visiting Seattle for the 1st time (Bremerton, Bainbridge Island: houseboats, taxi, department store)

[leastprime]

Major trees to look for:
Redwood. Sequoia, Larch, Hemlock, douglas fir, cypress, and Red Cedar for the evergreens. Deciduous trees: many varieties of Maple, White Oak & other, buckeye, , Sycamore, Ash. Cottonwood/Popular,
The Arboretum is large and many trails that you get lost in. It's not very wide but the trails are windy which confuses your direction. You really are not more than 200 ft from Lake Washington or to the main road.

[leastprime]

Seattle Center: Space Needle. Science Center, Gates Foundation, Chihuly Glass Garden is Excellent.
Pike Place: Victor Steinbrueck Park (north end of Pike Place Public Market) is a nice view of the waterfront.
Columbia Center for View within the city.
Ferry view of Seattle skyline at dusk/evening.

The Loop buses: 545X leaving International (ID) transit center (TC), across Lake Washington 520 Floating bridge to Overlake/Microsoft to Redmond TC; Bus 250 from Redmond TC - Kirkland TC to Bellevue TC; Bus 550X from Bellevue over Lake Washington on I90 floating bridge to Seattle ID TC (4th & Jackson or up to Westlake TC/Pike,Pine). All on one fare using an Orca Card. About 3 hours. These buses run every 10-20 min during daytime hours, weekday.

Issaquah Salmon Spawning days in October-somewhat rain dependent.

Train ride on Amtrak Cascades to Portland (~$27 one way,14 day advance Saver fare ). Free wifi and nice club car. 3:30hr each way.

Other loops can include Issaquah, UW Tacoma (Amtrak & Express bus and Express +LINK)

Where are you staying?
What are your interests?
Male/Female?
Confidence level? Can you read a map, a transit map, use google/apple maps?
Mobility?
Time of year?

[homesinseattle]

As far as which areas to be aware in for safety, Downtown can be a little dicey in the evening, International District too, also the areas/streets crossing I-5 to Capitol Hill/First Hill. Driving through there is usually fine, not the greatest idea to be on foot though in the later evening/night. Belltown (the north part of downtown) has more critical mass of residential buildings/residents, generally safer with more people out.

[uniquetraveler]

Couple of vlogs around Seattle coffee shops, they hit most of the key ones:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQnAVk0UpU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoMCaO9J6Z4

[leastprime]

Other loops can include Issaquah, UW, Tacoma (Amtrak & Express bus and Express +LINK)

Where are you staying?
What are your interests?
Male/Female?
Confidence level? Can you read a map, a transit map, use google/apple maps?
Mobility?
Time of year?[/quote]

forgot the comma bw, UW and Tacoma.

[Ruth4Truth]

Forget coffee. Nothing will measure up, if you're from Iran, or are used to Turkish or other regional coffee from around there. Commercial/corporate American coffee cannot compare. Just because American companies have more money than their counterparts abroad to spend on advertising and setting up chains of stores, doesn't mean their product is better.

I second the suggestion to visit the aquarium. The reason this is interesting, is that, unlike most aquariums, which simply have exotic fish behind glass in a room full of water tanks, an artificial environment obviously, the Seattle aquarium is designed to take you under the waves, so you can observe the sea life in its natural habitat. It's very impressive how this is done.

If you like art museums, there's the Seattle Art Museum downtown. They have a room full of traditional Native American art representing the Northwest tribes. There's also the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park, on Capital Hill. Also in Volunteer Park is a plant conservatory. Some people enjoy strolling the park, which has a nice view of downtown, and walking through the conservatory. It makes for a quiet afternoon stroll through the park.

There's also the Burke Museum at the University of Washington, which has a permanent exhibit of Northwest Coast Native American art, as well as a cluster of totem poles near the entrance, and a nice coffee shop in the basement. https://www.burkemuseum.org

If you happen to come during salmon spawning season, a visit to the Ballard Locks can be a moving experience. The locks are for assisting boat transit from Puget Sound to Lake Washington, where there's a difference in elevation. So this is a feat of engineering. But during salmon-spawning season, masses of fish (a regional delicacy--try it when you go out to dinner) swarm the locks trying to jump over the locks to the lake, so they can make their way from the ocean to the rivers where they were born. They follow instinct, and in some mysterious way are able to find the rivers and creeks of their birth, to mate and create the next generation of salmon.

On the side of the locks, a special passageway has been built for them, so they can circumvent the man-made obstruction the locks present. This is known as a "fish ladder". There's an area for visitors to watch the salmon as they swim through this passageway. But the sheer raw energy of nature that the salmon display as they try to leap over the locks (it takes them awhile to find their way to the special passageway built for them, so at first they try to jump over the locks, as they would a waterfall) is one of the most moving spectacles I've ever seen. And certainly an experience unique to Seattle.
https://www.ballardlocks.org

Of course, whatever itinerary you choose for your brief visit will depend on your own particular interests.

Nightlife? here is Sarajevo, a lounge with cultural flair: https://www.sarajevolounge.com

[CrazyDonkey]

^Seattle CityPASS

Visit each:

* Space Needle (Day/Night admission, two visits within 24 hours) - Reg: $61.95 (Adult) $46.20 (Child)

* Seattle Aquarium - Reg: $38 (Adult) $26 (Child)

Visit three of the following:

* Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour - Reg: $36.38 (Adult) $22.05 (Child)

* Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) - Reg: $33 (Adult) $23 (Child)

* Woodland Park Zoo - Reg: $24.60 (Adult) $15 (Child)

* Chihuly Garden and Glass - Reg: $33.60 (Adult) $19.95 (Child)

* Pacific Science Center (will reopen in late 2021).

Cost: $109 (Adult) $84 (Child)


Top free attractions:

Pike Place Market
Seattle Center & International Fountain
Olympic Sculpture Park
Chittenden (Ballard) Locks and Botanical Garden
The Fremont Troll
Frye Art Museum
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (Museum)
Archie McPhee's (Seattle's famous novelty store)
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop (Since 1899)
Seattle Free Walking Tours (Pay What You Feel)

[Hemlock140]

Some of the best attractions are outside of the city of Seattle. With only 3 days it would be hard to get to all of them but for people visiting from out of state we recommend these as being far more interesting than anything in Seattle. One could see Pike Place Market, walk the waterfront and visit the Space Needle in less than a day, but spend the rest of the time in other places.

Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park
Hoh Rainforest
Lake Quinault
Mt. Rainier National Park
Bellevue Square (Bellevue Collection) if into shopping
Snoqualmie Falls
Deception Pass (in Oak Harbor, Washington)

[jabogitlu]

Originally Posted by shiraziman

I've traveled 40 states and Washington will be my 41st. I've googled these questions, but too many things and too many paid stuff come up.

1- What are the top five "Seattle experiences" that I should NOT miss?

Pike/Pine Corridor in Capitol Hill; Space Needle; Pike Place Market & Seattle Waterfront (& maybe a touring cruise, or a ferry to Bainbridge, if you have time); International District-Chinatown-Japantown; the fifth one you should tailor to your specific interests, e.g., the Chihuly Glass Museum, Asian Art Museum, Center for Wooden Boats, Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), Museum of Flight, Elliott Bay Books, etc.

2- For a true Seattle-coffee experience, what do you recommend?
Here's a few: Victrola, Capitol Coffee Works, Analog Coffee, Cherry Street Coffee House, Caffé D'arte, Fulcrum Café
If you're interested in a Starbucks experience, skip the "first" Starbucks at Pike Place Market (not exciting, huuuuge lines) and go to the roastery at Pike & Melrose streets.

3- Are there unsafe areas that I should avoid?
Not really. Pioneer Square is the OG sketchy neighborhood and it has always been (seriously, this is where the term Skid Row originated). I would not recommend being there at night, being there alone, or being clueless (e.g., sitting your phone down on a table away from you). But you will not really find any place in Seattle where you have a high risk of being mugged etc.

4- What natural/nature/park places I should not miss? That are unique to Washington?
I'll keep my recommendations to "in the city": Volunteer Park, Sculpture Park, Greenlake (requires public transit or a car), Washington Park Arboretum, Discovery Park is really neat but can be hard to get to.
Extras: If it's nice weather and you wanna try out a beach, here's a few locals-only spots: Madison Beach, Colman Beach, Seward Park, Alki Beach

[happygrrrl]

I like Gasworks Park for the views. Also, a daytrip to Bainbridge Island on the ferry is fun.