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Salmon, Starbucks, Steves, Shopping & Sunshine: A Seattle Trip Report

Salmon, Starbucks, Steves, Shopping & Sunshine: A Seattle Trip Report

Old Jan 27th, 2010, 12:23 PM
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Salmon, Starbucks, Steves, Shopping & Sunshine: A Seattle Trip Report

For several years Seattle was at the top of my "go to" wish list. For whatever reason I had a really strong desire to check out the Emerald City, maybe it's all the great things I've heard about how laid back the people are, or how beautiful it is with mountains and water everywhere, OR...

OK, it's also the hometown of travel guru Rick Steves. Well to be honest, not actually his hometown, but really close. Europe Through the Back Door is Rick Steves' company and having been on 5 Europe Through the Back Door tours I was itching to see how things worked at "mission control" in downtown Edmonds, Washington, a short drive from downtown Seattle.

In October last year I got an email from Europe Through the Back Door saying they were having a "Test Drive a Tour Guide" Saturday event in Edmonds. Not only would there be seminars on all the tours in their tour line up but almost all of the Europe guides would be descending upon Edmonds during this time and there would be a big tour alumni reunion.

When I read the email my mind started wandering. Wouldn’t it be great to meet the guides who would be doing my Basque Country tour in May? Wouldn’t it be great to hear about some of the destinations I’m yearning to go to (and some that I love to relive)? Wouldn’t it be really great to see some of the guides who guided my previous tours?

With all these musings swirling around in my head, I checked the Delta Airlines website to see what airfares were for mid-January. What luck I had on the first look, roundtrip airfare with taxes was just over $300 from Savannah!

It didn’t take much persuasion to convince my intrepid travel companion (my mom) to spend a long weekend in Seattle. I was able to get a friends and family rate at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Seattle. And after that, we were ready to see this gem of a city.

Friday, January 15, 2010
What was I thinking when I booked a flight leaving Savannah at 6:30am????

We arrived at the airport and were through security at 5:30am. Things were looking good when the plane was boarded and the door closed, we were ready to go! Then we sat there for 30 minutes while the plane was ….de-iced…why oh why did this have to be the coldest day in the southeast. Generally I wouldn’t be so concerned, but our flight time for our Atlanta to Seattle leg had been changed and we only had about a 20 minute connection time. For me this is tight…I get very antsy and usually prefer at least an hour connection time, but I didn’t have much of a choice.

Once we got off the plane we rushed to our connecting gate and we made it just in time. The plane was boarding and we got in line. As the gate agent scanned our boarding passing we got a very pleasant surprise….we were upgraded to business class!!!!! Ahhh, five hours in a comfy seat and breakfast was served! It really does pay off to be a skymiles member!

We arrived in Seattle about 20 minutes early and yes, it was raining! But the flight path to the airport took us right over the center of Seattle and it was clear enough to have great views. We made our way to the Grayline Seattle Downtown Airporter Shuttle (http://www.graylineseattle.com/airportexpress1.cfm) I had pre-booked tickets online before leaving home. I purchased 2 roundtrip tickets at $18 each. It was a short ride into the city and we were fortunate the Crowne Plaza was the second stop on the shuttle and we didn't have to ride around to 12 other hotels before we got to ours. Of course it was the opposite when we departed and we did see 12 other downtown Seattle hotels, but we're not complaining. However, days after I booked the non-refundable shuttle tickets I saw an article saying the new light rail line between the Seattle airport and downtown Seattle had just opened. Next time I definitely will try that option. I don't recall the exact cost, but I think it was around $3.00 for a light rail ticket into the city.

By 11:30am we were in the lobby and checking in. We had a great corner room on a high floor. It was comfortable, clean and had 2 huge windows. The view was of the I-5 freeway, but there was that “being in a city feel” to the view that we loved.

Coming up next...an afternoon shopping spree followed by a really good Italian meal!
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 02:02 PM
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Bookmarking in anticipation.
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 02:17 PM
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LCI, great start and how nice to be upgraded to Biz class! Looking forward to your next installment!
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 04:03 PM
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I was wondering how your trip was. Upgrade ... sigh of envy.
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 04:28 PM
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Hey, I was at that Rick Steves event! (For me it getting to ETBD headquarters just involves a 20 minute drive, a 30 minute ferry ride and a 5 minute walk). I've only been on one RS tour, but I really enjoy the RS talks at the Edmonds center...the purpose is likely to sell more tours, but I go for the great information presented for do-it-yourself travelers.
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 04:59 PM
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Yes the upgrade was great and because it was unexpected it was even better!

azzure...I know some may think the ETBD event was one big sales pitch...and to be honest, it was(although it was not high-pressure sales push...IMO)...but I really enjoyed hearing from the guides who do the tours and LOVED the slide presentations. And there was good information for any traveler. Did you attend the final session with Rick, about how he started the company? I really enjoyed that...some of those old pictures were funny!

I'm working on the next installment, hopefully will post a little more tonight.
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 06:00 PM
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Friday continued...

After we got settled into our room and freshened up a bit we braved the wet weather (which wasn’t very bad, just a misty rain) and walked one block to the Hilton to see where we would pick up the rental car the next morning. That took all of 3 minutes and we were then off to Pike Place Market (http://www.pikeplacemarket.com/frameset.asp?flash=true)

Wow! And we only scratched the surface during a short walk through the market. The first place we stopped was an Italian Grocery, DeLaurenti. No surprise there, with our love of anything Italian! As we perused the shelves mom casually said, “Do you think they have Pocket Espresso here?” For those of you who don’t know what Pocket Espresso is, it is this little nugget of chocolate filled with an oozie coffee liquid center. We fell in love with these little morsels in Rome a few years ago. Well, lo and behold we turned the corner and BAM…there were 8 packages of these delectable sweets. At $4.95 a package they weren’t cheap, but we snapped up 4 packages!

We continued through the market and found the “flying fish” stand and tasted smoked salmon, what we think is the best smoked salmon we have ever had, until a return visit on Sunday, but I’m getting ahead of myself here.

As we checked out the vendors…seafood, fruit, jams, spices, nuts, honey, pastas, candies, Seattle souvenirs, dry and fresh flowers our heads were in constant motion swiveling back and forth at all the activity going on. At one point I looked out the windows behind the vendors tables and spotted “the shrine”…well, to some it’s a shrine, to me, it’s a shrine…there it was in all it’s coffee glory…the original Starbucks. Being loyal customers at our local Starbucks back at home we felt the need to check out where it all began.

I’m not sure how we managed it, but there were very few people in the store when we went in and placed our order. This was not how it would be within 10 minutes when we walked out; it was packed to the rafters and a line almost out the door. The barista making my drink was very chatty and even let me take her picture while making my drink.

After being fortified with caffeine we were ready to hit the Nordstrom Rack store. I won’t bore you with a shopping description; let’s just say I contributed heartily to Seattle’s economy! Now we were ready to drop off our bags at the hotel and walk over to Purple Café and Wine Bar (http://www.thepurplecafe.com/about.html) at 1225 4th Avenue for a glass of wine before our dinner reservation at Assaggio.

We really liked Purple Café and Wine Bar and it was thanks to a Fodorite who replied to one of my pre-trip posts that I knew of this place. It felt vast inside, large windows, a wine bottle lined spiral stairway, big chairs and tables. We sat at the bar and toasted to our Seattle weekend with a Washington sauvignon blanc wine.

We had a 6pm dinner reservation at Assaggio (www.assaggioseattle.com) located at 2010 4th Avenue. Since the rain had stopped we decided to walk and although not around the corner from Purple, it was a nice 10-15 walk to Assaggio.

Our reservation was fairly early since we had been awake since 3:30am (Eastern Time), so when we arrived the restaurant wasn’t very crowded. As our meal progressed the dinning room started to fill up quite nicely. The owner greeted us with a friendly smile and a “buona sera”. The service was good and the food was terrific.

We had 2 starters the first was an arancino (a large, fried rice ball with peas and tomato sauce) and the second was cannellini beans and tuna. The tuna dish was the winner of the 2. Mom chose to have the salmon special and it was delicious, served with a cucumber and olive chutney and fresh/crip vegetables. I had the paparadelle cinghale, it was hot and delicious and perfect for a rainy evening. We had a bottle of Gavi di Gavi white wine. I finished the meal with pear tart with vanilla gelato. A perfect ending with 2 espresso that rivaled any espresso we’ve had in Italy.

We walked back to the hotel and were asleep by 9pm. It was a long but fun day!
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 06:23 PM
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So far it sounds wonderful! Which Rick Steves tours have you taken? Obviously you have been pleased since you have taken 5 and going on another.

Looking forward to more . . .
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 06:53 PM
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LCBoniti...

I've taken the Rick Steves Ireland, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Rome, Paris & South of France tours. I'll be taking the Basque Country tour in the sping.

Yes, I am pleased with his tours, generally when I do a tour I either arrive a few days before the tour starts or stay a few days after (in one case I stayed an additional 10 days)to do some independent travel and explore the areas on my own.
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 03:29 AM
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Great start to your report, LCI! Have you ever taken a RS tour solo? If so, I'm curious to know if you roomed with a stranger or paid the single supplement which can be expensive, imo.

Also, I know you took a shuttle but did you happen to learn where the light rail drops off? Did you meet anyone who used it?

Oh, how I wish my mom shared your moms love of travel!! Look forward to more!
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 05:25 AM
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AnnMarie...

My first RS tour (Ireland) I did solo, mostly because I was tired of waiting for friends to want to travel with me and I finally realized "life is not a dress rehearsal" and if I wanted to go I should go! Now my mom is able to travel with me and so I have a very compatible travel companion!

To answer your question, on that solo trip I did room with a stranger. There were only 2 solo females on that tour so we roomed together every night. It wasn't bad, but the subsequent tours I either traveled with a friend or my mom, so had a built-in roommate.

On the Turkey tour I went on, there were 2 women solo travelers who paid the single supplement and although they became very friendly on the tour and did alot of things together (and they are still friendly today, they live near each other in California) they were both very happy they paid the extra money and had their own space...which I totally understand! On the Eastern Europe tour I went on there were several solo travelers who did not pay the single supplement and they rotated roomates at each hotel, so they didn't have the same roommates every night of the trip. In situations like that the guides really work with the solo travelers to make sure everyone is happy.

As for the Seattle light rail from the airport. I'm not sure but I think one stop is the Westlake Center in downtown Seattle. I believe there are several stops along the route from the airport. Maybe one of the Seattle Fodorites can chime in here with more accurate information.
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 11:01 AM
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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Sunrise at almost 8am and we were walking to a Tully's coffee shop for a cuppa joe and a little breakfast treat. We then picked our rental car from National Car Rental at their desk at the downtown Hilton Hotel.

Picking up the car was smooth and we were off to Edmonds by 8:30am. The drive could not have been easier. We boxed the block at the Hilton and got right on the I-5 freeway heading north. Driving out of the city we experienced rain, fog, and sunny skies...quite a variety! The exit for Edmonds was only about 10 miles from downtown Seattle and before we knew it, we were entering the cute downtown area of Edmonds. From leaving Seattle to parking the car in Edmonds it was only 30 minutes. Traffic was light, I'm thinking because it was a Saturday morning.

Wow...I was surprised at how crowded the town was and it would get even more crowded with lots of "Rick-nics".

The first stop for us was at the Europe Through the Back Door Travel Center. I purchased the Paris guidebook (with a 20% discount special for the "event" day)since I'll be in Paris later this year and like to have current guidebook information.

After checking out the other things on sale it was time for our first session, an hour on the Madrid/Barcelona and Basque Country tours. It was a very informative session and the guides we met were friendly and excited about their destination.

Without going into further detail, we spent the rest of the day hopping from venue to venue listening to presentations on several of the Italy tours (especially liked the Sicily session...possible 2011 trip!)and catching up with all the guides we had on previous tours...it was great to see everyone.

Just before 6pm we had a lengthy break and decided to have some dinner before the final session which was a talk by Rick on how he got his start in the travel world.

We stopped in at Olive's a wine bar/cafe in downtown Edmonds. We each had a couple glasses of wine and ordered 3 appetizers. All were very good. We had a homemade cavatelli pasta with pork ragu, a bruschetta with mozzarella & salumi and a Mediterranean spread plate with 4 different kinds of tangy spreads we slathered on crispy crackers. The total cost of the meal was around $60.

At 7pm we walked to the Edmonds Center for the Arts (a really nice/comfortable theater) to hear Rick speak, it was funny, laid back and (for me) interesting.

By 9pm we were back in the rental car and by 9:45pm we were back in Seattle. The drive back was great...the sky was clear and we had a great view of the Seattle skyline.

A fantastic day!
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 11:42 AM
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Unlike some here, I am a big fan of Rick S. I have used his books as a template for the many places that I have explored. I find I like to also travel the "Back-Doors" of Europe!

I feel I do a great job preparing for each trip so I never considered a RICK TOUR! But I could see that it would come in real handy for a "first time" tour of a country!

Looking forward to hearing more...
-john
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 02:09 PM
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Steves is very different in person from his somewhat milquetoast PBS show appearances. Much more forthright, more amusing than you'd think, and very progressive politically. He even SOUNDS different.
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 02:21 PM
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Rick is also quite a force in the local fight against homelessness in the Puget Sound area. I'm not crazy about his travel shtick, but he's a solid citizen.
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 02:37 PM
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If I recall correctly, that Saturday (the 16th) started out a bit rainy/cloudy, but then it cleared and we had a really nice day. This has been one of the mildest January's ever. I hope you got to enjoy more of the good weather during your visit?
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 02:40 PM
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enzian - as I've pointed out elsewhere, I am responsible for the mild winter because this was the year I decided to put studded tires on my car. You can thank me later...
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 02:42 PM
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Seattle LCI. Went there for the first time in 2008 and your words about the "flying fish stand", smoked salmon and the Pike Place Market especially make me want to go back!

Best wishes, Daniel
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 03:41 PM
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I checked RS tour listings. Boy, he sure has expanded his list of destinations and itineraries. We went to the Basque County 3 years ago, on our own, to visit long lost cousins. Very fun.

MY
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Old Jan 28th, 2010, 05:19 PM
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enzian...yes, we had a great weather day on Monday and took advantage of the mild temps. It's funny because I live in coastal SC where our winters are usually pretty mild but that week we were having record lows and it was warmer in Seattle then it was back home!

Michelle...yes, it seems like RS continues to add a variety of places each year. This year they've added a tour of Bulgaria!

Stay tuned...I'm working on the Sunday entry.
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