of crazy stores and lots of places to eat and those fish people at the entrance tossing fish parts and shovels of ice around. This has to be the very clever transformation of a long-time venue to meet modern visitor needs. Crazy t-shirts, kitchen wares, lots of levels and stairways, wild paint colors. It is charming in its own Baltimore Inner Harbor/San Francisco Ferry Building/Fast Buck Freddy's on Duval Street kind of way.
Is it hip? is it chic? No, it's just fun and if you are from some smaller town or city and on your way to a cruise or just the Space Needle, why not?
Next: Eating in a place where, "They're all out here smoking dope!"
Aug 28th, 2014, 10:24 AM
#5
<that market where they throw fish heads>
They throw the entire fish Dukey, not just the head!
>Where was Nordstrom?>
One block more east of Macy's, same street.
Just found your report... anxiously waiting for the next installment???????
suze, sitting here in seattle
They throw the entire fish Dukey, not just the head!
>Where was Nordstrom?>
One block more east of Macy's, same street.
Just found your report... anxiously waiting for the next installment???????
suze, sitting here in seattle
