moving to seattle (Port Townsend, Leavenworth, Neah Bay: appointed, neighborhoods, live in)

[ishaemc]

My friend and I are thinking of moving to Seattle within a year or so.We currently live in Las Vegas and have lived here our whole lives. We are planning a week long trip in August to see if we like it. What are some things we should plan on doing or places we should stay? Also, if we do enjoy it after this visit, when would be a good time to move? We would like to avoid any major snow storms as we're not used to driving in it at all.

Thanks for reading!

[CityGirl72]

August is a beautiful month here - The best thing to do is come in Oct, Nov, or Spring time - there are 8 weeks of wonderful weather here, and that's in August. If you visit in August don't do what every person does and think it's SOOOOOO GREAT - but then find out the weather is much different year round.

[ishaemc]

we definitely are going to visit during the "gloomy" months as well. If we like it in August, we'll probably plan a trip during November for her 22nd bday. We want to see the city in all it's times. lol So you suggest moving during March/April? we don't mind the cold or the rain it's just driving in snow with a huge uhaul and 2 cars is a bit intimidating.

[CityGirl72]

You "could" get snow through the oregon mountains - you'll just have to watch the weather forecasts.

I'd suggest moving closer to May - I moved here from California in May 2004, and it was easy driving through Oregon, and then you have some good months of weather before the bad stuff rolls in.

[ishaemc]

Thanks. My friend and I will definitely have to think about it!

[tortoisegirl]

May/June was a really good moving time for us, and the weather was not too hot not too cold as we moved our stuff in. We were lucky and didn't have any rain while moving in either.

[ishaemc]

What are some things that we should do while we're up in August & November. I live in Vegas so i always encourage people to steer away from the strip if it all possible.

I'd really like to do some local stuff as well as tourist stuff too.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!!

[eskercurve]

ishaemc, Seattle is a beautiful city in summer. Pretty much any weekend will have musical shows or special entertainment of some sort, so check the Seattle city government calendar of events for free or low-cost shows.

(note I assume these are things you'll do in summer... winter is a bit more depressing / slow and drizzly, but you can still do the majority of these things at that time too)

Touristy things: Pike Place Market (this is also a local thing, one of the few both touristy and local fav things I've experienced), Seattle Center (Space Needle), Experience Music Project (very cool) or the Sci-Fi museum (both in the same building, depends on your taste), the waterfront, and check out 1st ave downtown.

Local Things: Fremont, Green Lake, and the Chittenden Locks and Gardens are some of my favs. Golden Gardens beach is nice. So is Alki beach (for a more California coastal town feel). If you have time, do some hiking in the nearby mountains and go to Leavenworth, about a two hour drive to the East. HOWEVER only go to Leavenworth if in the summer, or if you have all-wheel drive plus chains, just in case there's a snowstorm. You have to go through some mountains to get there.

Also check out the various islands, if anything to experience the ferries and if you have a lot of time, go to Victoria, BC, Canada (don't forget our US ID!). When you're over in Victoria, you can check that out and also check out back stateside the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend, and Neah Bay. You can get to the Olympic Peninsula purely by driving but it takes the better part of 4 hours, with no traffic. I'd recommend a ferry ride to Port Townsend, then drive West to the Olympics.

If you are a cruiser, do the Cascade loop (I-90 E, then loop back North to US-2 W, then back south via I-5). This will require a long weekend. Some parts are driving heaven. Keep going East and you can check out the "other" side of washington state - dry, barren in places, quite diverse climate.

If you're a fan of aviation, Boeing's Commercial Airplanes division is here and there are two museums you can visit. The first is the History of Flight museum in the Duwamish corridor, and the other is up north called the "Future of Flight" museum, where you can get a tour of Boeing's factory, which is the largest by volume in the world. The Future of Flight museum is more "rah rah Boeing" but there's still some cool stuff there.

For nightlife, depends on your tastes. If you enjoy clubbing and that scene, try Capitol Hill (but don't go there if you dislike "alternative" lifestyles). If you enjoy a nice cocktail, there are a few places but my favorite is Zig Zag Cafe, close to Pike Place. Kinda hard to find (it's down a staircase off a street going down to the waterfront ... ).

[jr75]

Originally Posted by ishaemc

What are some things that we should do while we're up in August & November. I live in Vegas so i always encourage people to steer away from the strip if it all possible.

I'd really like to do some local stuff as well as tourist stuff too.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!!

Hey there, I have personal experience with your move from Las Vegas to Seattle as I did the same in 96/97. If you are like me, I wanted the exact opposite of what Vegas was like, and I'm telling you, you will not be disappointed. Where Las Vegas was sprawled, full of chain restaurants, strip malls and fed a fast paced yet tourist-oriented culture, Seattle is much different. Here you will find streets made for walking, neighborhoods that are distinct and full of cafe's, local restaurants and boutiques, and a general slower and more local oriented culture.
If you like music, especially but not exclusively indie rock oriented, you will find much to love. Every weekend and some weekdays there are shows at numerous music venues around the city. If you are younger, mid twenties to early thirties, I would defenitely check out Capitol Hill to start. Capitol Hill is very close in to downtown and there are tons of places hang out. Start out on Pine st. and walk up--check out Bauhaus books and coffee, Area 51 for furniture, and Linda's for a pint. Then go over to the Pike and Broadway corridor for more shopping, cafe's, and music joints. Go to a show at Nuemo's, have a bite at Bimbo's burritos or Quinn's for a little more $$. Take a walk up to Volunteer Park and the surrounding neighborhoods, just beautiful!
After Cap Hill check out the city's other close in neighborhoods, especially Fremont and Ballard. Lower Queen Anne and the U-district (U.W. has a beautiful campus) are also worth a stop. You will get a feel for the vibe of Seattle by just walking its streets. Ofcourse check out downtown and the more touristy places like the Pike Place Market (not just a tourist stop since I go to the market frequently) Space Needle, Central Library, Olympic Sculpture Park. Go to Kerry Park on Queen Anne hill for the classic skyline shot of Seattle. I fell in love with Seattle my first trip and that hasn't changed.

[ishaemc]

Thanks so much for all the advice!