I recently returned from my trip to Seattle and would like to thank all of you for your wonderful recommendations.

I found Seattle to be a wonderful city.

Below is a summary of my itinerary. Hopefully, it will be useful for future visitors to Seattle.

1. Pike Place Market- After seing the market, I don't think that someone has seen Seattle unless they see the market. The food is absolutely incredible. I took a food tour with Savor Seattle Food Tours and highly recommend it. We got samples at nine locations throughout the market. Samples included donuts, items from a cherry company, chowder, piroskhys (a Russian pastry), cheeses and salmon. There were also tons of restaurants to eat at.

2. Woodland Park Zoo- This zoo is the best zoo I have ever been to. The exhibits are done so well that it seemed like the animals were all in their natural habitat. The featured special exhibit when I was there was the flamingos.

3. Museum of Flight- I was quite impressed with the range of planes displayed. The museum was quite fascinating. I saw planes ranging from a replica of the Wright's first plane to an actual Concorde and Air Force One. You could board the Concorde and Air Force One. This museum is a distance from downtown. I took the #174 bus from 4th and Stewart to the museum.

4. Safeco Field-Mariners- I loved the ballpark. It actually started raining just before the game, so I watched as the roof was closed. The fans were definitely the best behaved of any baseball fans I have ever seen. There was no rowdiness. There is even an area for kids to play. The food is also quite good. I had chowder from the Ivar's stand.

5. Seattle Aquarium- The aquarium was okay. I found it to be on the small side. However, if you have kids, they might love it.

6. Mount Rainier tour- I took a tour of Mt. Rainier with Seattle Tours. The views were absolutely breathtaking. The overlooks were fabulous. I also got a chance to hike a bit. Not all of the trails are steep. I have a bad knee. Yet, I was able to hike.

I also took a Seattle tour with Seattle Tours and a boat cruise around Seattle with Argosy Cruises.

Hotel- I stayed at the Silver Cloud Inn- Lake Union and strongly recommend it. It is not as near to the downtown attractions as some other hotels are. However,the shuttle bus that runs about every half hour takes you by the Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, the Space Needle and Safeco Field. The only times I used taxis were getting to and from the airport and to and from the zoo. The hotel is near several restaurants (Dukes- I highly recommend it, Chandler's Crab House, Joeys and Blu Water Bistro). The hotel serves a very nice free breakfast.

Thanks for posting! I live in Seattle and it is always inspirational to read about people's visits. You do a so much more than I ever think to do, living here (haha).

It sounds like you had a great trip. I too was in the Seattle area in early August and saw some of the same things. We had driven out and were staying in the Monroe, Wa area, so we had a car. I agree the Woodland Park Zoo is a real treat if you want to see the animals in a good environment.

When we went to the Museum of Flight, we took a docent led tour which was good. Our docent suggested we wait around a bit and take a tour with another docent who had been a test pilot. WOW, what a different tour of the same area.

On our departure, we dropped a couple off at Seatac in the morning, then headed southeast toward Mt. Rainier, taking lesser roads to avoid the morning rush. We had been to Mt. Rainier twice before but hadn't "seen" it because of the clouds. This day the mountain was "way out". Not a cloud in the sky and very clear air. Impressive as it stands so high above the surrounding mountains. We had planned to drive to the Sunrise Lookout but missed the turn because (in my opinion) it was not well marked. We ran into road construction but were held up only a short time. Followed the route from Ohanapecosh through Stevens Canyon and exited at the west side.

Thanks for a well-organized, succinct, and insightful trip review.

I was especially pleased for your mention of Woodland Park Zoo--a Seattle treasure that is too often overlooked or pooh-poohed as a destination on the basis that there are zoos everywhere.

Thanks for your trip report. I leave tomorrow for Seattle, yea!!! Any advice on the best way to get from airport to downtown hotels? I love how you posted the bus route to get to the zoo. I usually take public transportation.

Thanks for the terrific trip report. I'm a Seattlite who loves NY too. Agree about the zoo--it's lovely, and for those who like gardens, the nearby Rose Garden is a real treat as well.