Seattle Travel

[disneychrista]

I am heading to Seattle in about a 6 weeks. I have my hotel, just booked my flight. Now I am working on the entertainment portion of the trip. I plan to visit the Pike Market, Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and MoPop. I will also go to the Ballard brewery district. I want to do an unground tour, any suggests on a particular one? What else if anything are "must do's?" Any suggesting for inexpensive or moderately priced (nothing fancy or expensive and no seafood) food or treats? I am not really interested in any hikes, bikes, or other physical activities.

What is the best way to get from Sea-Tac to downtown? I will have a carry-on and backpack. I've heard that you can easily take the monorail from the airport. How easy is this really? It will be about 930am on a Friday with return to airport on Sunday at 6.

What else should I know or keep in mind for a trip to Seattle in Mid-May?

 

[barkley]

i've done both the traditional (all ages) underground tour as well as the 'after hours' adult only. I found the after hours more interesting b/c it did a deeper dive into the seedier history and dirty politics/influences of the era.

suggestions for your trip-bring a pair of comfortable walking shoes and a water resistant jacket at minimum (it can be chilly and wet). be alert and cautious of your surroundings-some areas (like pioneer square where you would do an underground tour) can be sketchy at best (open drug use and VERY agressive pan handling). the ballard district has a reputation for pickpockets so keep that in mind.

 

[MsChristy12]

Don't get the the lightrail confused w/ the monorail!! coz both exist. The LIGHTRAIL is the one you need to take from the airport to downtown. It is very easy to hop on the lightrail to travel between airport and downtown and that's the transportation I recommend if you don't want to splurge on an uber (rideshare is pricey in Seattle). It's about 40-45 mins ride. For your return on Sunday, is that 6am or pm? If it's AM, the first train I believe it's around 5am. While you're on the lightrail, make sure your luggage are next to you at all times especially if you're sitting near the door (have your hands on them if you can't put them under your seat). Not trying to scare you but it's just to be cautious as you would in any city's public transportation. We do have homeless on lightrails, it's not uncommon.

Monorail is the one you can take from downtown to Seattle Center when you go to MoPop. It doesn't go anywhere else...just back and forth between DT and Seattle Center.

Do you like coffee ? If yes, I will give you some must visit local coffee shops. Food wise, what type of food or cuisine do you like?

Weather - ALWAYS bring layers for Seattle. It doesn't matter in May or August. In May, it can still be 35 in the morning then 70 in the afternoon. Bring a light raincoat or water resistant jacket and don't bother with an umbrella (if it pours, your hotel will most likely have umbrellas provided). Umbrellas are also a great indicator for us locals that, you're a tourist haha Good walking shoes that are also water-resistant, otherwise your shoes won't dry overnight.

While you're in downtown, don't walk on 3rd Ave, just don't, avoid it. I don't want to ruin your trip experience but also want to prepare you a bit...as a local, I think DT Seattle is pretty sad these days. We never bounced back from the pandemic and honestly, kinda gotten worse IMO. A lot of retail have closed but no new businesses moved in, so you'll see quite a bit of vacancy and it feels kinda dead. I don't want to admit it but unfortunately, that's the truth.

With that said, let's end on something good and better vibe!
Pike Place Market is a lovely place to visit with lots of local vendors. Try to go there earlier in the day (before 10). Daily Dozen make their doughnut holes fresh continously through the day (cinnamon sugar is the best and most popular), make sure to get some to go with your coffee. Please don't stand in line at the "original" Starbucks to get your coffee, nothing special about that location, all the coffee are the same unless you want to buy specific merch.

Happy to answer any other questions you may have.

 

[disneychrista]

i've done both the traditional (all ages) underground tour as well as the 'after hours' adult only. I found the after hours more interesting b/c it did a deeper dive into the seedier history and dirty politics/influences of the era.

Do you happen to know the company that the tour was through? The "after hours" one sounds like the one I would want to do.

Don't get the the lightrail confused w/ the monorail!! coz both exist. The LIGHTRAIL is the one you need to take from the airport to downtown. It is very easy to hop on the lightrail to travel between airport and downtown and that's the transportation I recommend if you don't want to splurge on an uber (rideshare is pricey in Seattle). It's about 40-45 mins ride. For your return on Sunday, is that 6am or pm? If it's AM, the first train I believe it's around 5am. While you're on the lightrail, make sure your luggage are next to you at all times especially if you're sitting near the door (have your hands on them if you can't put them under your seat). Not trying to scare you but it's just to be cautious as you would in any city's public transportation. We do have homeless on lightrails, it's not uncommon.

Monorail is the one you can take from downtown to Seattle Center when you go to MoPop. It doesn't go anywhere else...just back and forth between DT and Seattle Center.

Do you like coffee ? If yes, I will give you some must visit local coffee shops. Food wise, what type of food or cuisine do you like?

Weather - ALWAYS bring layers for Seattle. It doesn't matter in May or August. In May, it can still be 35 in the morning then 70 in the afternoon. Bring a light raincoat or water resistant jacket and don't bother with an umbrella (if it pours, your hotel will most likely have umbrellas provided). Umbrellas are also a great indicator for us locals that, you're a tourist haha Good walking shoes that are also water-resistant, otherwise your shoes won't dry overnight.

While you're in downtown, don't walk on 3rd Ave, just don't, avoid it. I don't want to ruin your trip experience but also want to prepare you a bit...as a local, I think DT Seattle is pretty sad these days. We never bounced back from the pandemic and honestly, kinda gotten worse IMO. A lot of retail have closed but no new businesses moved in, so you'll see quite a bit of vacancy and it feels kinda dead. I don't want to admit it but unfortunately, that's the truth.

With that said, let's end on something good and better vibe!
Pike Place Market is a lovely place to visit with lots of local vendors. Try to go there earlier in the day (before 10). Daily Dozen make their doughnut holes fresh continously through the day (cinnamon sugar is the best and most popular), make sure to get some to go with your coffee. Please don't stand in line at the "original" Starbucks to get your coffee, nothing special about that location, all the coffee are the same unless you want to buy specific merch.

Happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Thank you for the clarification of light rail vs monorail.

I have heard that umbrellas are a no no in Seattle. I do have a rain coat that I plan on bringing, as well as some shoe covers.

I like coffee drinks, so would love your recommendations. As for food, I tend to like simple fare - burgers, sandwiches, pizza, Mexican but not really fan of "fancy" foodie type foods. Usually when I travel I look for breweries to have lunch / dinner and will probably try to do that while in Seattle as well. Unfortunately I already saw that one of the breweries I was planning on visiting closed. So I am looking for suggestions.

I will probably go to Pike Market in the morning. I do enjoy good donuts/donut holes. I will definitely go by there and give those a try. I want to see the "original" Starbucks but don't really feel the need to get coffee there. From what I have seen there are better more unique to Seattle places to get coffee.

 

[Psymonds]

I am heading to Seattle in about a 6 weeks. I have my hotel, just booked my flight. Now I am working on the entertainment portion of the trip. I plan to visit the Pike Market, Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and MoPop. I will also go to the Ballard brewery district. I want to do an unground tour, any suggests on a particular one? What else if anything are "must do's?" Any suggesting for inexpensive or moderately priced (nothing fancy or expensive and no seafood) food or treats? I am not really interested in any hikes, bikes, or other physical activities.

What is the best way to get from Sea-Tac to downtown? I will have a carry-on and backpack. I've heard that you can easily take the monorail from the airport. How easy is this really? It will be about 930am on a Friday with return to airport on Sunday at 6.

What else should I know or keep in mind for a trip to Seattle in Mid-May?

My parents worked near Pike Place Market for decades. There are some fun restaurants with good views there, or, our favorite, get some food from some of the stalls nearer the south end and then go out to the park down to the waterfront (the park is much nicer now than when I was a kid).

IF you're in Ballard, you should check out the Locks, a mini Panama canal, or stop in quirky Fremont.

my restaurant reccomendations are 25 years out of date, but I do love some Ivar's fish and chips on the waterfront.

Given your instructions I'll skip my usual "consider visiting the national parks and hiking" advice.

Light rail is good to downtown, generally frequent service but they just opened the second line so you need to make sure you take the Airport line when you're in the tunnel (I still call it the bus tunnel)

If you want a "mountainy" side trip, you can visit Snoqualmie falls (no hike, just drive there) and North Bend just up I-90 where you can see mountains if it's not raining

 

[Psymonds]

I have heard that umbrellas are a no no in Seattle. I do have a rain coat that I plan on bringing, as well as some shoe covers.

Umbrellas are not forbidden, it's just how the locals Identify the tourists. IT doesn't rain nearly as hard in Seattle as it does in Orlando.

I took Bill Spiedel's underground tour in Pioneer Square 20 years ago. At the time, I don't think there were any other tours.

 

[Psymonds]

While you're in downtown, don't walk on 3rd Ave, just don't, avoid it. I don't want to ruin your trip experience but also want to prepare you a bit...as a local, I think DT Seattle is pretty sad these days. We never bounced back from the pandemic and honestly, kinda gotten worse IMO. A lot of retail have closed but no new businesses moved in, so you'll see quite a bit of vacancy and it feels kinda dead. I don't want to admit it but unfortunately, that's the truth.

I guess my perspective is that DT Seattle is still much cleaner and nicer than when I was growing up, and certainly better than 2 years ago, although maybe a step down from 10 years ago. I used to watch the bike cops bust the junkies on 2nd avenue from my mom's office. Haven't seen that since the 90's.

 

[disneychrista]

Umbrellas are not forbidden, it's just how the locals Identify the tourists. IT doesn't rain nearly as hard in Seattle as it does in Orlando.

I took Bill Spiedel's underground tour in Pioneer Square 20 years ago. At the time, I don't think there were any other tours.

I know they aren't forbidden just that they just aren't used to speak off in Seattle. From what I have read the rain is generally light and comes & goes, so umbrella's aren't really necessary.

 

[AlohaNow]

Taking light rail from the airport to downtown is super simple and definitely the way to go. There is signage, but it’s kinda weird in that you walk through part of a parking garage to get there. We pulled up a YouTube video of the walk before we went and that made it all make sense!

 

[Psymonds]

I know they aren't forbidden just that they just aren't used to speak off in Seattle. From what I have read the rain is generally light and comes & goes, so umbrella's aren't really necessary.

I jest I jest... yes, it alternates between a persistent drizzle and a heavy mist for 9 months.

 

[MsChristy12]

In DT, here are the coffee shops I recommend - Mr. West, Anchorhead, Monorail Espresso, Storyville. If you do take the lightrail to Capitol Hill and do a little exploring, Vivace is my absolute favorite.

For food, if you're willing to do a little cardio and walk up the hill (via Pine St or Pike St) towards Capitol Hill, here are a few food options I recommend: Little Woodys for burgers. HoneyHole Sandwiches, Fogon Cocina Mexicana. In case you want pasta and love cheese, Cheese Room is very solid! If you want pizza, Pagliacci is probably your best bet in that area.

At Pike Place, Piroshky Piroshky is a local favorite. I have loved it since I was a teen way before Mr. Anthony Bourdain told everyone about it Their breakfast ones are better though, epecially the one with hashbrown! Old Stove Brewing is towards the bottom of the market facing the water, not a bad place to grab a pint and enjoy the view. They have a full menu as well. Pasta Casalinga is good too.

You mentioned you like donuts...but please don't go to Voodoo. It's novelty donuts, but quality is They might look good, but trust me...not worth your stomach space.

One more tips about our weather. If you're from warmer and humid climate, even 75 in Seattle might seem cold to you because we have very low humidity. I had coworkers from DC she needed to borrow a sweater from me in the middle of JULY! Again, because in the morning it was 50, then finally in the afternoon it climbed to high 70s but to her, it's still a bit chllly because she is used to a lot more extreme hit on the east coast. Double check our forecast even up until the day before you leave.

 

[MsChristy12]

Umbrellas are not forbidden, it's just how the locals Identify the tourists.

It is kinda a joke among locals haha But also, downtown can be windy then an umbrella is really useless. I've seen I don't know how many umbrellas flip and people almost lost them. Then it might hit other pedestrians. Unless I am walking with my work laptop in my arms without a bag, then I will hold an umbrella.

 

[MsChristy12]

I guess my perspective is that DT Seattle is still much cleaner and nicer than when I was growing up, and certainly better than 2 years ago, although maybe a step down from 10 years ago. I used to watch the bike cops bust the junkies on 2nd avenue from my mom's office. Haven't seen that since the 90's.

Even right before the pandemic, DT was still more lively especially on the weekends. It was definitely nicer back in the day and we would go to DT just to hang out, but I haven't done that in a long time! Shopping isn't even good anymore, like what shopping? Macy's, Banana Republic, Tiffanys, J Crew, Madewell, LOFT, Nike, Old Navy...all gone! Our DT is becoming embarrassing...

 

[disneychrista]

Old Stove Brewing is towards the bottom of the market facing the water, not a bad place to grab a pint and enjoy the view. They have a full menu as well.

You mentioned you like donuts...but please don't go to Voodoo. It's novelty donuts, but quality is They might look good, but trust me...not worth your stomach space.

One more tips about weather. If you're from warmer and humid climate, even 75 in Seattle might seem cold to you because we have very low humidity. I had coworkers from DC she needed to borrow a sweater from me in the middle of JULY! Again, because in the morning it was 50, then finally in the afternoon it climbed to high 70s but to her, it's still a bit chllly because she is used to a lot more extreme hit on the east coast. Double check our forecast even up until the day before you leave.

Old Stove is on my list to visit. There was another one, Pike Brewing, that just closed not too long ago.

I have tried Voodoo in Eugene, OR so it isn't on my list to try in Seattle.

I am from NorCal and don't generally get a lot of humidity. I am the one running around without a sweatshirt when everyone else has one on because I tend to run hot. I am not worried too much about it being too cold, more worried about it being too warm.


What is the best way to get to Ballard? I won't have a rental car, is Uber the only option?

 

[MsChristy12]

Old Stove is on my list to visit. There was another one, Pike Brewing, that just closed not too long ago.

I have tried Voodoo in Eugene, OR so it isn't on my list to try in Seattle.

I am from NorCal and don't generally get a lot of humidity. I am the one running around without a sweatshirt when everyone else has one on because I tend to run hot. I am not worried too much about it being too cold, more worried about it being too warm.

What is the best way to get to Ballard? I won't have a rental car, is Uber the only option?

Oh then you should feel pretty comfy in Seattle! Btw, I used to live in Fairfield!

Uber/Lyft is your only option to Ballard. A lot of good restaurants in that area, but I don't have as many recs because I just hate going to Ballard. Nothing bad, but it's kinda deep, just going to I5 takes 15 mins (or longer if there's traffic).

ETA: Since you have tried Voodoo before, what did you think?

 

[Psymonds]

I am from NorCal and don't generally get a lot of humidity. I am the one running around without a sweatshirt when everyone else has one on because I tend to run hot. I am not worried too much about it being too cold, more worried about it being too warm.

Seattle is a lot like Santa Cruz with rain

What is the best way to get to Ballard? I won't have a rental car, is Uber the only option?

Light rail by 2039... Until then the Rapid Ride D line is your best transit option.

 

[disneychrista]

Oh then you should feel pretty comfy in Seattle! Btw, I used to live in Fairfield!

Uber/Lyft is your only option to Ballard. A lot of good restaurants in that area, but I don't have as many recs because I just hate going to Ballard. Nothing bad, but it's kinda deep, just going to I5 takes 15 mins (or longer if there's traffic).

If it weren't for the concentration of breweries in Ballard I probably wouldn't go there. But visiting breweries is a highlight of my exploration of new areas.

 

[disneychrista]

Oh then you should feel pretty comfy in Seattle! Btw, I used to live in Fairfield!

Uber/Lyft is your only option to Ballard. A lot of good restaurants in that area, but I don't have as many recs because I just hate going to Ballard. Nothing bad, but it's kinda deep, just going to I5 takes 15 mins (or longer if there's traffic).

ETA: Since you have tried Voodoo before, what did you think?

It's been quite a few years so I don't remember much. But I don't remember them being anything special. The unique shapes and flavors were interesting and I did like that they had vegan options for my vegan daughter. But nothing that made me remember them as something I needed to try again.