Deb15July

OK...so Bellevue's Farmer's Market has no sessions while we are visiting. Scratch that! If the Undergroound tour is not worth visiting...please advise. EMP is right up DD's alley and since the Science Fiction stuff is included...it is probaby right on the money! Thoughts!!

suze

You could go to Pike Place Market the same day you do the EMP. On Wed & Fri there are lots more local vendors so it's even more like a true open air farmers market.

Snoqualmie Falls is definitely worth a stop, if you're staying on the Eastside and have a rental car. There's a spa there at the Salish Lodge, you could have facials or massage?

Can't comment on the Underground Tour, as I've lived here 25 years and yet to do it (ha-ha)!

If you want a tour downtown, how about one of the Savor Seattle ones? www.savorseattletours.com

beanweb24

Hi lenny --

I haven't been to Anita's on Leary yet...my problem is that I get too distracted by the sweet potato fries and vegan spinach and eggplant curry at The Traveler next door.

I've actually heard from a few people that the Anita's at the markets are better than the Anita's restaurant, but I should probably confirm that for myself one of these days!

Orcas

Deb,
"Vancouver
Drive to Vancouver
Tour the Arboretum at Queen Elizabeth Park
Ferry to Vancouver Island"

Not sure why the arboretum on a very short trip to Vancouver. I would suggest, instead, that you rent bicycles and go around Stanley Pk (counterclockwise, or anti-clockwise, as the British would say- maybe the Canadians too, eh?) and continue on to Granville Island.

The path at Stanley Pk next to the water. There are many interesting sights along the way, including gardens you can visit. There is an aquarium, cricket fields, totem poles, statues, water parks, beaches, forests. It is really an impressive park. Every time I go there it reminds me of what a shame it is that the Seattle waterfront is largely private and inaccessable.

You can continue the ride from Stanley Park and go all the way to Granville Island, including a hop by water taxi. (You can take your bikes on the water taxi.) Granville Island has a market and lots of interesting shops, including arts and craft stores. This would be a great way to enjoy Vancouver.

Another thing to do in Vancouver, I read in the paper yesterday the Vancouver Art Gallery has a touring visit of great paintings from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, including Vermeer and Rembrandts (to Sept 13). This would be a nice visit, too. The museum is in the heart of the downtown, so you'd see the major part of the city, too. They have a really good exhibit of Emily Carr's work. She is a great artist who documented the history of British Columbia, and it is well worth stopping by that exhibit as well, if you go.

Orcas

Oops, not a touring exhibition from the Netherlands, but an exclusive. Here's the website:

http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_e...dutch_art.html

Now I have to figure out when we are going to go!

Deb15July

What is the best way to get from Sea-Tac to downtown Seattle?

NWWanderer

"Best"--do you mean fastest? Cheapest? Fastest would be a taxi ($45 or so), cheapest would be the Metro bus (around $2.50 pp). In between would be the Airporter bus ($11 pp), but it only goes to certain hotels so whether it would work for you would depend on where you're staying.

Deb15July

Not staying in Seattle. Will be staying with friends in Bellevue, but thought we could go into Seattle from the airport and maybe do the Harbor cruise (will have luggage...one carry-on and another bag each) before they pick us up. They will be joining us for most of our excursions, but I hate to subject them to every tourist move we make!!! Is there any public transit from Downtown Seattle to Bellevue?

NWWanderer

So what will you do with your luggage while you go on the cruise? Will Argosy hold it for you? Not sure they have the space in their kiosk on the waterfront...

Yes, there are buses between Bellevue and Seattle.

Deb15July

Well Argosy doesn't have anywhere to store luggage, but you can take it on board the boat. That might not be the best plan at this point because I think we might decide to buy a Seattle pass and it is only good for 9 days. Based on our current itineray, it will run out before the last day I need it. Does anyone know how the days are counted? For instance, let's say I buy a pass tomorrow...what day will be the last day I can use it? I would think I could use it on 7/20 for the last time. Who knows for sure?

NWWanderer

What kind of pass are you talking about?

Deb15July

The Seattle City Pass. It has several things that we definitely plan to do and a couple that we would like to fit in if time permits. If we do at least 3 of them...it would be best to get the pass instead of paying individual prices.

lennyba

The time period begins on the first day you use the pass.

Deb15July

So the first day is 1 and 9 is thru midnight of the 9th day? Hate to be anal but I'm stretching the time limit to venture to Vancouver mid-week.

NWWanderer

Ok, yes, that's how i read it as well, that it's good for nine calendar days with day 1 the day you first use the pass. So if you were to use it tomorrow the last day you could use it would be Monday the 20th.