julies

(First of all, does anyone else hate the fact that none of the previous responses are visible when doing a reply? I can't stand this because it makes it difficult to reply to individual's comments!)

So, if I eliminate the Capitol Hill visit, the idea would be fairly feasible? Of course, I realize that this plan/idea is all predicated on nice weather, and there is no guarantee of that.

And, is Seattle light rail a safe experience? I am only asking because in my city light rail has a number of issues.

I so appreciate all of your help!

mlgb

Honestly, having spent about a week in Seattle at a conference with expertly planned field trips and independent outings before and after, and prior to the explosion of homelessness, I have no interest in touring the city again, especially with a chance of bad weather. I've seen most of those things that would interest me (some don't). Many cities have museums, food halls, Japanese or other ethnic enclaves, Chihuly Glass, etc.. It's not surprising that nothing jumps out at you, as a well-travelled individual.

If I had to pick one thing, it would be a ferry trip, but using public transit to get there would be a nonstarter for me.

janisj

Not sure I understand this. When replying, the whole thread is visible. If one posts w/o quoting other post(s) you can scroll up to see/read/double check all of them, and if one is including quote(s) - scroll down for the same.

suze

Do the (time) math. It's still tight even eliminating Cap Hill if you want to keep the Bainbridge Island ferry. What you listed would be easy in two days. In 8 hours not so much.

Honestly, having spent about 40 years in Seattle, with no "expertly planned field trips" I have yet to see it all -lol! It is an incredible city. The weather is likely to be lovely in May. It's one of our nicest months.

LightRail does have occasional issues. There are reports of incidents of violence, public drug use, etc. that make the nightly news now and then. You can always stick to a taxi or rideshare if you are concerned.

julies

suze--Thanks for the reality check on timing. Plus, there is that whole other question of whether the weather is going to cooperate.

janisj--On a completely different note, when I use the reply button, there is the space for a message, but all previous responses are gone. If I want to see them, I have to go back which them means that I lose the response I have been typing.

janisj

Oh -- I almost never use the green REPLY button. No need to - I just type in the text box then click 'Post Quick Reply'. Much MUCH more straightforward and all the prior posts display.

Try it -- I find it soooooo much easier.

Christina

I understand the reply thing, yes, I find it annoying. It's when I view it on my tablet, not on a PC.

I've visited Seattle once and it was ok for a few days. I stayed at the Mayflower which was very nice, but I did have a car. I visited Pike's market place but I don't find things like that so fascinating, I'm sure I didn'/t spend 2 hrs in it, maybe 1 hr. I hate shopping, also, so I"m sure that's part of it. But I've lived on the ocean before and in cities with markets. What do you think could be there that would change your life that you had to see it?

I don't know why you'd want to walk around Capitol Hill. But I live in a city with plenty of old houses and supposed quirky coffee shops and I go to NYC regularly, so it's nothing special to me.

I did really like Pioneer Square because they had a very interesting museum there about the Klondike gold rush. I also went to the main art museum as I like that. It was ok. I also visited the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle Center. and did use the monorail. It was too focused on the grunge culture and Kurt Cobain for my taste, so guess I'm too old for that. I never liked that music anyway. I guess because he was from there.

I found Tacoma interesting for a day or so, I was generally in that area to visit Seattle a couple days, then Tacoma, than to go hiking at Mt Rainier. Tacoma has aa few interesting museums and that park is nice, also.

suze

Haha - No I do not think the Pike Place Market will "change your life" but it is a bit of Seattle history (we almost lost it at one point but saved the Market by public concern). You could spend 10 minutes there. I gave the 2 hours for if you wanted to explore "down under" and the various sections of the Market (it's more than the one main building) maybe have lunch.

Was simply trying to illustrate the reality of timing for the proposed plan. Which was clearly not doable in an 8 hour day.

As far as posting, I also do what janisj said. You just type in the "Quick Reply" box at the bottom, then hit "Post Quick Reply". You can still see everything above this way.

Is Seattle the most amazing city in the world? No. Would I have suggested it for someone to come visit if they aren't really interested? No.

But this thread was started by someone who said they WANTED to come visit for a day or two. Hence the replies of highlights, timing, and options.

suze

The other major consideration is that Julies was trying to do this all on foot... walking.

Pike Plae Market to Pioneer Square = 1 mile
Walk around Pioneer Square - maybe another 1 mile
PS to Capitol Hill area = 3 miles (uphill)
Time on Capitol Hill = maybe another 1 mile
Cap Hill back to ferry dock = 3 miles
Bainbridge ferry back and forth = another 1 mile
LightRail back to the airport from ferry dock = 1 mile

So about 10-12 miles on foot is what it would take to cover that proposed itinerary. You could shorten things up by using Metro bus or Streetcar for the longest stretches (up to Capitol Hill and back downtown)

Vttraveler

I know you are planning to spend time in Tacoma as well as Seattle. I thought that the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle was well worth a visit, but you may be spending time at the Chihuly sites in Tacoma. I'd definitely plan to see one.

My husband and I went to the Seattle area three years ago to visit friends on Bainbridge Island. We added on three days in Seattle to spend an afternoon with another friend there and tour the city. We enjoyed our time in the city even though we had not thought of it as a destination before being invited to visit our friends. In addition to the other sites mentioned, we enjoyed the The Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), To me, your original plan of spending a day or two in Seattle before your reunion makes more sense than trying to do a rushed day trip from the airport, especially since you enjoy walking and exploring interesting neighborhoods.

julies

I need to make a decision very soon and thank all of you for your in-depth and thoughtful replies. My current inclination is to just do the day trip when I arrive. Since I am not set on seeing anything (and am even vacillating about Seattle) I would just wing it depending on the weather. With a nice day I would prioritize the ferry. With crummy weather, indoor activities.

(Now a totally different topic. I am using a laptop and Chrome, and there is no green quick reply button. My only option is an orange reply bar. When I do that, none of the thread is visible. Now I am wondering if this affects many different functions for posting. I just posted in the Europe forum, and there wasn't the usual option for tagging countries.)

suze

"and am even vacillating about Seattle"

I love my home city dearly. But right from the start of this thread you just don't sound very excited about seeing it, to be honest. So I hestitate to recommend even the one day visit. Because that won't really show it off at its best, running around on public transportation (LightRail can have issues) to a bunch of different places (not close together and with no real plan for what to see when you are there), with no hotel to hang out at in the city (because those don't float your boat either -haha)- even though you never asked here for recommendations.

Back to your original question of an older solo female interested in seeing Seattle for two days, I feel like I could (and did) help. For someone who seems not very interested, can't find much in the way of sights or hotels of interest, and mostly on a family trip to Taccoma (if I'm reading right)...

I agree to skip coming up to Seattle.

tomfuller

There is a HI hostel (former American hotel) a couple blocks east of the King Street Amtrak station which is not too far from the Seahawks and others play various sports. The world HQ of geocaching is in the Fremont section of the city (Groundspeak Inc.) Underneath the north end of the bridge leading to Fremont, is a very large troll. The base of the troll was a VW beetle.

mlgb

Since you'll be in Tacoma, I'd just go to the museum there for a Chihuly fix.

Also, does Uber not work for getting around inside Seattle? Are the only two choices a bus or walking?

While I'm sure there are cheap hotels and hostels in Downtown Seattle, I'm less sure that a single female would like staying at them. (I've only ever stayed at the fancy conference hotel that work paid for, and that sure isn't worth $500/night).

It is shocking what Alaska cruise season does to hotel prices. Vancouver is even worse. May is at least not peak cruise time.

Why not decide when you arrive if it's worth going up to Seattle for a ferry ride, if not just add more time in Tacoma?

Daniel_Williams

I second the Burke Gilman trail, a bike ride I did some 15 years ago now but still have fond memories of. I was lucky that trip to have nice weather while in Seattle for cycling and generally. I love the natural setting of the city and have found plenty to keep me occupied for a several day visit that was interesting and eye-opening—Volunteer Park and the water taxi to the Alki Beach area were also favourites.

Gardyloo

I totally missed that there are now TWO Silver Cloud hotels along the Tacoma waterfront, and I wonder which one will be hosting your event. The "original" one, which I assumed was where you were staying, is in a "stand-alone" location near Old Town. The newer one is located in the Point Ruston development, which features numerous shops and bars/cafes, a farmers market, movie theater, etc. While the development has had some financial problems (it opened just in time for Covid) there's a LOT more to do and see there than farther toward the city center, which is where the "original" Silver Cloud resides.

However, if it's a "family event" that weekend in Tacoma, will any of the attendees be local and might someone have a car that you could use for a local outing aside from the event?

With access to a car for a couple of hours, you could travel to Point Robinson on Vashon Island via a short ferry ride from Point Defiance in Ruston. The Point Robinson lighthouse is quite picturesque, and if you're lucky, the view of Mount Rainier from Point Robinson is terrific. https://maps.app.goo.gl/TVxiK6P6KDwtBHB76





For that matter, the view of Mount Rainier from Point Ruston isn't so bad, either.



By the way, the Puyallup Indian word for the mountain is "Tahoma," for which the city is named.

Here's a map showing some bike-accessible destinations along the Commencement Bay waterfront, including a few possible stops in wonderful Point Defiance Park. There are a couple of bike rental shops located in the area. I suspect there's more than enough to keep you busy during some extra time in Tacoma. https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9j4u6ZsfdH7qh7B9

MmePerdu

Daniel_Williams mention of Volunteer Park brought to mind my visit to the conservatory which I described in the following post, including how I got there on the bus from near Pike Place Market:

https://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/roa...k-conservatory

robertwinston3516

The Olympic Sculpture Park is a must-visit, offering both stunning sculptures and waterfront views.

julies

Gardyloo--Great photos! Yes, it is the waterfront version of the hotel in Tacoma so there are lots of things to do nearly right on site.

The sculpture park looks interesting and seems to be in walking distance of the market too, not that I am discounting taking an Uber for some things.

suze

seems to be in walking distance of the market

It's about a mile between the two. Sculpture Park is closer to Seattle Center/Space Needle than it is to the Pike Place Market.