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Heading to Seattle next week and taking in a Mariners game on 8/9!

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klute14

Active member
Dec 4, 2008
3,176
3
Maine
I've never been to Seattle before and was wondering if anyone that has or lives there can give us some ideas on some things to do.

I think we are looking to do the underground city, Pikes Market, The Space Needle and maybe Mt. Rainier.
We are also touring the park before the game that night.
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,169
4,058
You are knocking off a lot of the big draws. The waterfront, along with the market, is a must. It's walking distance from the market. Rainier is a haul to the South, so unless you are staying a night down there, it will either be a very long day or you won't get to see much.
 

brian26

Member
Nov 12, 2010
679
10
Went last year and had a wonderful time. If you have an opportunity, try to do the Safeco Stadium tour earlier in the day. You are given the chance to really explore every nook and cranny of the park and even walk on the field for photos. It was an amazing experience. We went last year around the same time and saw the Mariners and Astros play. Safeco is a walkable distance from downtown, but at night we cabbed it back to the hotel. If you can do the tour on a non-game day, it is even better, as you will access to the clubhouses and media areas.

The Space Needle is a must. It was under construction/rehab last year but may be finished now.

If you like coffee and really excellent muffins, check out Anchorhead Coffee.

One of the best parts of our trip was renting a car and heading east to check out Snoqualmie Falls. Take the trail down to the river. It’s amazing. If you do this is the morning, you can make a day out of it and have lunch in the nearby town.

We also did the duck tour which takes you out on the lake and through the town. Definitely consider checking that out.

Ok- some other thoughts. We thought Pike’s Market was a bit overrated. It was too crowded and really kind of a cluster. Perhaps it’s more enjoyable during less peak tourist times.

There’s kind of a sad tone in the tourist area because unfortunately you do see a lot of homelessness, so be prepared for that but generally everyone is pleasant and we felt safe.
 

JVHaste

Well-known member
Jun 22, 2015
4,751
270
Vancouver WA
I think both guys were right on the money.

Rainier is a haul to the South, so unless you are staying a night down there, it will either be a very long day or you won't get to see much.

Agreed... you will get spread thin if you try to do both, if it were me I would be tempted to cancel the M's game to get to do Rainier.

There’s kind of a sad tone in the tourist area because unfortunately you do see a lot of homelessness, so be prepared for that but generally everyone is pleasant and we felt safe.

Agreed... you have to be prepared to see homeless, squished rats, a gum wall, bad weather and copious amounts of stoned people.



Be sure to check out the upstairs of the team store at the stadium. It can have some historical pieces like auto'd bats and game scorecards from the past. Most people don't go up there as I bet they think its just an overflow of the regular team store items.


oh, and I have to shill hard for Taco Del Mar. Go there! :)
 
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mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,169
4,058
Had to fix it for you.

Happened to be driving by when the change was happening.

IMG_3647.jpg
Went last year and had a wonderful time. If you have an opportunity, try to do the T-Mobile Park tour earlier in the day. You are given the chance to really explore every nook and cranny of the park and even walk on the field for photos. It was an amazing experience. We went last year around the same time and saw the Mariners and Astros play. T-Mobile is a walkable distance from downtown, but at night we cabbed it back to the hotel. If you can do the tour on a non-game day, it is even better, as you will access to the clubhouses and media areas.

The Space Needle is a must. It was under construction/rehab last year but may be finished now.

If you like coffee and really excellent muffins, check out Anchorhead Coffee.

One of the best parts of our trip was renting a car and heading east to check out Snoqualmie Falls. Take the trail down to the river. It’s amazing. If you do this is the morning, you can make a day out of it and have lunch in the nearby town.

We also did the duck tour which takes you out on the lake and through the town. Definitely consider checking that out.

Ok- some other thoughts. We thought Pike’s Market was a bit overrated. It was too crowded and really kind of a cluster. Perhaps it’s more enjoyable during less peak tourist times.

There’s kind of a sad tone in the tourist area because unfortunately you do see a lot of homelessness, so be prepared for that but generally everyone is pleasant and we felt safe.
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,169
4,058
Good point on the falls, and often forgotten, but in the summer it is usually pretty weak. After a hard rain, it is incredible.

Pike Place is just one of those places you feel you need to see. It is just a bunch of old stores, many overpriced, and it is crowded. Still, if you go to Seattle, you gotta get that Market clock photo. The nasty gum wall in Post Alley is there too. Why this is such a draw is beyond me, but it is.

Depending on how long you have, a few other touristy places and sites are fun to check off too. Fremont Troll, Gasworks Park & Ballard Locks are all relatively close to downtown.

A very scenic drive the opposite way from Seattle than Rainier is Deception Pass/Whidbey Island. There is a park called Fort casey that is pretty awesome, old war bunkers on the waterfront. Close by is the ferry that takes you to Port Townsend, a very neat old town. I'd call those advanced tourist trips due to the distance from Seattle.

Mt St Helens is further south than Rainier, but also pretty cool area to see.

Any ferry ride in the area is a decent time at that, with some great mountain views from the water. Seattle to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton (Lots of Navy related stuff in Bremerton to see) is about a 1.5 or 2.5 hour rount trip and costs around $20 for car/driver and less for walk-on passengers or riders in a vehicle.
 
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yanksfan4eva

Member
Nov 11, 2008
962
0
Also "touristy" is taking a pic of the skyline from Kerry Park. My family always enjoyed some of the beach and land activities at Alki Beach. For "Seattle/Tourist" food spots : Breakfast at Beth's Cafe in Ballard/Portage Bay in Downtown, Dick's Burgers on Cap Hill, and my wife and I really like Daniel's Broiler on Lake Union for a nice dinner. I think they changed the name, but when I lived there there was a place called EMP (Experience Music Project) right next to the Needle that was an awesome interactive music exhibit.

Enjoy. I was raised a military brat and lived all over the world...most people look at me sideways when I say that Seattle is my favorite place I've lived.
 

mrmopar

Member
Jan 19, 2010
6,169
4,058
The needle is part of the Seattle Center, which includes EMP mentioned above. There is a science center there too and if fun to explore with some sculptures and some other ineractive things (like an elevated counterbalanced bike you can ride for free when open). You can ride the monorail over to I think the shopping district area downtown and back to the Center, also built for the Worlds Fair when the needle went up. Definitely lots to do.
 

Pinbreaker

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
10,129
281
Laguna Niguel, CA
Also, if you like Starbucks, the 1st Starbucks is down at the Pike Place Market.. You can watch some people throw some Salmon, you can't do it unless you are paying for it 1st..
I was having a BBQ and bought the fish first and it was about $120..

I lived down south in Puyallup, so Mount Rainier was closer for me.. and it's a fantastic place to see..

PANO_20140606_163118.jpg
 
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