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  1. #1

    Things to do in Seattle

    The wife and I are going to Seattle on Friday for a long weekend to visit a friend. He is battling cancer and won't be able to do much and won't be up for long visits probably, so we will need some other things to fill the time.

    We will have a rental car with gps so finding things will be easy, just need ideas. Also, great restaurants to go to, maybe if there are any hippy organic places we can take our friend that are good that would work out well too. Any input would be great.

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    They're coming to take me away. Ha Ha!
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    Seattle has/had a reputation for spawning a lot of popular bands, so you could visit some local clubs and crush some local garage bands' dreams by booing them off the stage! Make sure to get pictures just in case they end up actually being famous some day. I can't tell you how many bands I wish I could say "Yeah, I hated them long before they took over my local rock station."... fucking Nickleback...

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    Well, the obvious things are:

    Space Needle
    Experience Music Project
    Pike Place Market
    Underground Tour

    There's also national parks/forests all over the place. Just pick a direction, go twenty miles, and you've found one.

  4. #4

    There's a ton of nice national parks near Seattle, I'd suggest that too. Weather here has been beautiful this week, hopefully it stays that way.

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    Things to do in Seattle

    Kiro

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    Not sure what type of restaurants you are into so I will list some of my favorites:

    - El Gaucho: Well known Northwest steakhouse.

    - Umi Sake House: Obviously a Sake bar that also serves great sushi. Trendy place that is designed to look like an actual Japanese house on the inside.

    - Barrio: Trendy upper scale Mexican restaurant that has some fairly unique drinks, and amazing soft tacos a la carte. I would recommend the shredded smoked pork.

    - Chez Gaudy: Intimate feeling Italian restaurant and wine bar. Call ahead the place does a confusing seating system and gets packed and is kinda small. Its kinda hard to find, there are no big signs, and the door is down a funny hall sorta thing.

    - Purple Cafe: Trendy upper scale wine bar. Bigger and more sophisticated feel than Chez Gaudy I guess. Never personally been there but some of my friends have said its great.

    - Serious Pie: Seriously one of the most unique and gourmet pizza places you will ever go to. Go early or call ahead for reservations, place is notoriously small, has community bench tables, and can get wait times hours long.


    Anyhow, all these are places I have been to and enjoyed a few times, other than Purple Cafe. All the above are located in the Downtown/Belltown/Capitol Hill districts which run into each other. I live in Belltown so a few of them are in walking distance of my apartment.


    Oh, there is also some crazy tour ride called Duck Tours that drives some kind of amphibious vehicle that will drive straight out onto Lake Union and then through the downtown district while the tour guide gives you info about Seattle: http://ridetheducksofseattle.com/
    Never been on it, but I see/hear them drive by all the time (mostly in the summers).

  7. #7
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    I'll second Serious Pie. Bring an umbrella.

    If you feel like marathon sightseeing, check out a City Pass.

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    Holla at Kiro and get your fill of weed.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cantih View Post
    Space Needle
    Experience Music Project
    Pike Place Market
    All these are pretty close to each other and can be done in a day no problem.

    There were a lot of threads posted about visiting Seattle awhile back, a search could probably yield some good info

  10. #10
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    Sci-Fi Museum (located next to the EMP) is also pretty cool, or so I hear. I haven't made it to that one yet.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cantih View Post

    Space Needle
    Experience Music Project
    Pike Place Market
    Underground Tour
    When my friend from Ohio came to visit we did this all in one long afternoon. We parked at the Space Needle and walked to the EMP/Sci-Fi Museum(They are connected, you buy tickets for entry to both), then walked the however many blocks to Pike Place Market... The Underground Tour is fantastic, and definitely a must. It takes just over an hour to do, and they run at scheduled times. The entrance to the Underground Tour is right in Pioneer Square, so just past the market. Overall it is quite a bit of walking, so it would probably be a full day for you and the wife to take away from the cancer friend.

  12. #12
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    Pike Place is amazing for fresh seafood. If you're there for several days, could consider coming to Vancouver. It's a 3hour drive

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    Not sure if you're a fan but you could visit Bruce Lee's burial site at the Lakeview Cemetery. His son is also buried next to him. Also ~80 miles Southwest Kurt Cobain had his ashes spread at the Wishkah River >_>;


    "The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering."

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    Quote Originally Posted by vagus View Post
    Pike Place is amazing for fresh seafood. If you're there for several days, could consider coming to Vancouver. It's a 3hour drive
    Personally, I can't stand the smell in that part of Pike Place. Fortunately, it's a big place and there's plenty of non-seafood (and non-food) sections, like bookstores, gift shops, pubs, etc.

    Might not recommend the Underground Tour if long visits are out of the question, since you spend the first 40 min of the tour sitting and listening to the history of the place. Then you go on the actual tour.

  15. #15

    Wasn't that doughnut place out there? Or was that Portland? Either way, that crazy doughnut place would be cool to visit

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    The doughnut place is in Portland. Voodoo Doughnut.

    Edit: I've been to Seattle but it was back in 1994 so I couldn't offer anything other than what everyone below said.

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    Frost Donuts in Mill Creek also has interesting donuts, having had both them and Voodoo donuts I think Frost is better, but that could be they are 30 mins from Seattle vs 3 hours from Seattle.

    The Pink Door at Pike Place Market is pretty cool, but weekends it's hard to get a table. Good food and a lot of variety in entertainment, they also have a burlesque show on weekends.

    Barrio has a good happy hour, they are on capitol hill and have another location in Bellevue.

    Purple is also interesting to go to, but I keep hearing that their food isn't as good now and is overpriced. It's still worth going since that huge tower of wine in the middle of the place is pretty cool.

    The Owl and Thistle is an english style pub, good food, nice atmosphere, and it's in mostly walking distance from most places in downtown. I've only gone for lunch but thought it was good.

    The EMP and SciFi museum are interesting, but entry is still expensive imo. The whole Seattle Center area is fun to just chill out at if you just want a nice lazy outside day and the weather is nice.

    The Space Needle is also pretty cool, but it is something like $15/person to even go up in the elevator. The restaurant at the top is pretty good, it takes about an hour to revolve around and the view on a clear day like we've had all this week is the best way to see the city. Be aware that you'd need reservations and the menu is expensive, but they let you ride up in the elevator for free and you can hang out on the observation deck after lunch/dinner/brunch for as long as you like.

    If you're into touristy things you can check out the Freemont Troll under the Bridge.

    Mostly just hope that the weather holds and stays nice, it was 64 and sunny with clear skies yesterday, but it was raining this morning. It's fairly common to see 3 or 4 days of beautiful sunny weather and then a day of rain.

  18. #18

    Walk around in the rain for 45 minutes trying to get to your pharmacy school interview, only to be picked up and brought to it by the chief of the campus police.

  19. #19

    Do the Duck Tour! It is these amphibious trucks that go around the city and into the Puget Sound. It's fun and a blast. My parents don't even speak English and they enjoyed it.

    The Space Needle and monorail are a waste of money imo. It's now like 28$ to ride it to the top. The monorail is like 1 mile of track and ends in a mall. not really exciting.

    Outside of Seattle is Snoqualmie Pass and waterfall. Really nice area. If you like trains Snoqualmie has an old fashion train museum and a steam engine that goes along the side of the mountain.

    Of course there is Mt. Rainier, it's about 90 mins from Seattle, but it's breath taking. Many places may still be closed though due to the season.

    Tacoma (South of Seattle about 30-60mins depending on traffic) has a really interesting Glass Museum.

    North of Seattle is Anacortes, where you can take a ferry out to the San Juan Islands. If it's a sunny day the ferry ride is incredible. Also Orcas Island is full of many great small shops and eateries. You can drive up Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island, it overlooks the entire Puget Sound.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by ghanima View Post
    Frost Donuts in Mill Creek also has interesting donuts, having had both them and Voodoo donuts I think Frost is better, but that could be they are 30 mins from Seattle vs 3 hours from Seattle.

    The Owl and Thistle is an english style pub, good food, nice atmosphere, and it's in mostly walking distance from most places in downtown. I've only gone for lunch but thought it was good.
    I second the Owl and Thistle, although its an Irish pub not English. If you can go on a night when, I believe its the owners band is playing, its really fun. They play a bunch of Irish folk songs and all the regulars at the bar know the words and sing along.

    I've only been able to catch his band there twice I think after about 10 or so visits in the last year, but both times were some of the most fun i've had in a bar.

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