suze

The tourists are wearing shorts. The locals are wearing jeans.

NorthwestMale

Some of those tourists packed umbrellas too, just in case...


The true locals never use umbrellas. The only umbrellas I've ever owned were found on the bus.

kit

What's the big deal about loooking like a tourist. I'm not trying to fool anyone; I'll never see any of these people again. I say this not understanding this comment in any context no matter what the destination.

FWIW...I'm not bringing an umbrella b/c I have an excellent hooded jacket but I very well may wear shorts. I'm pretty sure my guidebook and camera-at-the-ready will mark me as a tourist, too...I'm happy to be one -- exceedingly so!

Bobmrg

Uhhhh....suze, I'm wearing shorts right now, and you know where I live.

suze

I know I know Bob. Sorry just kiddin' around.

Kit, you probably want to pack both. Maybe not jeans but some kind of capris or lightweight pants, plus shorts. Summer finally arrived just a couple days ago and it's actually been over 80. Today's downright "hot" and downtown is PACKED with tourists... I was just out for a walk.

NorthwestMale

There is nothing wrong with looking like a tourist, yet I still laugh when somebody stops me and says: "Hi, we're TOURISTS!!!... (and we wanna know/go this/here)"

(as if no other tourists roam the area)



I was just using the reference to go into the underlying secrets about umbrellas in rainy Seattle.

Updated weather... 5:15pm Seattle time on Tuesday... 78 degrees in local neighborhood not terribly far from downtown. Not sure if I hit '80' here today, or not... but it wasn't 80 as of 4:30.

kit

OK! Shorts and jeans and lightweight pants all packed. alarm set for 4 am...off to bed. Thank you all for the help; I'm going to have a great time!

Nelson

Have a great trip! At the 11th hour my wife decided to join me after the backpack, and we will spend Labor Day weekend in Seattle. My hotel was fully booked those dates so I had to move. (It was the Moore, in my book unbeatable for price + location combination.)

So based on advice here I tried Priceline for the first time ever and wound up at the Silver Cloud Broadway for $166 / night. Guess I should be happy with that. At least they turned up something available, while I was having trouble.

Remember, any rain or cold wind that suddenly blows in on Friday or Saturday is due to me trying to get over Spider Gap and down to Image Lake.

No more keyboards for two weeks.

NorthwestMale

I 'allow' (ha-ha @ the tone of that!) that to improvise and take what you can get for Labor Day weekend was the right move.

(darn, since the wife is coming in "after" the backpack, she's probably flying into Seattle and causing you to expedite your return trip TO the airport environs... where IF ONLY she were there ON the backpack journey... you could have considered Winthrop and the North Cascades... for a scenic return to western WA)

AT ANY RATE, I am hopeful that by now KIT is off the plane, off the Light Rail, and possibly wandering around trying to find the S.L.U.T. @ 1:10pm local time. (eh, she could be all the way to her room by now)

NELSON... as to Priceline... I simply cannot endorse it enough for typical hotel room needs while traveling.

Holiday weekends don't let Priceline wield the full of its potential, given high demand narrowing the options. And small towns don't generally let Priceline do too much.

BUT, when going to larger cities in which you don't HAVE to be right across the street from YOUR convention, or the like, then Priceline is usually awesome.

(perhaps moreso for people like me, who often need SOMETHING to produce an 'idea' {in this case, for "where to stay"} so I myself don't have to come up with an idea of my own)

Re: the Silver Cloud Broadway:

Do give yourself the experience of walking up and down Broadway from your hotel several blocks to the north.

Turn around when you get to the SECOND QFC grocery store on your path (both on the west side of the street, addys "417" and "1401")

(during the day and/or at night) The people-watching is worth it alone. If you want to be 'hip' and "Seattle-like", stop at Dick's Drive In along the way.

(though Dick's might be best done IN THE CAR... as Dick's doesn't have any indoor dining - you either dine in the car, OR share a barely-passes-for-a-table TABLE with scores of others out front)

(ok, on your walk... pinpoint WHERE Dick's is, on the west side of Broadway, and then, at some point later, when you're roaming in the rental car(???)... stop there and park in the lot, get out and order at the window, and bring it back to eat in the car)(open REALLY late)

Nelson

NWM,

Thanks for info. I'm in Seattle now, neither hip nor Seattle like, though I did get several compliments on my hat, so maybe that counts. My friend is picking me in a few minutes from Moore Hotel, then we are off to the mountains.

Wife arrives next Wednesday, the same day I get back to town, so she will take light rail on her own and we'll converge on the Silver Cloud. Thay have a shuttle that will pick her up at Westlake.

Had dinner at Pike Brewery last night and breakfast this morning at Athenian in the market. Both excellent and fun.

Thanks for info on Dick's Drive In. We will not bother with a rental car, and just stay in Seattle.

Priceline did work out. Thanks and signing off!

kit

Thanks to all for the help in planning! My trip was perfectly perfect, and the trip report is here: http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mt-rainier.cfm

Nelson

Glad to hear you had a great trip Kit. Mine was also fantastic, and despite my prediction we had 6 days of nearly flawless backpacking weather. The Glacier Peak Wilderness was one of the prettiest yet most magnificent places I've seen. I did manage to get the somewhat elusive photo of Glacier Peak towering above Image Lake.

Then my wife and I had a wonderful 5 nights in Seattle. Definitely worth many return visits.

kit

Thanks, Nelso; you too! Looks like we all came up aces!