Planning a trip to Seattle in July (Tacoma, Bellevue: fit in, hotels)

[DidiH]

Hello!

I'm in Montana and my husband and I are planning my first visit to Seattle in July. It'll be us and our baby who will be 1 years old and another couple. They're coming down from Malaysia and probably won't have this opportunity again. It looks like Seattle Citypass will be a good deal so will probably get those tickets.

1) How does this itinerary look to you?
2) Is there anything else I should see/slip in there?
3) Should I try to fit in Mt Rainer?
3) Could you recommend any affordable hotels? We don't need to be downtown, willing to drive some if it means saving more in hotel room costs.

Thanks for any advice!

Sat 21 July - Road trip to Seattle - approx 12-14 hours- arrive at night
Sun 22 July - Space Needle in the daytime, Pike's Place Market
Mon 23 July - Argosy Cruises Seattle Harbor Tour (1 hour), Seattle Aquarium, possibly round two of Pike's Place Market, Space Needle at Night
Tue 24 July - Seattle - Woodland Park Zoo, Fisherman's Terminal, maybe Mount Rainier?
Wed 25 July - Seattle - We go to Underground Seattle and the Museum of Flight (if we get the Citypass we'll just buy additional tickets for this since we're going to the Zoo), They go to the Seattle Premium Outlets
Thurs 26 July - Road trip home

[NWbyNW]

Sounds like you got a packed trip there! I hope it's a lot of fun. I don't know Citypass, but of all the things you listed, you seem to have a lot of the greats.

Mt. Rainier would really be a full day thing. I doubt you could fit it in. But if you've seen mountains before (since you live in Montana), it won't be much different. Just taller, but not as jagged as MT.

Museum of Flight is great if you like aerospace, even if not. It's just a neat place.

Maybe check out the Seattle Science Center when at the Space Needle. The first night, maybe try eating dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, or for some great local Italian, the Spaghetti Factory is affordable ($9-12 on average) for a full course meal with salad, bread, meal, and dessert!

The Seattle Premium Outlets are a ways away. About 50 minutes. Not sure why they want to go their, it's just an outdoor shopping mall. You can find non "factory outlets" closer, like the Bellevue Square Mall or Seattle's very own Westlake Center. Be sure to check out Westlake Center. It is an urban shopping center and plaza, and is just a few blocks walk from Pike Place Market.

If you want a classic group photo of the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier, drive to Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill.

If you want some international flair for food, find a place to eat in Seattle's Chinatown. It is near Pioneer Square and by the big stadiums for the Mariners and Seahawks. Uwajimaya is a unique indoor shopping plaza that has an Asian bookstore and may Asian cuisine stands inside. Also a book grocery store. Might be fun if you've never experienced it before.

When searching for a hotel, ones that have free breakfasts are always nice, that way you can save money for breakfast and use it later in the day for lunch and dinner or trinkets!

If you got more questions of thoughts, I'll be happy to chime in. Overall your schedule looks great.

[Inkpoe]

Yea... I don't see how you can do Woodland Zoo and Mt. Rainier on the same day. The zoo would require at least half a day and Mt. Rainier definitely is a day trip. I'm almost surprised at the lack of mention of "Ride the Duck".

Do factor in that Seattle Premium Outlet is almost an hour drive from Seattle. So make sure to time so you don't deal with traffic coming back. Not in the same league as Bellevue SQ mall or Westlake Mall. Its an outlet mall (with some very nice brands @ Seattle Premiums). North Bend outlet center is slightly closer and smaller. Auburn Supermall definitely is closest but doesn't have as many nice brands.

What is "affordable" (hotel)? You could check around the airport... the hotels will have a shuttle that will drop you off at the Light rail station to go to Seattle DT.

[seattlenextyear]

Let me revise this for you.

Sat 21 July - Road trip to Seattle - approx 12-14 hours- arrive at night
Sun 22 July - Space Needle in the morning, Pacific Science Center, afternoon at Woodland Park zoo. Ballard locks if you have energy before dinner.

Mon 23 July - Argosy Cruises Seattle Harbor Tour (1 hour), Pike's Place Market, Seattle Aquarium, Space Needle at Night

Tue 24 July - Day trip to Mount Rainier

Wed 25 July - We go to Underground Seattle and the Museum of Flight (if we get the Citypass we'll just buy additional tickets for this since we're going to the Zoo), shopping in Downtown Seattle

Thurs 26 July - Road trip home

Dinner suggestions: Ettas, Pike Place Chowder, Ivars, Steelhead Diner, or one of a million more local places (e.g. not Cheesecake or Spaghetti Factory. In fact, just avoid restaurants with "factory" in their name).

[tobester]

I'll chime in before Vinylly does - it's Pike Place Market - no apostrophe, no plural. And, definitely skip the inappropriately named Seattle Premium Outlets (would you go if was named Tulalip Premium Outlets?) - it's just stores far from Seattle. There's plenty of stores downtown.

[Woof]

I haven't tried this, but intend to when I next go to Seattle: Food and Walking Tour of Pike Place Market - The Original Seattle Bites Food Tours

In general, professionally guided tours are the best way to see any city for the first time. They know what's interesting, while you really don't until you've been there a coupla times. I know that aside from foodie tours there are downtown walking tours, and of course zillions of regular full-city bus tours.

[Hemlock140]

Like I always tell friends and relatives coming up, you can see Mt. Rainier from all over the area without going there. A better, more unusual and unique experience is the ferry to Bainbridge, through Poulsbo and up to Port Angeles, on to Hurricane Ridge. You can then continue on through Forks to the Hoh Rainforest, visit there, then on by Lake Quinault and back to I5 at Olympia.

Hurricane Ridge is high in the Olympic Mountains, and reminds you of the Swiss Alps, with valley and water views, across to Victoria, BC on a clear day. We go moist every year at least once, and being so high often it's July before the wildflowers bloom. We have only been to Mt. Rainier once, and it is impressive but pretty much just one big snow covered mountain.

Olympic National Park - Visiting Hurricane Ridge (U.S. National Park Service)

Olympic National Park - Visiting the Hoh Rain Forest (U.S. National Park Service)

[WannabeCPA]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Let me revise this for you.

Sat 21 July - Road trip to Seattle - approx 12-14 hours- arrive at night
Sun 22 July - Space Needle in the morning, Pacific Science Center, afternoon at Woodland Park zoo. Ballard locks if you have energy before dinner.

Mon 23 July - Argosy Cruises Seattle Harbor Tour (1 hour), Pike's Place Market, Seattle Aquarium, Space Needle at Night

Tue 24 July - Day trip to Mount Rainier

Wed 25 July - We go to Underground Seattle and the Museum of Flight (if we get the Citypass we'll just buy additional tickets for this since we're going to the Zoo), shopping in Downtown Seattle

Thurs 26 July - Road trip home

Dinner suggestions: Ettas, Pike Place Chowder, Ivars, Steelhead Diner, or one of a million more local places (e.g. not Cheesecake or Spaghetti Factory. In fact, just avoid restaurants with "factory" in their name).

I just visited Seattle for 5 days in December and did some of the things you're planning. Looks like you're getting the most out of your Citypass. I never went to the zoo or the music museam but went to all the others in the Citypass booklet.

I know they're included in the Citypass book but to me the Pacific Science Center (more for grade school kids) and the 1 hour Argosy cruise (boring) were a waste of time. The Museum of Flight was the best to me. Suggested to try to squeeze in if you have time are the Columbia Center (tallest building in Seattle, I believe 2nd tallest on the West Coast) observation deck. It's $5 and only open during business hours but it's much taller than the Space Needle and gives a different view (although not 360 degrees). You can stay there as long as you want and it wasn't crowded when we went. It's about a 10 minute walk from Pike Place Market. Also the Museum of Glass in Tacoma if you have time. They have live glassmaking shows a few times a day, which is the highlight of the fairly small museum.

We stayed at the Best Western Loyal Inn downtown. It was adequate and the location was good (5 minutes to Space Needle, 15 minutes to Pike Place), free breakfast and one of the cheaper hotels downtown, but need to pay $10 a day for parking, but I still think that's cheaper and more convenient than driving into downtown everyday.

[DidiH]

Thanks for all the input, looks like I'll be doing some definite tweaking. Mt Rainier as a one-full day trip for one if we decide to go. Also reconsidering the Premium Outlets - it's much cheaper than shopping for branded goods in Malaysia but as someone mentioned, they can do it without driving so far out.

I like the ferry idea and I did see the website for the riding with ducks. I'm glad we're planning this early on.

Affordable hotels = possibly under 100, I've been doing some looking but it looks like prices jump in July.