<p>I’m sorry–I didn’t mean to scare you about carrying a purse in Seattle. It’s not that dangerous. After all, you are from NOLA. You’re used to a big city. I always take my purse to go downtown. I was really just warning about the crowded conditions at Pike Place and only b/c of the incident with my stepson, who was not being careful with his wallet. It was just stuck in the back pocket of his loose shorts. So, don’t be too nervous about this. In general Seattle is very safe. It’s very pleasant downtown in the summer. Lots of people out and about.</p>
<p>We may just skip Pike Place if it’s really crowded. I seem to be the only one interested in the Flying Fish. </p>
<p>I am thinking of staying at the Silver Cloud Mukilteo after our downtown stay. Silver Clouds were actually recommended to me on the forum when I was looking into UDub for application. I had noted the beautiful waterfront hotel and hoped I would have an opportunity to stay there. Seeing as how the Boeing plant is in Everett, I may just move us up there. The hotel is on a ferry landing and is next to an Ivar’s. </p>
<p>Does anyone know where the ferry goes to from Mukilteo? Does that ferry happen to go to Whidby Island? I wouldn’t mind that being one of our ferry trips. </p>
<p>Can you drive over the Deception Pass bridge? A friend of ours told us about a floating bridge. Will we drive over that from Seattle to see Salish Lodge or Microsoft or Nintendo or even the Museum of Flight? Those would be two really cool bridges to see. </p>
<p>Oh, and thanks, guys, again, for the pickpocket heads up. I think we’re more scared off by the crowds than the pickpocketers. I think the main thing we want to do downtown is the Space Needle, and I think we’re going to cab there from our hotel, which is only about 5 minutes away, according to MapQuest.</p>
<p>We’re staying at the Residence Inn Lake Union for at least a few nights on points, with a lake view, and I’ve got multiple reservations at other Marriott properties but I can always cancel them if I find something else.</p>
<p>you should be able to take the monorail from downtown to the seattle center
[Seattle</a> Monorail Official Website | Transit from Downtown Seattle to Seattle Center](<a href=“http://www.seattlemonorail.com/]Seattle”>http://www.seattlemonorail.com/)</p>
<p>yes the mukilteo ferry goes to whidbey
If you really want a treat, stay at the inn at langley
<a href=“http://www.innatlangley.com/[/url]”>http://www.innatlangley.com/</a>
or just eat there.</p>
<p>omg, I’m bookmarking that one! That is an empty nest trip! My son, Mister Arby’s, wouldn’t find anything on the menu, though he would love to watch them prepare it all. I think I’ll book a trip there when it’s grey whale season!</p>
<p>Montegut: Yes, the ferry at Mukilteo is what I have been recommending to you! After your whale watch cruise, then you drive from Anacortes over the Deception Pass bridge. It’s incredibly beautiful, a famous sight here in Western WA, and people drive from all over to see it. There is a place where you can park and walk around if you like, or you can park on one side of the bridge and walk over the bridge on a protected walkway. It would be a shame to be in Anacortes and not see this.</p>
<p>Google “Deception Pass Bridge” and then click on image results and you’ll see what it looks like from many different views. Then you just drive right down the island, very easy and pretty drive, until you come to the ferry in Clinton. That ferry takes you right over to Mukilteo, about a 20-minute crossing. The Silver Cloud is right there to the left on the beach as you get off the ferry. Ivar’s is next door to the Silver Cloud on the corner where the ferry docks. There is a walk-up window for fish and chips and ice cream, and then a full-service Ivar’s restaurant also with water view. Be sure to look at the photos in the lobby of this huge storm we had a few years back with big waves washing up onto the ferry boat. </p>
<p>This is the ferry we take to our vacation house on Whidbey Island, so we have eaten at the take-out and the full-service place quite a bit. If you should happen to do fish and chips, the halibut is good and better than the cod. Sometimes we get the fish and chips and eat it on the ferry on the way over to Whidbey. </p>
<p>There is another restaurant just about a block up the hill from the ferry, on the left side, called Arnie’s, which is part of a local chain, that is also full service and very nice with good seafood and water view.</p>
<p>Then after you stay at the Silver Cloud, you can get breakfast on the way to the Boeing tour. They call it Boeing Everett, but it is really right there by Mukilteo. You can see the big buildings from the road into Mukilteo. There is a nice Starbuck’s on the right before you get to Boeing, or there is a well-known breakfast place, also on the right side, called Patty’s Egg Nest. Famous for their breakfasts.</p>
<p>Did you know there is also a Silver Cloud in the Lake Union area? (Oh, I see Silver Cloud has complimentary breakfasts, so may not need my breakfast advice above.)</p>
<p>Floating bridges: we have two floating bridges, I-90 and 520. You can take either one from Seattle to the east side. If you are going to the Salish Lodge and Snoqualmie Falls, you’ll take I-90. Snoqualmie Falls is nice; that’s a good idea. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Lodge would be good. </p>
<p>This might be more advice than you want, but I so hope you will enjoy your trip here!</p>
<p>Do not skip Pike Place. It is on the water and a lot more than the one fish catching store. Several blocks with water views and a zillion shops, including produce and flowers. Skip the Space needle instead. Many places to eat in the Pike Place neighborhood. That tall Bank has better views. We stopped on one of the Queen Anne neighborhood hills for an excellent view of the city years ago. So much to do you will be taking future trips. Much nicer than Milwaukee. PS- Dave’s Diner near the La Quinta and Day’s Inn south of the airport was a nice meal if you’re near the airport and need food the night before leaving.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with that. The last time we went to Pike Place (with our stepson and his wife), I thought, well, I don’t need to do this again. I think it has turned into a tourist trap. </p>
<p>They really want to do the Space Needle. </p>
<p>Another place near the airport for dinner your last night is 13 Coins. Old, famous Seattle restaurant. Not gourmet, but an OK place. We’ve had several decent meals there with newly arrived guests in starving mode.</p>
<p>Oh, thank you so much for the advice! Please, bring it, as the kids say!</p>
<p>And thank you very, very much for the restaurant recommendations by the airport. We will be starving when we get off the plane after seven hours!</p>
<p>I love the Pike Place Market- don’t think it is a tourist trap- its more like a family.
I remember when my great aunt would go there for all her produce, from Leschi.
[Market</a> family loses a beloved fixture: a cranky, reliable enigma | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011750105_harvey01m.html]Market”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011750105_harvey01m.html)</p>
<p>[Pike</a> Place Market, Seattle - Things to Do - VirtualTourist](<a href=“Budget Travel vs Luxury Travel – Virtual Tourist Travel & Rental Car Insurance”>Budget Travel vs Luxury Travel – Virtual Tourist Travel & Rental Car Insurance)</p>
<p>It’s not that Pike Place Market is a tourist trap, it’s just that it has turned ‘corporate’ sort of. It’s got a lifestyle magazine gloss to it now with equally impressive prices. And dare I say it, many of the shops reek of “California,” a rabid virus as far as many old line nor’westerners are concerned.</p>
<p>Oh, I’ll add my hat to the Deception Pass fan club. Majestic nature. Glorious. Beautiful.</p>
<p>Looks like Deception Pass is going to be up there with the whales. I did see a Deception Pass boat tour on the link with our whale watching tour company and thought this would be a nice thing to do if we had time. But if you think the ferry and the drive would be better, might do that, as it would not take as much time.</p>
<p>Silly question. If you take the ferry, you drive on your car, right?</p>
<p>Can you get out of your car and stand on the deck to see the scenery, or do you have to stay in your car?</p>
<p>I think the few car ferries we have down here make you stay in your car, so want to be aware of the rules beforehand.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys!</p>
<p>Montegut, you will have to park your car on the ferry and exit it and go up to the passenger deck. Last time I took a ferry (about 2 years ago), people weren’t allowed to stay in their vehicles. So you will get to enjoy the scenery! And I agree that Pike Place Market is not what it used to be.</p>
<p>OK, a couple more tips. I have heard many good things about this place:</p>
<p>[Cedarbrook</a> Lodge (SeaTac, WA) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g58732-d1199588-Reviews-Cedarbrook_Lodge-SeaTac_Washington.html]Cedarbrook”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g58732-d1199588-Reviews-Cedarbrook_Lodge-SeaTac_Washington.html)</p>
<p>It is located just a few minutes away from the airport, yet it feels like you are in a peaceful, secluded resort. You don’t have to stay there, but you can stop by and have dinner in their outstanding restaurant featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine:</p>
<p>[Copperleaf</a> menu - Cedarbrook Lodge - SeaTac Washington](<a href=“http://www.cedarbrooklodge.com/copperleaf_dinner_menu.php]Copperleaf”>http://www.cedarbrooklodge.com/copperleaf_dinner_menu.php)</p>
<p>[Seattle</a> Private Dining Room - Cedarbrook Lodge - SeaTac Washington](<a href=“http://www.cedarbrooklodge.com/copperleaf_restaurant.php]Seattle”>http://www.cedarbrooklodge.com/copperleaf_restaurant.php)</p>
<p>Another hotel recommendation - the Maxwell Hotel in Seattle which opened recently. It is very, very close to the Seattle Center and some rooms, apprently, have views of the Space Needle! TripAdvisor reviewers gave it high marks. Check it out:</p>
<p>[The</a> Maxwell Hotel (Seattle, WA) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60878-d1723585-Reviews-The_Maxwell_Hotel-Seattle_Washington.html]The”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60878-d1723585-Reviews-The_Maxwell_Hotel-Seattle_Washington.html)</p>
<p>The dining choices near this hotel are much better than the ones near the Marriott (don’t eat at the China Harbor or Rock Salt - they are awful; instead, check out the Seastar Restaurant - a local, chef-owned, non-chain restaurant the locals are raving about One downside - it is not cheap).</p>
<p>Ignore anyone who says that with a fanny pack you will look like a tourist and will be targeted by thugs. Seattle is a pretty safe and mellow city, so if you stay out of Pioneer Square and the alleys near The Ave (University Avenue near UW) after dark, you will be fine. And no one will pay attention to what you wear or carry with you - Seattle is crawling with perfect candidates for What Not To Wear show 
Make sure you dress in layers and have a waterproof and windproof shell - June weather can be dicey.</p>
<p>Hello again. I was going to suggest Seastar to you. I have eaten at the one in Bellevue (there are now two restaurants) and it is excellent. If you want some great seafood while you are here, that is the place. A lot of people have recommended Ivar’s to you, and that is OK, a local tradition, but Seastar is the newer, more gourmet choice.</p>
<p>I wanted to tell you I saw a travel show about Victoria, B.C., last night and the host went out on a whale watching tour into the San Juan Islands. They saw three whale breeches on that trip. All the passengers were issued jumpsuits with hoods that are inflatable, so that might take care of some of your warmth requirements for your boat trip.</p>
<p>Great restaurant to go to after a day on the waterfront.
[Maximilien</a> In The Market - Downtown - Seattle, WA](<a href=“http://www.yelp.com/biz/maximilien-in-the-market-seattle]Maximilien”>http://www.yelp.com/biz/maximilien-in-the-market-seattle)</p>
<p>( and if you like baseball- I would recommend going to a game at Safeco field- Griffey might even be playing)</p>
<p>If you are interested in alternatives to fanny packs, [REI</a> Seattle Store](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/stores/11]REI”>http://www.rei.com/stores/11) just east of downtown has lots of small cross body bags that are easier to wear and come in lots of styles.</p>
<p>I love Deception Pass, although with the increase in residents on Whidbey, not to mention increased air traffic from the naval air station, it isn’t as pleasant as when my H & I would make it our first and last camping trips of the year ( May/October). </p>
<p>Still some pretty cool places on Whidbey though
[Earth</a> Sanctuary - Whidbey Island Nature Reserve, Meditation Parkland, & Sculpture Garden](<a href=“http://www.earthsanctuary.org/]Earth”>http://www.earthsanctuary.org/)</p>
<p>This one is my favorite- have done lots of work here- & eaten many fantastic meals.
Nice place for a retreat.
[Whidbey</a> Institute - for Earth, Spirit and The Human Future](<a href=“http://www.whidbeyinstitute.org/]Whidbey”>http://www.whidbeyinstitute.org/)</p>
<p>Seastar is okay–my husband likes it a lot and I think they make the best traditional daiquiri I’ve ever had–but if you want truly great seafood, go to the I Love Sushi on Lake Bellevue (not the one in Seattle or the one in front of the one on Lake Bellevue).</p>
<p>My mother used to love I Love Sushi. If I am in the mood I like it- I really like the mochi ice cream. ;)</p>
<p>Why do Asian restaurants make such strong drinks?</p>
<p>Actually many places make really strong drinks, I had something at the Tractor and I wanted another one, but I had to tell them not to put so much liquor in it.</p>
<p>Anyone ever used the Go Seattle Card? I had used City Pass in Chicago for a family trip and it worked out well, but the Seattle City Pass only has two attractions (Space Needle and Museum of Flight) that we’re interested in. Doesn’t seem worth buying for the other three attractions. The Go Seattle Card has a lot more cruises, boat tours, and even the whale watching company we want to go on, though will probably buy online ahead of time, and even includes the monorail. Has anyone had any experience with this card?</p>
<p>I would limit your time in Seattle…ie. get in and get out quickly…just so you can see many other places in the area. Salty’s is terrific food with a view. And a local famous chef has several great restaurants such as Dahlia and Etta. Expect your whale excursion to be cold! and dress warm. The museum of flight is worth the visit. But you need to see the outlying national parks somehow. Mt. Rainier is worth a drive through for the glorious sites and wild flowers and animals. And I found Mt. St. Helens to be amazing! We drove all the way around and stopped for hikes along the way. Of course that took us 4 days, but just pick maybe two places to stop for a two day trip. And then there is the food on top of Crystal Mountain…that was sooo much fun! Anyway, enjoy!</p>
<p>Montegut: you’ll just have to stay for a month!</p>