Seattle: what to see and do?
 

I have never been to Seattle before, but it seems to interest me a lot. Ive heard many say its beautiful there, so Im contemplating about taking my first trip up there next year.

Im not sure exactly when I will be going, but since Im not an avid fan of cold weather, it wouldnt be in the winter time.

So, I seek the advice of those who have been to Seattle before, and especially those who have resided there for many years as what would be some of the highlights and attractions I should see?

I am also interested in possibly seeing Vancouver,BC as well. Ive heard its about 3 hrs away. Are there ferries that take visitors from Puget Sound to Vancouver?, Ive always wondered about that.

also, whats the best part of town to lodge in? I am looking for an area that isnt too fancy and exquisite, but not delapitated either..middle class and safe I suppose, but still somewhat close to major attractions.

Whats the best transportation method to use when I am there to see attractions? rental car? is there light-rail service there? taxis? buses? etc.

Thanks for the advice.

I have resided in Seattle for many years.

I had friends visiting from out of town a couple week ago and here is what we did:
Pike Place Market
Pioneer Square historic district
dim sum in Chinatown
up the Space Needle at sunset
Snoqualmie Falls
ferry ride to Bainbridge Island

You could add:
Seattle Public Library
Seattle Art Museum
Experience Music Project
Woodland Park Zoo
new waterfront Sculpture Garden

Vancouver is 3 hours away. You'd get there by car, bus or train (not ferry).

The majority of hotels in the city are located right in the central downtown Seattle area, which is neither exquisite nor delapidated, and is most central.

If you wanted a B&B instead there are some in close-by residential neighborhoods such as Capitol Hill.

You can get around on foot, bus, and taxi. Or you could rent a car. You don't need a car for sight-seeing within the city, but it could be handy if you want to go out into the surrounding countryside or see Mt Rainier or Mt St Helen of the Olympic Peninsula rainforests, for example.

If you go to Vancouver, you may also want to visit Whistler, home of the 2010 Olympics, and Victoria.

To the scenic highlights previously mentioned, the Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon Coast are of particular interest if you can extend your visit.

Seattle is a great place to visit.
Here are some highlights:

-the Underground Tour
-Pike Place Market
-ferry ride to Bainbridge Island
-tour of the locks
-Space Needle
-Pioneer Square area

Vancouver is definitley worth a trip. It is a beautiful place! The ride up was also nice if I remember correctly. There is a nice park at the US/Canadian border.
Stanley Park is worth a stop!

Have a great trip!!

thanks for the advice.

The Space Needle would be a definite must for me, as would be Chinatown (I didnt even know Seattle had one of those!)

I want to go to the outdoor fish market too ( I saw it once on a tv special)

You mentioned that you can get to Vancouver by train. Is it various lines that make the run up there, or just a specific one? any idea how much that would cost?

also, is the U.S/Canadian border still free,.or does it require certain documents to get in and out?

The "outdoor fish market" is in the Pike Place Market.

Our Chinatown doesn't amount to much in comparison to San Francisco, but it has some excellent markets, bakeries, and restaurants. Our favorite is the Sea Garden, but then we're not into Dim Sum which is so wildly popular these days.

The train in Amtrak. It leaves fairly early in the morning and comes back around six in the evening.

I show my passport when I cross the border, but perhaps a driver's license will do--I'm not sure.

As a local, I'd like to suggest a much less expensive alternative to the top of the Space Needle. The Columbia Tower, in the Pioneer Square area, offers expansive views from its top floor viewing deck, at a fraction of the Space Needle's cost.

What's more, the Columbia Tower is much higher and you can see the whole Sound and islands, and the Space Needle down at your knees. It's pretty spectacular.

A great long day or overnight trip out of Seattle is the Olympic Peninsula. Within two/three hours you can be over on the Peninsula, doing a easy alpine hike at Hurricane Ridge with amazing views over the mountains and sea. This is particularly fun in the late spring when the wildflowers are out. Then drop in to Dungeness Spit to walk a tiny but 10 mile long sand spit out into the ocean, have some great seafood and catch the night ferry from Bainbridge directly back into downtown Seattle.

There is one Amtrak train a day to Vancouver, leaving at 7.30am. It takes 4 hours or so. It's a great trip as it runs along the waterfront most of the way. I believe that the return trip runs in the late afternoon. I think passport requirements have been relaxed-- I know for sure they are not needed for children. But you'd better look at the latest State Department information.

You'll definitely need your passport these days to get across the US-Canadian border, so please don't forget it!

If you are going to Vancouver, its Chinatown is better than Seattle's which, as happytrailstoyou has indicated, doesn't amount to much.

Also if you are going to Vancouver, you should probably consider including a trip to Victoria. I'd greatly recommend Victoria over Whistler, especially in the summertime.

As to time of year to visit, summer is the best. It's very beautiful in the Pacific Northwest during the summer.

No one has mentioned the day trip to Mount Ranier. Depending on what time of year, the drive up Ranier includes beautiful water falls and excellent hiking opportunities. Both national lodges are good visits. Pack a picnic lunch.

Again, depending on the time of year, if you do the Salish Lodge/Snoqualamie Falls trip; continue on to Snoqualamie Pass. If you are there during the snow months, one of the most beautiful settings in the world.

Doesn't the Victoria Clipper High Speed Ferry run anymore? It's a lot more relaxing than the train.

Victoria Clipper runs to Victoria (not Vancouver).

You need a passport at the border crossing to Canada.

Pike Place Market IS the outdoor fish market.

Space Needle is well worth the $16 pp adult admission price if the weather is clear.

Smith Tower is another very interesting observation deck though not nearly as high as either Columbia Tower or Space Needle.

The passport requirement is a January 1, 2008 start date for travel by land. It is already required for air travel.

The Canadian border crossing is 'free', I suppose, if one means 'no cost'.

However, it's-a gonna get ugly soon, if it hasn't already. The crossing at Peace Arch (Blaine, WA) itself is being extensively rebuilt to accomodate the Olympics in BC in 2010(?), so that means that traffic will likely be restricted to 1 lane on the south side of the border for months to come. Result: exquisitely loooong waits to get across.

Add to that the increasingly draconian manners of the officials at the crossing points, and it just isn't going to be pleasant or fast to get between Seattle and Vancouver any time soon, by car anyway.

So, my reco: take the train. For US entrants into Canada by train, customs and immigration happens at the Vancouver depot. If you think you'll want a car in Van, rent one after you arrive.

If you're travelling in Summer -- double the hassle.

Just injecting a note of reality.

We enjoyed our 3 night stay at the Edgewater Hotel, located right on Elliott Bay, the hotel is gorgeous,we had a panoramic view of Elliott Bay from our room. They offer a fantastic shuttle service that took us all over Seattle. :)

Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, the waterfront and the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island were all very fun. We enjoyed meals at Six Seven at the Edgewater, Dahlia Lounge, Flying Fish in Belltown and Salty's on Alki Beach. The hotel arranged for a limo from Salty's to pick us up and take us to dinner which was nice. ***kim*** ((#))

Hey ***kim*** I've missed your upbeat suggestions. I hope you've been silent because of extened travel. HTTY

Great list by Suze, and I agree with her on how to get around the city.

Another fun thing is to catch a Mariner's game if they are in town. The stadium has some great views too.

How long do you plan to allow for this trip? And what price range are you thinking for a hotel?

Suze never fails me make me 1- homesick for the PNW 2- Wanna go to Seattle again.

Yes, kimamom, did you have a good summer? We hear you picked 1,000 grapes in Oregon then drove home..I would love to hear more about that! :)

My son worked at Hostelling International, located right in/by the Pike Place Market..he had great stories to tell of the interesting place, people and things to do.

Suze..is the Alibi Room still there, do you know? He worked part time there for a while ((D))

Scarlett, I remember going to that Hosteling Int'l before my first trip to Europe (a loooooooooooong time ago) to get my YHA card. An interesting place, for sure!

LOL, yes, my son really should have written a book :)