OT: Washington State Forumites - trip advice please.

[shniggens]

I have planned a trip to the Pacific NW for me and my lady's anneversary next month. We are both extremely excited, as we've never been up there before.

 

We will flying into Seattle and staying a couple of nights, then moving on to La Push for a night via Olypic National Park (north side). Then cruising down the coast to Astoria for a night, and then finally flying out of Portland after a coupla nights stay.

 

Since I don't know anyone there or FROM there to give me advice, I was just wondering what the MUST SEE places along the route would be.

 

Thanks.

[Bejeeber]

Seattle in the summertime. Welcome to paradise!

 

People are friendly and the days are long. Won't be getting dark 'til 10:30.

 

Well I waited to see if one of the other's from the Seattle area would see this post, but since no one's responded yet I'll take a crack at it and leave veto power over any of my suggestions to the more experienced.

 

Seattle

 

Hey I can tell you about some fun touristy things because I was a tourist here before moving to the area:

 

If you're staying in a hotel in or within easy walking distance of the MONORAIL,

http://www.seattlemonorail.com/information.htm

that's excellent because you'll be in a nice part of town, and you can just jump on the monorail and take it over to the Space Needle at the Seattle Center.

 

Yeah, ya gotta go up in the space needle and catch the view from there. There's a revolving restaraunt up there too. Expensive, but if it's you got the $ and it's your your anniversary, hey.

 

When I was passing thru once and had a little time to kill I took the Gray line bus tour and I actually thought it was a great introduction to the town.

 

There are Argosy boat tours of Elliot Bay or Lake Union and Sea Plane rides. Haven't done the plane but have done the boat, and it's fun.

 

Cheap way to do the boat thing is just to walk onto a ferry boat ride over to Bainbridge and have lunch over there, then get get ready for an incredible view of downtown Seattle on the waterfront as you return (weather permitting).

 

Since it's the anniversary - there are downtown horse carriage rides that should provide a nice tour.

 

Baseball fans? The new Safeco Field is a beautiful place (try right field, nice view of the surrounding area from there).

 

If you want to get out of the city and experience nature, may I suggest a hike at Tiger mountain (about a 1/2 hour from Seattle - this'd be a warmup for the Olympic National Rainforest you'll be experiencing). What a beautiful place. And right close to downtown is the arboretum.

 

Then there's Hippieville Fremont. Or the Woodland Park zoo. OK, enuff already - and that's just for the Seattle part of your trip.

 

You're gonna love it.

[KenElevenShadows]

There's a rainforest in Washington that would probably be very interesting to go to.

 

If you've got some time in Portland, OR you may want to consider stopping by Powell's City of Books (and across the street, there was an interesting little record shop called Ozone or something like that, I don't remember anymore).

 

http://www.powells.com/

[DC Ross]

In addition to the great suggestions above:

 

The Underground Seattle tour is a fun way to kill an hour or so. Some really neat history as well. http://www.undergroundtour.com/

 

I really second Bejeeber's suggestion to ferry over to Bainbridge. What a beautiful place!

 

Are you into aviation at all? Check out Seattle's Museum of Flight at Boeing http://www.museumofflight.org/. It's got some really neat warbirds (Corsair) & jets (SR-71)

 

For a fun photo-op, go to Freemont (the self-proclaimed center of the universe) & get a pic of yourselves with the troll. Head a few blocks west & get another pic with the statue of Lenin.

 

Take a stroll on the boardwalk on Elliot bay, see the aquarium & Ye Olde Curiosity Shop ("Curiosity killed the cat, and now it's preserved in a jar in this waterfront trinket shop.")

 

Even though it's a horrendous eyesore, you can't pass up the EMP http://www.emp.com/.

 

For more ideas, check out http://seattle.citysearch.com/ or the Freak's guide to Seattle http://www.voltagemagazine.com/Seattle/freaksguide.html

 

Guaranteed, you won't be bored. With only a few days here, you'll definitely want to come back (& never leave!)

[geoffk]

don't forget the pike place market

feasting on some wild salmon

Lewis and Clark stayed near Astoria and there's parks & a re-created fort near there.

[shniggens]

Thanks, guys.

 

I thought this thread sunk to the bottom of the pile.

 

DC Ross, I'm guessing EMP is the Experience Music museum? The website you linked took me to "Emergency Medical Practice"! Do you recommend the Experience Music place?

 

Any of you guys can recommend a nice romantic seafood restaraunt (with a nice view of the bay or something). I'm not interested in the Space Needle Restaraunt, as I've heard the food sucks.

 

Thanks for the replies.

[Botch.]

Originally posted by shniggens:

Any of you guys can recommend a nice romantic seafood restaraunt (with a nice view of the bay or something).

Any of the restaurants along Pike Place, and the wharf, are good, if maybe a bit touristy (I'm still a big fan of Ivar's, there's several in Seattle including one under the main bridge that half the customers arrive at by boat!) There's some great ethnic restaurants close to the University too, wish I could give you some specific names but its been too many years...

[shniggens]

Cool, we will be staying right downtown, so we will be close to Pike Place market.

 

I'm not worried about touristy, I will be in full tourist mode, with camera ready!!!!!

[Bejeeber]

don't forget the pike place market

I can't believe I forgot that one.

 

I'm not interested in the Space Needle Restaraunt, as I've heard the food sucks.

Apparently it sucked until recently, but for what it's worth, the last time I was there they had changed the menu or chef or something and everyone actually thought the food was pretty dang good.

 

Do you recommend the Experience Music place?

YMMV, but we went shortly after it opened and really wanted to be impressed but weren't - the only thing I thought was worthwhile was the Jimi Hendrix room. His Woodstock strat was sitting there on a stand within "grabbing and playing" distance, etc. (this place was originally conceived as the Jimi Hendrix museum, but that aspect got scaled way back unfortunately).

[Prague]

emplive.org for the EMP. It's right next to the Space Needle. Investigate the restuarant when you're up there.

 

Salty\'s is across the bay with an incredible view of Downtown, the volcano, and the bay. Take the Elliott Bay Water Taxi from Pier 55. Great for your romantic spot.

 

Hurricane Ridge is a great place when you're on the North Shore. Great view of the Olympic Mt.s Near to that is the Rain forest. There is only one highway around that whole upper peninsula, so the places are easy to find.

[DC Ross]

Originally posted by shniggens:

Thanks, guys.

 

I thought this thread sunk to the bottom of the pile.

 

DC Ross, I'm guessing EMP is the Experience Music museum? The website you linked took me to "Emergency Medical Practice"! Do you recommend the Experience Music place?

 

Any of you guys can recommend a nice romantic seafood restaraunt (with a nice view of the bay or something). I'm not interested in the Space Needle Restaraunt, as I've heard the food sucks.

 

Thanks for the replies.

D'oh! Yup, Experience Music Project what I meant It's not exceptional as Bejeeber pointed out, but it's one of those "must-do" touristy things, especially for musicians. There's some neat history there. When we went, there was an exibit dedicated to funk. That was really neat, but I don't think it's there anymore. I think they took it over for the Sci-Fi museum (another interesting attraction if you're into that sort of thing, which I am

My wife and I are celebrating our 9 year anniversary tomorrow, we may make the trek out there (We live in Sammamish, so for us, it ain't easy to get to during the week at dinnertime).