Questions about your city ....tourist (Seattle, Vancouver: apartment, hotels, home)

[Sandduner]

Hi ,
I'm flying in Oct 7th for 5 days with my wife and 13 yr old daughter.
We would like to do the typical tourist things and perhaps go to Victoria Island or a whale watching trip.
I would love some hotel tips, and advice on things to do.....
Do I need a car?
Best area to stay in? Great places to eat....etc.
Thank you

[CrazyDonkey]

No need for a car to get around the core neighborhoods. For a bit more affordable hotels, look in Lower Queen Anne (Uptown), rather than Downtown: Mediterranean Inn, Inn at Queen Anne, Marqueen Hotel, The Maxwell Hotel, Homewood Suites, for instance. Close to the Seattle Center (Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Pacific Science Center, EMP, Monorail), Kerry Park (viewpoint). Excellent transit links to Downtown (about 10 minutes). Wide variety of affordable restaurants in the area, including American, Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Sushi, Indian), Seafood, Mexican, Cajun/Creole, Greek/Mediterranean, Pizza, Burgers/Fries/Shakes (Dick's).

Other things to do:

Downtown: Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, Sky View Observatory/Columbia Tower, Pioneer Square (Underground Tour, Klondike Gold Rush Museum, galleries), International District.

Waterfront: Take a WSF ferry ride (to Bainbridge Island, free coming back), do a harbor boat tour, Sculpture Park/Myrtle Edwards Park, Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. Victoria Clipper to Victoria on Vancouver Island (daytrip or overnight).

Capitol Hill: Seattle Asian Art Museum, Conservatory, Volunteer Park Water Tower (view).

Other: MOHAI (South Lake Union), Flight Museum (Boeing Field), Burke Natural History Museum (U-District), Chittenden Locks (Ballard), Old Ballard (Ballard Ave.), Fremont Troll (Fremont), Gas Works Park (Wallingford/Northlake), Discovery Park (Magnolia), the Aboretum (Montlake).

[kaday]

Id look at some VRBOs as well. Might be a better deal and more comfortable.

[homesinseattle]

Don't miss:

-International District/Chinatown, great Wing Luke museum
-Seattle Sounders soccer match if they are playing when you are here, electric atmosphere.
-Excellent Ballard locks and Salmon ladder.
-Some of the oddities of Seattle (kids love them). For example, the Troll of Fremont.
-Take a ferry, Bainbridge Island is easy and close. If you want a real throwback experience, go to Vashon Island.

VRBO or Homeaway are great sites, you get more for your money than hotels and often have the ability to cook.
Great places to stay would be Ballard, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne. You don't really need a car, Uber or Lyft work
great. It would help though if you wanted to head out to beautiful Snoqualmie Falls or Mount Rainier.

[Ira500]

I'll second CrazyDonkey's suggestion of not staying right downtown, but in a nearby adjacent neighborhood, like lower Queen Anne or lower Capitol Hill, simply because downtown Seattle hotels are very expensive. And like kaday said, I'd look at vrbo, or airbnb. You won't want to stay too far from downtown, because many of the activities you'll likely do will happen downtown. But...10 miles out of downtown, hotels are 2/3rds less expensive, or something like that.

Your daughter might like the Experience Music Project.
If you're going to Victoria( which is on Vancouver island. Victoria Island is a different place, in Canada, much further north), the Victoria Clipper is the boat the goes from Seattle, There are also regularly scheduled seaplanes from Lake Union.

You don't need a car, but it would allow you to explore more things. And if you choose to stay 10 miles away to save a hundred something per night on a hotel, you'd be better off with a car.

[homesinseattle]

Kids, and adults love the Seattle Underground tour: UNDERGROUND TOUR

[Sandduner]

Terrific ideas everyone. Thank you so much.

[homesinseattle]

You are welcome, Sandduner. As you only have 5 days, keep in mind the old adage: "Sometimes if you try to do too much, you miss some great things right in front of your nose". Okay, I modified the adage but you get what I'm saying. Have a great trip

[DevanXL]

Have you booked a hotel yet? If I were you, for the best experience I would get a hotel downtown. Its the center of the city and walking distance from most destinations in that area. If you stay outside the city what you gain in value for the dollar, you lose in time spent in traffic and having to commute. Unless you are planning on doing alot of exploring outside the Seattle city limits I would stay in a nice hotel downtown. You will be able to wake up and go to the nice restaurants and cafes in the area without having to plan things out. Place the view you get from a hotel tower will only enhance your experience. I short cab, uber, or bus ride can take you anywhere you need to get in the city limits.

[Sandduner]

Update....
We just got home and had a great trip. We stayed at Harbor Steps at University and 1st downtown. 2br 2ba apartment, 1100 sq ft and a little cheaper than hotels in the area.
Very centrally located to what we were doing, and we used the link rail, uber, the ferries, and our feet to get around.
Also used the monorail once.
We did the usual tourist stuff, along with going to Bainbridge, Alki Beach, and Theo Chocalate Factory.
By staying where we did it was really easy to get around, and enjoy what downtown had to offer, and also see other areas by using public trans.
Thanks for the good ideas and we are planning our next trip back already.