<p>Sorry, you’re right; am getting my cities mixed up. Saturday Market was also Portland.</p>
<p>We did lunch at the Space Needle and enjoyed it. Felt the food was decent and the prices were OK. We enjoyed Seattle, which we saw before and after a cruise to Alaska. Have heard some folks enjoyed the tour of Boeing, which we didn’t do.</p>
<p>I agree that a ferry ride at this time of year would be great-and there is a lot to do on Bainbridge. The library doesn’t do it for me, nor does the EMP, though music people and kids seem to love it. The zoo is good if the weather is nice, and the new ferris wheel (called the Great Wheel) is right on the waterfront and should provide a spectacular view either day or night.No one has mentioned “quirky” Capital Hill, an easy bus ride from downtown, with its bookstores, shops and restaurants.</p>
<p>While the Space Needle doesn’t appeal to some natives, out of state visitors tend to be blown away by the 360 degree view so I would go for it. But yes, the Columbia Tower does offer an excellent view (though not 360 degrees), and yes, there are shops and cafes part way up. I think the viewing public can get up to the 72nd or so floor. </p>
<p>We aren’t much for eating downtown, but I can highly recommend Toulouse Petite on the back side of Seattle Center-amazing Cajun style food with the best Bloody Marys on the planet. And every dish is fantastic. Same for Kaisho, a new Asian-fusion place on Capital Hill. We know someone associated with the management of both- just go.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Do we need a car to go to the Auto Museum or the Boeing tour? If not, how long is a bus ride form downtown 3rd st.? </p>
<p>Yep - happy hour small plates at Toulouse Petite are yummy! Don’t be tempted to go to the “Mexican” place next door it is a long wait, though.</p>
<p>Boeing and Auto Museum would require a car (or some detailed transit planning)</p>
<p>Yes, the auto museum is south of Seattle in Tacoma, the Boeing tour is about 30 minutes north of Seattle, if the traffic isn’t bad. But it’s a great tour. My nephew was agog the entire time we were there. The auto museum is one of the largest private collections in the US, I’m told, so good for auto lovers.</p>
<p>We also loved Mt. Ranier and H enjoyed Mt. St. Helens, tho both are a bit of a drive from Seattle. </p>
<p>Next time you visit, see if you can include an overnight to Vancouver, BC in your plans. It’s a comfortable Amtrak ride, going right along the water for an especially beautiful stretch north of Bellingham. You can depart early one day and arrive in Vancouver early afternoon; stay overnight and return to Seattle the next evening. I’m not much of a city person but I love Vancouver’s waterfront (which surrounds the city), walking/biking paths, and the way in which they’ve incorporated park-like grounds and street-level charm into their dense high-rise residences.</p>
<p>The Boeing tour is ~25 miles North of downtown Seattle. There are companies (Grayline? Viatour?) who have tours including transportation and admission. (After 30 years, I finally made it over to the factory. It was pretty neat; the formal tour is supposed to be great.)
There are probably similar tours for the Lemay museum.</p>
<p>The view from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill is beautiful - and free. It’s the place for pre-prom and engagement photos 
you can bus up and walk down.</p>
<p>My cousin just visited and she enjoyed the Sounder commuter rail trip - it goes right along Puget Sound</p>
<p>In Belltown, you’re close to Macrina bakery - yummy. There are some other really good bakeries around if you’re into baked goods. </p>
<p>You can go to Victoria via the Clipper for a day visit (passport is required and is not cheap). Departs from one of the piers right next to the Olympic Sculpture Park. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.clippervacations.com/”>http://www.clippervacations.com/</a></p>
<p>Second Kerry park on the very top of Queen Anne for picture taking and amazing views of the downtown.</p>
<p>Do not miss the Museum of Flight–it is fantastic and never gets boring. Where else can you tour Air Force One (Nixon era) and a Concorde? Also, if you go to Pike Place Market (and you should at least once), be sure to head across the street to Le Panier for excellent French pastries and coffee, and to Beecher’s cheese a few doors down. You can watch them making the cheese and get a free sample of some. We always buy some and take it home with us on the plane–their hard cheeses keep a few days unrefrigerated. Although we go to Seattle to visit family several times a year, the food is the real draw for me. ;)</p>
<p>The pike/pine corridor from the waterfront to capitol hill might be fun.
Elliot Bay bookstore has relocated to Capitol Hill, but many businesses have moved/closed because of gentrification/tunnel. ( which perhaps will resume construction on day)</p>
<p>Downtown no longer has free bus service, but its worth looking at the planner.
<a href=“http://metro.kingcounty.gov”>http://metro.kingcounty.gov</a></p>
<p>I don’t think Gasworks Park has been mentioned.</p>
<p>OP, if you’re up for a drive (IIRC about 90 minutes from downtown Seattle), you can head across the famous floating bridge and up into the beautiful Cascades to [Salish</a> Lodge](<a href=“http://www.salishlodge.com/]Salish”>http://www.salishlodge.com/) overlooking Snoqualmie Falls. Their brunch is legendary.</p>
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<p>We had a few hours to spare in Seattle a week ago yesterday before our plane left in the afternoon, so we went to the Public Market (Pike Place Market) for a couple of hours. We’d never been to Seattle. Again, we were there on a Monday and it was packed! I overheard a vendor say Monday is the new Friday due to the cruise ship schedules. So take that into consideration when making more touristy plans, especially any that require reservations. But you can easily find Panier and Beechers by the lines out the door!</p>
<p>Although I know your time and resources are limited (due to not having a car), I would very highly recommend Mt. Rainier. We actually did Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier on back-to-back days, and the contrast between the two places was a wild experience. Either one, on its own, is worth the trip, but if you can do at least one, I’d highly recommend it. Learning about the eruption almost 35 years ago was fascinating - and you know it’s good when a non-science person such as myself was rapt with attention at the visitor’s center. </p>
<p>Hopefully we will get back to Seattle again someday when we can do the Olympic Peninsula and possibly Vancouver. Thankfully we had absolutely gorgeous weather the whole time we were in the PNW (over a week).</p>
<p>BTW… I don’t know what will still be in season come Labor Day weekend, but we went through more fresh, local fruit in the week we were there than what we’ve probably eaten all summer here in IL. The first place we stayed at had a refrigerator, so we were quick to pick up fresh fruit (cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches) at roadside vendors and/or farmer’s markets (Pike Place Market would be a good place). With the cheese curds we picked up at Tillamook (in Oregon, but you could get some at Beecher’s) and the fruit, we had several days where we didn’t even eat out… we’d just graze all day on fresh fruit and cheese curds. </p>
<p>With the cruise ships come crowds, but I really do not mind! It is better to have a very lively city than shuttered down storefronts. :)</p>
<p>The berries will definitely taper off by September, but there should be still plenty of peaches, apricots and early apples available at the fruit stands! </p>
<p>Try the water taxi from downtown to Alki. I think the fare is cheaper if you get a transfer from the bus ride there. Once you cross, it’s a lovely long walk along the water to the biggest part of the park. A mile or two (?) on paved walking path. If you don’t want to walk it, there’s a shuttle. When you get to the far end, there’s great fish and chips at Spud. Sandy beaches (well, sandy for Puget Sound…), volleyball games, cookouts, family fun… The views on the return water taxi to downtown are wonderful.<br>
ETA…don’t be put off by the word taxi…this is part of the public transit system and cheap. Like under $5 round trip unless they have started charging both ways. It’s a little passenger ferry. Access is not tricky, but (unless they got a new vessel this year) you do need to be able to step onto jiggling boat steps from the dock. </p>
<p>That water taxi will take you right next door to Salty’s on Alki where the food is good and the views are amazing (the Sunday all you can eat brunch… Yumm). BTW, Marination Mobile (the food truck that earned national acclaim for their fusion Hawaiian food) is now permanently “parked” in a building next to the water taxi dock. IMO, it is worth taking the water taxi just to eat some of that finger licking food!</p>
<p>Oh, and if you go to the U district (this is CC after all and an easy bus ride from downtown) and beautiful campus that stretches forever and has notable outdoor spaces…skip Ivar’s and eat fish tacos at Agua Verde down on boat street. Sit outside on the deck and watch the boats go by. After lunch go downstairs and rent a kayak and paddle around Lake Union.</p>
<p>I third suggestion of Le Panier.
Apricot croissants.
Water taxi is good idea.</p>