Jaye

We are two women "of a certain age" (60+) who plan to visit Seattle for the first time in July. I have read numerous items saying that it's best to stay downtown, but to avoid the Pioneer Square area, even in the daytime. Is this true? I have some trouble walking for any great distance, so we will be using the "free bus" as much as possible. We are considering the Inn at Queen Anne, but I wonder if this is too far away from downtown? We hope to see some of Chihuly's work while we are there....is there anyplace in particular that we should plan to go? Any information would be welcome! Thanks!

xxx

There's no reason for you to avoid the Pioneer Square area in the middle of the day. My mother and aunt went last summer and enjoyed shopping in that area and didn't feel the least bit unsafe.

Be forewarned that the downtown area can be pretty hilly to walk around if you have difficulty with your legs.

John

Pioneer Sq. is fine in the daytime, and really not that bad at night, but no worse than other inner-city historic neighborhoods.

The Inn at Queen Anne is pretty far from downtown, and well outside the free bus zone. Here's what I'd suggest: go to http://www.priceline.com and familiarize yourself with their bidding rules. Then go to http://biddingfortravel.com and check out the recent winning bids for downtown Seattle. The new Hyatt in downtown (perfectly located for you) keeps turning up with winning bids in the $50-60 range (a quarter of the rack rate) - anyway, what have you got to lose?

What should you see? Way too broad a question. The Pike Market, obviously, ride a ferry, Pioneer Sq. and the International District, salmon at the locks, houseboats, Fremont troll, Space Needle and Seattle Center, Mt. Rainier excursion, and on and on... Search this site for plenty of ideas.

As far as Chihuly exhbiits are concerned, the best standing exhibit of his and other Pilchuck School (famous art glass school located north of Seattle) artists' work is the public display in the US Bank building at the corner of Pike and 5th. Grab a latte and browse the exhibits and the shops on the ground floor and mezzanines.

But for Chihuly fans and other studio glass people, the big event of this (or any other) summer is the opening of the Museum of Glass, and its attached Chihuly Bridge of Glass, in Tacoma in July. Check out the bridge link at http://www.chihuly.com (what hubris) and look at http://museumofglass.org to learn about the Museum. It ought to be open by the time you're here, and it promises to be a remarkable place.

Will

I was in Seattle last October with my 70 yr old overweight aunt. She has trouble walking and I was concerned. What she found best was the tourist trolley/shuttles. They were like $20 for a day and they take you all over the city, letting you get off and walk around the area and get back on when you are ready to move on. It definately beats the free bus underground downtown as this does not to many attractions. She also enjoyed a drive into the mountains for the day to Leavenworth WA, a quaint small mountain village east of Seattle.

Jaye

Thanks so much to all of you--the information has been a great help. We (my sister & I) are really looking forward to our trip! I especially appreciate the Chihuly information... will make every effort to get there! And the trolley vs. free bus tips will be very useful! Thanks again to all.