As far as transportation from the airport into downtown... you can take a taxi (~$50), Shuttle Express (~$34), Downtown Airporter (~$12) which drops at a loop of major downtown hotels, or the new LightRail (~$2.75).

Taxi or Shuttle Express would take you all the way to your hotel. With the Airporter or LightRail you'd still need to make your way by bus, streetcar, or taxi from the downtown location further to either Capitol Hill or So Lake Union.

Thank you, Suze. I am going to take the Light Rail, I think (to save money) and figure out how/where to connect to get to the Silver Cloud. I think I'm sticking with the Lake Union one...mainly because I can't stand to spend one more minute on this hotel issue. (Yes, I should have spent two about a month ago!)

From the Light Rail you'd just walk to catch the Seattle Streetcar. It's only a block or so from the Westlake station where you'd exit LightRail, to the first downtown Streetcar stop.

Hey, wow Kit, your reasoning with the Priceline $225 DOES make very good sense, in the way of justification, vs. the Silver Cloud.

(by the way, is the Silver Cloud fully committed now? or is there still room for a last ditch effort on Priceline done likely on Monday or Tuesday?)

(I should say in print that I'd STILL limit yourself to the "Seattle Downtown - Pike Place" zone)

Wow, as of now, the skimpy offerings on the Priceline menu where you DON'T name your own price certainly don't bode well for landing anything... BUT, when you're in the shadow of your trip, SOMETIMES the hotel managers get a clearer picture at the start of the work week (Monday) of how much if any room they have available for the immediate nights to follow.

There remains the alternative of booking only the first TWO nights via Priceline, and I note that listing the hotels THEY have available withOUT naming your own price, changes the "downtown" Seattle number from "18" to "36" available establishments. (the mighty "Kings Inn" was listed at $99 per)

LOL - one guy's review said the "room was crowded", and of course the rest of the reviews were even more hilarious!

*** if fishing through the "downtown Seattle" list on Priceline, among the hotels THEY offer at set prices... BEWARE that some on THAT list still say: "4 blocks from University of Washington" (which is NOWHERE NEAR "downtown Seattle")

Among those downtown and of higher quality:

The Alexis
Hyatt at Olive 8
Vintage Park

... each still listed as having rooms to offer for Wednesday and Thursday nights (ONLY).

As you want to be nearer to Seattle Center for Friday night anyway... finding something nearby to there for one night would be sufficient. (for the record, the area around "Aurora Avenue" adjacent to Seattle Center, where plenty of hotel/motels are located, makes that near the Kings Inn seem like heaven)

Following your earlier thought process, and using the Silver Cloud totals as a guide, IF you could land something centrally located for Weds and Thurs nights at a 'good' Priceline (name your own price) rate, you could justify doing so, AND perhaps having to spend more than you desired for the ONE, Friday night digs.

With our staggering sales tax, what you save on tax alone on the difference between $219 and, hopefully, $100 or whatever, would be worth factoring in.


Were it me, AND IF the Silver Cloud is NOT already completely committed... I would, midday on Monday, first go through the motions for a "4-star downtown/Pike" room for all THREE NIGHTS, maybe starting at $80 and increasing by $10 EACH time through, going up to maybe $150 max for the base bid.

THEN, I would BEGIN PRICELINE brand new, putting in your data all over again... and changing your nights to "Weds & Thurs"... and gunning for a "downtown 4-star" hotel, once again starting at $80 and going to $150 Max.

IF somebody bites there, then improvise and throw something together for the Friday night.

The Kings Inn has a huge construction project going on in the lot immediately to the east of it at the moment. I drove by it this morning. Backhoe, crane, etc. etc. Not that I would ever recommend staying there (because it's a dive) but I most definitely would stop recommending it over the next few weeks with all the construction noise.

Psssssst... hey Kit, if you could stand a local resource (slash) personal go-to-guy for tourist advice... who just might be accessible downtown on your Seattle mornings... write to "personalplace AT hotmail".

Clarity: in no way am I petitioning to be the man of your dreams (I'd probably be lucky to maintain a conversation with you - LOL - but I'll be *not too far away* from the tourist attractions and very well-versed at tourist guidance)

I don't check that e-mail often, but I'll make a point of checking in the next few days. (we could be more direct w/different e-mail once connected there)

(I'm sure I can at least cause you to understand why I even mention this, whether it helps or not)

Hope you are seeing everything come together... oh, wait, isn't it about time to check car rental options too?? Phooey, nothing in the "National" car specials for Seattle.

(there is one more hope for that, but I DOUBT it will be an option)

- nwm

Survived the night at the City Hostel 2327 2nd Ave. Got a shower w/own towel washcloth soap. Cruised around 45 minutes looking for parking last night. This morning parked in front of the hostel. Headed for Groundspeak Block Party on 34th. 700+ people headed there today. More details Monday if anyone is interested.

Hi Tom Fuller,

I'm interested in how you thought the temperature felt. I'm coming from the humid Midwest (90s) and can read the weather charts, of course, but they don't convey humidity well...does it feel comfortalbe to you or a humid 70-something? You would obsess over the humidity, too, if you lived where I do : )

Also, NWM...check your hotmail! And thanks for the offer : )

LOL Kit, while it is humid-ish-for-US today (Sunday evening)...

NOBODY who really knows humidity would count this as much>>>

and by the time you get here... it will be upper 70's and absolutely splendid (meaning no significant humidity... except in the early daylight hours, when we've been having considerable cloud-cover unlike in our 'normal' summers - where 'normal' lasts maybe 6 weeks)

The insignificant humidity won't impact you when the sun isn't or hasn't recently been out.

IF weather history repeats itself, it will be sometimes as clear as a bell at dawn (6am) and then dishearten everybody by clouding up until 10:00 or 11:00am... and then the sun will break through again, the clouds will move away, and the weather will be stunning.

I would dress for essentially 'no significant humidity' and then roll the dice with the Seattle weather.

(it COULD turn right around and rain for hours/days... but that would be 'charming' in its own disappointing way)

(shakes head in awe)

(NOBODY ever has it this good here: )


http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USWA0395

Humidity isn't really an issue in Seattle. What us locals wmight be complaining about wouldn't even be noticeable to someone from the midwest, backeast or the south.

> it COULD turn right around and rain for hours/days... but that would be 'charming' in its own disappointing way

Mp worries on that score. I'm flying in on Wednesday for a 6-day backpacking trip in the area, so cold wind and rain will start Friday afternoon when we are heading up the trail!

This has been a great thread for lurking, for this trip and future ones. Thanks.

Left home 10:30AM Friday. Ate lunch at a buffet place near UofO.
Got to Mt. Angel (NE of Salem) for a great German meal 4PM.
Dropped off DW at the Abbey for a conference 5PM. There was stop and go traffic on 5 and 205 (70 miles in 2 hours). Arrived in Seattle @ 10PM and drove around the neighborhood for 45 minutes looking for a parking spot. Checked into the hostel just before 11PM. As expected-not an HI quality hostel.
Saturday's weather was perfect, mid 70's to 80 and comfortable humidity. A little over 1000 people attended the Groundspeak Block Party in the Fremont section of Seattle.
Our group picture was taken at 2:45. I was back in Portland at 6:30. Sounds like both cities will be getting some rain tomorrow.

ROFL @ Nelson...

(check that weather link in my last post)

I love your logic, and while that prophecy isn't exactly out of the question, your chances of escaping the window of your trip withOUT any rain at all are as near to '100%' as anyone can be promised in western Washington.

(again, NEAR TO 100% chance of escaping withOUT any rain)

(although, is that 6 days for the whole TRIP, or 6 days of backpacking??)

Guess I should point out to those who arrive here from elsewhere, that "humidity" is far more prominent on the EAST coast of continents than it is on the west coast of continents. Couple that with Seattle's relatively northern climate, and there are seldom causes for concern.

Monday morning update: (oh, by the way, most here don't have air conditioning, and don't need it)

LAST NIGHT I turned a fan on for the first time since September of 2010.

Monday morning brings cool air, overcast skies @ 10:48am, and expected clearing later (2 hours later, maybe). This pattern has been with us for what seems like WEEKS.

Seattle has been cooler than normal all year.

Per this weather data compilation, YESTERDAY hit 85 degrees for the first time in 360 days!!

http://www.beautifulseattle.com/mthsum.asp

(I think I once read that we reach "90 degrees" an average of "six" days a year)

I don't think anybody from elsewhere need worry about the weather here soon.

BY the way, Nelson, IF it is possible from where you'll be, go to Winthrop, WA and drive back toward Seattle/western WA over the "North Cascades Highway".

The scenery there is awesome, and for a lot of it you don't even have to STOP, yet there are many viewpoints and sensible spots for stopping along the way.

(FYI - I read on another thread where you might be targeting for your backpacking)

I was just hiking (I'm gonna call it) not terribly far from Winthrop 8 days ago (over & back via North Cascades).

Oh, phooey, I just did a mapquest path from "Coles Corner, WA" to Winthrop, WA... and it seems too far out of the way (an indirect path) (132 miles, 2 1/2 hrs.)

(for two places roughly 60 miles apart)

Winthrop is a town like few others, quaint, remote, yet touristy, and the North Cascades Hwy is truly impressive for scenery.

Oh yeah, Nelson, it should be mentioned that "Seattle" weather does NOT relate significantly to weather on the east side of the Cascade Mountain Range, where the weather is much more hospitable in terms of precipitation.

Seattle is guarded by mountain ranges both east and west, and when the brunt of the weather comes inland from the ocean, it is caused to go UP, to clear the mountains, and the colder air causes the clouds to drop their payload on either side of the western mountain range. Much of what's left is targeted by the higher Cascade Range.

I wouldn't fret much at all about your hiking prospects.

NorthwestMale,

Thanks much for the info. Will make note of Winthrop for a future trip with my wife. She isn't into backpacking any more, she's smarter than me.

This change in the weather forecast seems fictional. I've been keeping an eye on it all month and have see the constant cool and wet. Lyman Lake, which we should pass on day 2 of our 6 days of backpacking, finally melted out on August 2. See "Snow Depth / Daily Readings" here:
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/si...m=606&state=wa

I live in Fort Collins, Colorado and know about wild differences between town and mountain weather. But Leavenworth is the closest sizable town to our Glacier Peak trailhead, and they are claiming to offer up sunny skies and 90 degrees, starting Friday through at least Monday!

Nonetheless I will be carrying rain gear and a pack cover.

Last year on, at this exact time on a 6 day trip by Rainier, we had three good days, two marginal, and one fully soggy. We were satisfied with that. And yes, the rainy days are beautiful.

P.S. The 10-day model on unisys weather makes it look cloudless in Seattle (was that a movie?) starting Wednesday, the day I fly there, through Thursday next week, the day I return home. A solid week of sun. Can it be true?!

http://weather.unisys.com/gfsx/gfsx....&region=us&t=l

I'm packing right this minute! Jeans or shorts for downtown Seattle this weekend? I am bringing hiking gear for Rainier, of course.

I understand packing light but I would have one of each.
I prefer khakis since they dry quicker than jeans.
Saturday I was wearing my khakis and a short sleeve shirt in Seattle.