So, I’ve decided this is where I want to go for my vacation this year. The spouse and I will hopefully be there a few days, and here are some of the things I’ve come up with so far to do:
Visit the Seattle-Tacoma Humane Society (I’m a fan of the website The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, and donated some money that helped pay for the Butterbean Quarantine room, so I want to see it )
Any other suggestions? What we like and don’t like:
We don’t really drink much and aren’t nightclub folks, so anything involving drinking/dancing/etc. is probably not going to do it.
Anything spooky, underground (but safe!), gothy/industrial, or cyberpunky would be fantastic. I love horror stories and the RPG Shadowrun (which was mostly set in Seattle). Anything specifically Shadowrun-related would be beyond cool, if there are such things.
Beautiful scenery would be nice too, like a place to go for a walk among big trees.
Foodwise we’re not super-adventurous, but we like good steak, seafood, burgers, Mexican food, etc. Any seafood recommendations have to also have good non-seafood options, since the spouse is allergic.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions (or warnings!)
Since you’ll be outside of Tacoma with Thornewood Castle: Tacoma Museum of Glass is nice if you’re into glass and glassblowing.
Drive by Tacoma’s StadiumHigh School where 10 Things I Hate About You was filmed.
Not a whole lot else in Tacoma.
In between Tacoma and Seattle is Renton where Jimi Hendrix’s grave is.
Seattle: Sunday Ice Cream Boat Tours - Very fun, very inexpensive, see Dale Chihuly’s studio and the houseboat featured in Sleepless in Seattle.
Visit Kurt Cobain’s home (well, the park behind it).
Pike Place Market - if you’re lucky, you’ll run into Johnny L.A. at Uli’s buying sausages. There’s a restaurant there, Lowell’s, where a scene from **Sleepless **was filmed also. Duck Boat Tours are great fun albeit pricey. Lakeview Cemetery and visit the graves of Bruce and Brandon Lee. Next to it is Volunteer Park, a huge Olmsted park which includes the Seattle Asian Art Museum.
Walk around Green Lake, 2.8 miles.
I agree with the Museum of Flight recommendation. And the Underground Tours are great.
There ought to be a Ted Bundy tour or a Green River Killer tour, but I can’t find any.
I believe for 60.00 you can get a Seattle pass that gets you tickets to the zoo, a ferry ride, the Seattle science center, the space needle, the music experience, and something else. (I remember it was 6 things)
Pikes market is fun
A ferry ride to one of the islands for a meal is a good time and if you time it right you can be headed back to seattle after dark and get the great views from the water
If the view is the sole reason you are eating at the Space Needle, have fun. Otherwise there are a number of much better restaurants. I would suggest Elliotts on the waterfront or Ray’s Boathouse. Much better food and they still have great views.
My wife and I took a ferry to Victoria, BC, ate at Nautical Nellies, went out to Butchart Gardens, and enjoyed some festival at the harbor. It was a great (if long) day.
Probably the most mind-blowing thing we saw was Mt. St. Helens. We did a big loop from Seattle - drove through the North Cascades, spent a day at Mt. Rainier, a day at St. Helens, a couple days on the coast and around the Olympic Peninsula. It was all remarkable but Mt. St. Helens and it’s blasted-away surrounding landscape was the most incredible. I think it would be kind of a haul if you’re only going to be in the area for a few days, though.
Thanks for all the great suggestions! And racer72, part of the reason we want to go to the Space Needle is for the view, and part of it is because of all the meets our Shadowrun characters ended up having there. We played the game for about 15 years, so we’re thinking it’ll be fun to see some of the places we virtually hung out in.
If you want something “ghosty” the haunted chocolate factory might be your speed. It’s an adorable Swiss chalet in scenic Issaquah. Supposedly, the owner died in the house above the factory and it’s haunted. Call ahead and make sure they are doing tours! They pass out free chocolates.
Check out the Pike Place Food Tour. Wife and I were there in 2008, and the food tour was fun. The guide spouts the history of the place and takes you to several restaurants and food shops where samples are ready and waiting.
Space needle, of course.
Beautiful scenery? If you’re up for a drive, head for Mount Rainier. Check the park maps; there are some day hikes on the south side. Might also check out Mima Mounds Nature Area, south of Olympia.
If you’re looking for bizarre stuff to see, check out www.roadsideamerica.com; they’ll list all sorts of weird attractions for you.
Seafood? Check out Salty’s on Alki Beach. Not cheap, but the crab Louie salad was amazing, and they provide stunning panoramic views of downtown Seattle across Puget Sound. They have just a few non-seafood options.
Just don’t try to walk to Ballard Locks from the ferry terminal. I still kid my friend from Seattle (who was a newbie at the time) about the time he dragged me on what has become known as the “Ballard Death March”.
If you take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island you might want to check out the Blodell Reserve. You’ll need a car though - I don’t believe it’s walking distance from the ferry terminal. (Unless you want to go on the “Blodell Death March”. :D)
Back in the Seattle area, see if you can track down the Fremont Troll.
And if you’re down around Pike Place Market you have to check out “Piroshky Piroshky”. Excellent pastries filled with all kinds of good stuff.
The Columbia Center is a good alternative to the Space Needle if you want to save some money–it has just as good a view, if not better–the only catch is that it’s only open weekdays. I think it’s $5 to get up, and I think there’s a Starbuck’s up there somewhere.
If you like kayaking or canoeing, you can rent a boat at UW’s water activities center for a good price (although I can’t remember if you have to buy a membership for the season or not). It was nice to paddle around Union Bay. (I was last there 10 years ago, so my info may be out of date.)
)
We played the game for about 15 years, so we’re thinking it’ll be fun to see some of the places we virtually hung out in. 