Seattle Questions!

[zenjenn]

1. Is Seattle CityPass worth it for 1 day?

 

We will only be in Seattle 1 day (pre-cruise, before training up to Vancouver for our actual cruise departure), but we planned on spending a full day having fun in Seattle with the family (2 adults, 2 kids.) We will be relying on cabs/public transportation. Obviously I can look up the local rates, but what I'm not clear on is the time investment.. like if EMP is an awesome all-day thing, then it doesn't make sense to buy a whole CityPass. If we can enjoy 4 of these activities over the course of the day realistically, it might be worth it.

 

The attractions it includes ($69 adult, $44 child):

 

Space Needle

Seattle Aquarium

Argosy Cruises Seattle Harbor Tour

Pacific Science Center

EMP Museum

Woodland Park Zoo OR The Museum of Flight.

 

How much of this can we see in 1 day - enough of them to make CP worth it? IF so which would you recommend? I was thinking of getting a hotel downtown. If anyone could recommend an efficient itinerary that would be even more awesome. This will be in late May.

 

2. We were planning on taking Amtrak to Vancouver from Seattle early in the morning, but I see a lot of people recommending the QuickShuttle. Is the QuickShuttle a *better* choice in some way, or is it just because it has more departure times?

 

3. So a week later, we will be returning post-cruise to Seattle and have about 6 hours to kill before our flight. I would love a recommendation as to how to spend some of that time, keeping in mind we will have our luggage with us.

 

Also, my husband has an interest in seeing Seattle Underground, though looking into it, it looks a little hokey to me, but if there's a way to squeeze that in, it'd make him happy. :)

[Casagordita]

1. Is Seattle CityPass worth it for 1 day?

 

We will only be in Seattle 1 day (pre-cruise, before training up to Vancouver for our actual cruise departure), but we planned on spending a full day having fun in Seattle with the family (2 adults, 2 kids.) We will be relying on cabs/public transportation. Obviously I can look up the local rates, but what I'm not clear on is the time investment.. like if EMP is an awesome all-day thing, then it doesn't make sense to buy a whole CityPass. If we can enjoy 4 of these activities over the course of the day realistically, it might be worth it.

 

The attractions it includes ($69 adult, $44 child):

 

Space Needle

Seattle Aquarium

Argosy Cruises Seattle Harbor Tour

Pacific Science Center

EMP Museum

Woodland Park Zoo OR The Museum of Flight.

 

How much of this can we see in 1 day - enough of them to make CP worth it? IF so which would you recommend? I was thinking of getting a hotel downtown. If anyone could recommend an efficient itinerary that would be even more awesome. This will be in late May.

 

It's always seemed to me that you'd have to keep up an exhausting pace to get your money's worth out of a City Pass. Personally, I wouldn't plan to tackle any more than three of these attractions in a day, and two would be more leisurely and pleasant. And you'd have to forgo other sights, like Pike Place Market, that aren't on the pass, unless you had another day to go there. You could get in four of them if you were determined, but I wouldn't.

 

 

2. We were planning on taking Amtrak to Vancouver from Seattle early in the morning, but I see a lot of people recommending the QuickShuttle. Is the QuickShuttle a *better* choice in some way, or is it just because it has more departure times?

 

I've never taken a bus to Vancouver--never would occur to me--so I don't know why people choose it. I guess the greater variety of departure times is a big reason. But the train route is far more scenic, and you can get up and walk around--either one of those alone would be enough to make me choose the train, without question.

 

 

3. So a week later, we will be returning post-cruise to Seattle and have about 6 hours to kill before our flight. I would love a recommendation as to how to spend some of that time, keeping in mind we will have our luggage with us.

 

I've never had to deal with this, since I'm a local, but I've seen a lot of other cruisers recommend options for storing luggage for a few hours on other threads here. That would give you a LOT more options for sightseeing.

 

 

Also, my husband has an interest in seeing Seattle Underground, though looking into it, it looks a little hokey to me, but if there's a way to squeeze that in, it'd make him happy. :)

 

I liked the Underground Tour. I do have a taste for silliness (I also liked Ride the Ducks!), but in between the corny tour guide jokes, they do tell you a lot about Seattle history. It's a pretty unique and interesting tour. I always recommend it to visitors who don't have mobility challenges (there are a lot of stairs to climb up and down).

[mapleleaves]

do you mean Memorial Day weekend? If so, be prepared for huge crowds at the Seattle Center; its the Folklife Festival. How old are the kids?

I think the Pass is geared towards people with a few days to spend here so I don't think you'd get your money's worth. The Market is a must (go early), plus the Underground Tour, the free Goldrush Museum in Pioneer Square. After the Market wander over to the Sculpture Park, walk along the waterfront and stop at Ivar's take out for fish 'n chips. If you have good weather the Ducks is a fun tour. If you have great weather take the water taxi over the Alki Beach in West Seattle; fantastic skyline views.

There are other locations beside the Space Needle for good views:

http://www.seattle.gov/html/visitor/points.htm

May weather can be wonderful or 50 and raining, so have back up plans for indoors stuff. The Science Center is a great way to spend a few hours. Or ride a ferry across the Sound to Bremerton less than $10 pp RT. Just stay on and ride it back.

The piers offer luggage storage. Last yr it was $3 per bag but closed at 3pm. Pier 66 would be good but Pier 91 is a few miles north of the city center so it would be a pain to return for luggage and a $10 taxi ride each way. Another option would be to tip a bell person at a hotel to hold the luggage. People check luggage all the time when they're too early to check in so it's not an uncommon request.

[zenjenn]

Cass - that is totally my thought on the train too, and I don't mind setting an alarm and getting up for the 7:40 train. But it seems like EVERYONE in the cruise threads talks about QuickShuttle so I just wondered if I was missing something.

 

 

do you mean Memorial Day weekend? If so, be prepared for huge crowds at the Seattle Center; its the Folklife Festival.

Whoa, thanks for the head's up about the music festival. I had no idea? Our day in Seattle will be the Thursday of the week before Memorial Day, but our cruise gets into port on Memorial Day itself. Will this festival impact how we can spend the time or create difficulty in getting to the airport?

 

Or for that matter, is the Folklife Festival something we might *enjoy* during that time? Our kids are ages 7 and 9 (girls).

 

Ok, I had to Google Ride the Ducks because I had no idea what you people were talking about. Oh. My. Gosh. That looks mind-numbingly awesome - as in, my kids' heads would explode with glee. (As you can see, I am a dork, too.)

 

Thanks mapleleaves! It think I may take your recommendations, though I think a visit to the Space Needle has to be included just because. Maybe dinner?

 

So if anyone has information on Folklife and whether this might be a good way to spend the morning before our flight on the 28th (or whether it means we need to allocate twice as much time to get to the airport!) that'd be great!

[Casagordita]

Whoa, thanks for the head's up about the music festival. I had no idea? Our day in Seattle will be the Thursday of the week before Memorial Day, but our cruise gets into port on Memorial Day itself. Will this festival impact how we can spend the time or create difficulty in getting to the airport?

 

Or for that matter, is the Folklife Festival something we might *enjoy* during that time? Our kids are ages 7 and 9 (girls).

 

Folklife is an annual festival of music and arts, held at Seattle Center. They feature some wonderful music, emphasizing acoustic, traditional, ethnic, and folk music of all kinds. There are also craft vendors and demonstrations, food booths, dancing, jam sessions, drumming...and a bazillion people, especially if the weather is good! But the price is right--admission is free. If you could find a place to store your luggage, it could be a fun place to spend a few hours--but leave plenty of time to get in and our. Mapleleaves is right--the festival will snarl traffic all around Seattle Center. On the other hand, if you avoid that area that day (shouldn't be hard if you're not going to the festival), it shouldn't get in the way of getting to the airport.

 

Ok, I had to Google Ride the Ducks because I had no idea what you people were talking about. Oh. My. Gosh. That looks mind-numbingly awesome - as in, my kids' heads would explode with glee. (As you can see, I am a dork, too.)

 

Ride the Ducks is perfect for kids, and dorks of all ages. Be sure to buy everybody quackers before the tour starts! If you're doing the tour Memorial Day weekend, definitely plan to leave from their Westlake Center kiosk--getting to the 5th and Broad location will be nuts (it's right next to Seattle Center).

 

Thanks mapleleaves! It think I may take your recommendations, though I think a visit to the Space Needle has to be included just because. Maybe dinner?

 

Take a look at the menu on their website before you decide--dinner for four will be a significant investment. But the view is incomparable, and you'd pay around $18 each (and stand in line) to go up to the observation level without eating! A lot of people do lunch because it costs less and still includes the elevator ride. I'd recommend going before your cruise, and not on Memorial Day Weekend. You'll need reservations.

[zenjenn]

Yeah, I saw the prices on the menu, but I figure once you knock off the $20 it'd cost me to go see the Space Needle (and let's face it - it's GOING to get done), it's not so bad.

 

Here's an itinerary I'm thinking of right now for our full day (This is NOT Memorial Day weekend. This is Thursday, May 17th.)

 

Hotel near Downtown (Still choosing. Any recs? Clean and quiet are main concerns.)

- Walk to Pike Place Market early, breakfast at the Crumpet Shop, shop look around, maybe nibbles here and there.

- Walk back in time the 11 am "Ride the Ducks" tour.

- After tour (around 12:30 or 1 pm?) go up to the Space Needle for lunch. (While the restaurant is expensive, since let's face it, I'm GOING to shell out the $20 to go up there anyways, lunch for like $10 isn't bad.)

- After lunch, bus or cab down to Pioneer Square.

- Look around Pioneer Square, do Seattle Underground Tour, find a place for an early dinner with the kids in Pioneer Square.

Head back to the hotel early turn-in-. Getting up early the next day for train to Vancouver!

 

Is that doable?

[mapleleaves]

Looks good. Not too rushed. The Crumpet Store is always one of my stops, but there are a few bakeries along the way as well!

Ride the monorail from Westlake Center at 4th/Pine to the Seattle Center, just for the experience. I think it's $2 pp. .

If you look thru some recent threads you'll see that people have gotten great rates on priceline for hotels downtown (or look at the first STICKY above).

[Casagordita]

Yeah, I saw the prices on the menu, but I figure once you knock off the $20 it'd cost me to go see the Space Needle (and let's face it - it's GOING to get done), it's not so bad.

 

Here's an itinerary I'm thinking of right now for our full day (This is NOT Memorial Day weekend. This is Thursday, May 17th.)

 

Hotel near Downtown (Still choosing. Any recs? Clean and quiet are main concerns.)

- Walk to Pike Place Market early, breakfast at the Crumpet Shop, shop look around, maybe nibbles here and there.

- Walk back in time the 11 am "Ride the Ducks" tour.

- After tour (around 12:30 or 1 pm?) go up to the Space Needle for lunch. (While the restaurant is expensive, since let's face it, I'm GOING to shell out the $20 to go up there anyways, lunch for like $10 isn't bad.)

- After lunch, bus or cab down to Pioneer Square.

- Look around Pioneer Square, do Seattle Underground Tour, find a place for an early dinner with the kids in Pioneer Square.

Head back to the hotel early turn-in-. Getting up early the next day for train to Vancouver!

 

Is that doable?

 

 

Looks great. Just to further confuse things, like Mapleleaves said, there are a lot of good places at the Market for breakfast. The Athenian and Lowell's both have sit-down breakfasts from godawful early (7 am or earlier), and views of Elliott Bay. It's interesting to go that early and watch the vendors opening up for the day.

 

And yes, if you're going to go up in the Space Needle anyway, lunch can be well worth it. And you MUST go up in the Space Needle--otherwise, what will you tell everybody who ask you if you did (which they all will) when you get home?

 

For a rather weird intro to the Underground, add this to your Netflix queue (for you and your husband--perhaps not for the kids!) The second one is where most people found out there WAS a Seattle Underground, and that eventually led to the tours.

[zenjenn]

I'm not a Netflix member - what films are linked?

 

We ended up booking the Mayflower Park Hotel. Just so wildly recommended, not top end, and it seems like the next tier down is STILL very pricey (especially if the location is good) and not nearly as highly recommended. We figured - hey, it's a vacation. We'll splurge. I especially love that I can job up on the Light Rail and then walk around the corner to the hotel.

 

Also when I went to double check my flight I found that United did a switch on me that had me coming in at 11 pm into SEA-TAC. :mad: No way, not with the kids, so I had them switch it to a flight that gets in at 1 pm. So, we can probably do Seattle Underground/Pioneer Square that afternoon and have more time to play on Thursday. :)

[Northwestvp]

Your itinerary for Seattle looks good! At Pikes Place there is also LePanier, a wonderful French bakery...opens early. Keep in mind that buses in downtown (all your tourist areas) are free, so hop on and off with glee! All of us seattle-ites will be hoping for sunshine for ya...nothing like a view of mt rainier from the space needle!

[Casagordita]

I'm not a Netflix member - what films are linked?

 

The Night Strangler--a 1973 made-for-TV movie with Darren McGavin (they later made it into a TV series with the same name). He plays a newspaper reporter who keeps getting caught up in stories with a supernatural twist. In that movie, he winds up chasing (or maybe it was being chased by?) some kind of creepy monster, through the Seattle Underground! But not to worry, the worst thing people report seeing on the tours these days is a very occasional RAT :eek:.