Day in Seattle after disembarking - transit

[Jlhutch6]

We plant to use port valet to transfer our luggage and explore Seattle all day on July 2 before our cross country red eye flight. We plan to use transit all day. Should we get Orca cards with pre purchased all day pass that will activate with our first transit? Or is there an app that I can use for each ride connected  with my credit card? I don’t want to pay cash for each ride. I’ll use transit app to plan bus, trolley, metro and ferry. 

 

Here is our plan for the long day in Seattle. We disembark at Port 91 

1. Queen Anne-Kerry Park (hilltop view of Seattle) Lake Union Park (9:30-12), Seattle Water “Ice Cream” Cruise around Lake Union in front of MOHAI Seattle for GPS $15 each, Citizens Coffee, El Diablo & Queen Anne Book
2. Pike Place and waterfront area (Beechers, Piroshky, or Pike Place Chowder, Storyville for coffee) 12-3

3. Commuter Ferry to Bainbridge Island  and back to downtown (3:30-8) 

4. Transit to airport  (8:30-9pm)

Edited June 5, 2022 by Jlhutch6

[Ferry_Watcher]

Kerry Park does have great views.

 

Rather than backtrack to Queen Anne Book Shop, you could go the Elliott Bay Books which is in Pioneer Square.  It also would be very close to the ferry dock or the International District where you can get some amazing Asian food.  You can take the light rail to these destinations.  There are two stadiums in this area, Mariners (baseball) and the Sounders (soccer), so you might check the game schedule.

 

Pike Place Market is a required stop, but be aware that it gets quite crowded by mid/late morning.

 

The Bremerton ferry is about 1 hour each way, and the Bainbridge Island ferry is about 30 minutes.  I might consider taking the Bainbridge Island ferry and getting off and walking the short distance into town.  There are places you can grab a bit to eat.

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Ferry_Watcher

[itsanita]

We are doing the same thing, late flights after our cruise.  We will sign up for Port Valet, so we will have no luggage and will already be checked into our flights. 

We are flying in 3 days early, so will have already seen a fair amount of downtown Seattle. 

 

So we decided to rent a car from the airport for just the day.  I have been doing some research on what to do outside of the city.  We crossed off Mt Rainier, as we will have 3 kids with us and want something more active than just sightseeing.  My plan so far is to go to Snoqualmie Falls (walk the trail) and to Fall City Wallaby Ranch (we already have reservations).    I think we will all enjoy both stops.  But it will not take up the whole day.  We plan to be back at the airport early, but our flights don't leave till 10:30ish, so don't want to sit at the airport longer than we have to.   Any suggestions for the rest of our day in that area? 

[Gardyloo]

On 6/5/2022 at 8:32 AM, Jlhutch6 said:

We plant to use port valet to transfer our luggage and explore Seattle all day on July 2 before our cross country red eye flight. We plan to use transit all day. Should we get Orca cards with pre purchased all day pass that will activate with our first transit? Or is there an app that I can use for each ride connected  with my credit card? I don’t want to pay cash for each ride. I’ll use transit app to plan bus, trolley, metro and ferry. 

 

Here is our plan for the long day in Seattle. We disembark at Port 91 

1. Queen Anne-Kerry Park (hilltop view of Seattle) Lake Union Park (9:30-12), Seattle Water “Ice Cream” Cruise around Lake Union in front of MOHAI Seattle for GPS $15 each, Citizens Coffee, El Diablo & Queen Anne Book
2. Pike Place and waterfront area (Beechers, Piroshky, or Pike Place Chowder, Storyville for coffee) 12-3

3. Commuter Ferry to Bainbridge Island  and back to downtown (3:30-8) 

4. Transit to airport  (8:30-9pm)

I would change the order of things.  After disembarking, take a cab or Uber to Pike Place and visit the market then.  You ought to be early enough to avoid the (massive) crowds that will be there by 10:30 or so.  Being there on a holiday weekend will make matters much worse.  What I'd do is have a light breakfast (if any) on the ship before leaving, then head to the market and have a real breakfast at someplace like Lowell's in the main arcade.  Walk off the carbs and watch the merchants set up for the day.  Have a coffee at the "original" Starbucks (it isn't) if you must, but be gone by 10:30 or 11, unless you want to be in the middle of the mob.

 

If it was me, I'd then walk down to the central waterfront and either take the Bainbridge ferry, or instead take the Argosy Locks cruise, departing from Pier 54.  This will take you to and through the Ballard locks, past Fishermen's Terminal, and into Lake Union, where you'll see the houseboats, floatplanes, etc.  Argosy connects to double-deck tour buses to return you to Pier 54, or you could skip the bus ride and explore Lake Union Park, the Museum of History and Industry, etc.

 

I'd save Kerry Park for later in the afternoon, mainly because in the morning the view is compromised by having the sun in your eyes, behind the skyline, while in the afternoon it's in a position to give you better views of everything, including potentially Mount Rainier if it makes an appearance.

 

I'd try to make time at some point in the day to visit Seattle's iconic pan-Asian supermarket/department store Uwajimaya, a block or so from the Chinatown/International District light rail station.  This is a superb experience, and could be a place to stock up on weird Japanese snacks for the flight home.  Don't forget you're here on the Pacific Rim.  There's also a fun food court in Uwajimaya (several Asian cuisines) as well as the fabulous Kinokuniya book store, a branch of the biggest Japanese bookseller chain.  There's a terrific collection of gifts, toys, etc., as well as books and magazines.  

 

 

On 6/5/2022 at 10:14 AM, Ferry_Watcher said:

Kerry Park does have great views.

 

Rather than backtrack to Queen Anne Book Shop, you could go the Elliott Bay Books which is in Pioneer Square.  It also would be very close to the ferry dock or the International District where you can get some amazing Asian food.  You can take the light rail to these destinations.  There are two stadiums in this area, Mariners (baseball) and the Sounders (soccer), so you might check the game schedule.

 

Pike Place Market is a required stop, but be aware that it gets quite crowded by mid/late morning.

 

The Bremerton ferry is about 1 hour each way, and the Bainbridge Island ferry is about 30 minutes.  I might consider taking the Bainbridge Island ferry and getting off and walking the short distance into town.  There are places you can grab a bit to eat.

 

 

 

Elliott Bay Books moved out of Pioneer Square years ago.  They're now located on Tenth Avenue on Capitol Hill.  

21 hours ago, itsanita said:

We are doing the same thing, late flights after our cruise.  We will sign up for Port Valet, so we will have no luggage and will already be checked into our flights. 

We are flying in 3 days early, so will have already seen a fair amount of downtown Seattle. 

 

So we decided to rent a car from the airport for just the day.  I have been doing some research on what to do outside of the city.  We crossed off Mt Rainier, as we will have 3 kids with us and want something more active than just sightseeing.  My plan so far is to go to Snoqualmie Falls (walk the trail) and to Fall City Wallaby Ranch (we already have reservations).    I think we will all enjoy both stops.  But it will not take up the whole day.  We plan to be back at the airport early, but our flights don't leave till 10:30ish, so don't want to sit at the airport longer than we have to.   Any suggestions for the rest of our day in that area? 

You might want to include a visit to the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad Museum, in the town of Snoqualmie, then after the wallabies, you might want to head up to Remlinger Farms, just south of Carnation, where they have plenty of activities for families as well as a decent farm store and places to eat.  You could then, if interested, swing by the original Carnation Farm before returning to Seattle.  Map - https://goo.gl/maps/RfGGqz4Q7ic34UW87

 

Depending on the kids' ages, I'd absolutely make a stop at the Museum of Flight, located at Boeing Field just south of downtown.  There's plenty of parking, a terrific gift shop and decent cafe, but the museum itself is amazing - IMO second only to the Smithsonian in terms of its collection.  It's VERY kid-friendly, with many hands-on exhibits... in my view one of Seattle's premier visitor destinations, for all ages.  Home | The Museum of Flight

[Ferry_Watcher]

7 hours ago, Gardyloo said:

Elliott Bay Books moved out of Pioneer Square years ago.  They're now located on Tenth Avenue on Capitol Hill. 

 

Did not know this.  Thanks!

[itsanita]

On 6/17/2022 at 12:44 PM, Gardyloo said:

 

You might want to include a visit to the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad Museum, in the town of Snoqualmie, then after the wallabies, you might want to head up to Remlinger Farms, just south of Carnation, where they have plenty of activities for families as well as a decent farm store and places to eat.  You could then, if interested, swing by the original Carnation Farm before returning to Seattle.  Map - https://goo.gl/maps/RfGGqz4Q7ic34UW87

 

Depending on the kids' ages, I'd absolutely make a stop at the Museum of Flight, located at Boeing Field just south of downtown.  There's plenty of parking, a terrific gift shop and decent cafe, but the museum itself is amazing - IMO second only to the Smithsonian in terms of its collection.  It's VERY kid-friendly, with many hands-on exhibits... in my view one of Seattle's premier visitor destinations, for all ages.  Home | The Museum of Flight

 

Thanks for the suggestions.  We should be done with the wallabies by 4pm so I went on line to check and Remlinger Farms closes at 4:30, except for the brewery.  And the Museum of Flight closes at 5pm.  DARN   We all would have loved that.  Any other suggestions?... I hate the thought of sitting at the airport for hours.   

[Iwannaseemickey]

On 6/17/2022 at 12:44 PM, Gardyloo said:

I would change the order of things.  After disembarking, take a cab or Uber to Pike Place and visit the market then.  You ought to be early enough to avoid the (massive) crowds that will be there by 10:30 or so.  Being there on a holiday weekend will make matters much worse.  What I'd do is have a light breakfast (if any) on the ship before leaving, then head to the market and have a real breakfast at someplace like Lowell's in the main arcade.  Walk off the carbs and watch the merchants set up for the day.  Have a coffee at the "original" Starbucks (it isn't) if you must, but be gone by 10:30 or 11, unless you want to be in the middle of the mob.

 

If it was me, I'd then walk down to the central waterfront and either take the Bainbridge ferry, or instead take the Argosy Locks cruise, departing from Pier 54.  This will take you to and through the Ballard locks, past Fishermen's Terminal, and into Lake Union, where you'll see the houseboats, floatplanes, etc.  Argosy connects to double-deck tour buses to return you to Pier 54, or you could skip the bus ride and explore Lake Union Park, the Museum of History and Industry, etc.

 

I'd save Kerry Park for later in the afternoon, mainly because in the morning the view is compromised by having the sun in your eyes, behind the skyline, while in the afternoon it's in a position to give you better views of everything, including potentially Mount Rainier if it makes an appearance.

 

I'd try to make time at some point in the day to visit Seattle's iconic pan-Asian supermarket/department store Uwajimaya, a block or so from the Chinatown/International District light rail station.  This is a superb experience, and could be a place to stock up on weird Japanese snacks for the flight home.  Don't forget you're here on the Pacific Rim.  There's also a fun food court in Uwajimaya (several Asian cuisines) as well as the fabulous Kinokuniya book store, a branch of the biggest Japanese bookseller chain.  There's a terrific collection of gifts, toys, etc., as well as books and magazines.  

 

 

Elliott Bay Books moved out of Pioneer Square years ago.  They're now located on Tenth Avenue on Capitol Hill.  

You might want to include a visit to the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad Museum, in the town of Snoqualmie, then after the wallabies, you might want to head up to Remlinger Farms, just south of Carnation, where they have plenty of activities for families as well as a decent farm store and places to eat.  You could then, if interested, swing by the original Carnation Farm before returning to Seattle.  Map - https://goo.gl/maps/RfGGqz4Q7ic34UW87

 

Depending on the kids' ages, I'd absolutely make a stop at the Museum of Flight, located at Boeing Field just south of downtown.  There's plenty of parking, a terrific gift shop and decent cafe, but the museum itself is amazing - IMO second only to the Smithsonian in terms of its collection.  It's VERY kid-friendly, with many hands-on exhibits... in my view one of Seattle's premier visitor destinations, for all ages.  Home | The Museum of Flight

Following this thread….we are doing much of the same. Any advice would be welcome. We have a car scheduled once we get off the ship. Our plan was to drive to the Ballard Locks, then eat lunch in the area…hoping for a nice view of the Water?  We would then head to the Space needle and Chihuly exhibit as we won’t have had time to do those our day there before boarding. Beyond that, I have no idea…..flights are at 10pm. Thoughts?

[tetleytea]

Is there a good car rental agency accessible to the cruise pier?  Besides the airport?

[Ferry_Watcher]

Pre=pandemic the three major car rentals also had a location in DT Seattle.   You might check to see if picking up your rental car from DT Seattle is an option.

[Gardyloo]

Before the plague three companies (same corporate parent) - National, Alamo and Enterprise - had kiosks at Pier 91; they'd shuttle customers to their downtown rental center where the cars were located.  According to the Port of Seattle this service is not operating this year, so you'll have to arrange your own transportation to downtown, where all the main rental companies have branches.  

[itsanita]

On 6/17/2022 at 12:44 PM, Gardyloo said:

 

You might want to include a visit to the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad Museum, in the town of Snoqualmie, then after the wallabies, you might want to head up to Remlinger Farms, just south of Carnation, where they have plenty of activities for families as well as a decent farm store and places to eat.  You could then, if interested, swing by the original Carnation Farm before returning to Seattle.  Map - https://goo.gl/maps/RfGGqz4Q7ic34UW87

 

Depending on the kids' ages, I'd absolutely make a stop at the Museum of Flight, located at Boeing Field just south of downtown.  There's plenty of parking, a terrific gift shop and decent cafe, but the museum itself is amazing - IMO second only to the Smithsonian in terms of its collection.  It's VERY kid-friendly, with many hands-on exhibits... in my view one of Seattle's premier visitor destinations, for all ages.  Home | The Museum of Flight

 

I just wanted to thank you for the suggestions.  We are back home and had a great time.   

We did not get as much done as we hoped, but had a great day!   We did Port Valet, had a shuttle waiting for us when off the ship, and we were dropped off at the Airport Rental Car area.   We got our car and headed to Salish Lodge & Spa were we had lunch.  We then went to the Wallaby Ranch and I'm not sure who had more fun, us or the kids.  We then went back to the Snoqualmie Falls to walk the trail down by the waterfall.  We then headed back to the airport for our Redeye  flight home....lots of traffic!  We had dinner at the airport and headed to our gate with about 1 1/2 hour to spare.  It was a great way to end our vacation.    Thanks again.