<p>Later this month, D and H will be flying to Seattle to visit her first-choice college for the first time. They will arrive around noon on a Thursday and will be staying at a hotel near the Space Needle.</p>
<p>So, I’m hoping for some recommendations for things to do/see for Thursday afternoon and evening and then all day Saturday. Friday they’ll be on campus.</p>
<p>D has never been to Seattle, so I’ve suggested Space Needle and Pike’s Market. What else should they put on the list? She’s thinking of majoring in studio art and is sort of a traditional crunchy granola girl (is that a complete oxymoron?). H said he will humor her and not just hang out in bookstores (his idea of a perfect trip).</p>
<p>Also, the Ave (University Way-near the University of Washington) has some eclectic restaurants and things, and the University Bookstore, which they both might like.</p>
<p>However, it’s a little drive from the Space Needle.</p>
<p>Another place that’s fun but a little drive is Fremont or downtown Ballard, which are districts to the north of the Space Needle, across the Fremont Bridge.</p>
<p>EK, all kinds of bookstores. Used books are great; he has spreadsheets of authors and books on his computer (oh and free shipping from Amazon, but exploring the real deal in new cities is his favorite pastime… D, not so much!)
Your “One Day in Seattle” link looks promising!</p>
<p>burnitblue, no, not Cornish, she’s not that artsy. She’ll likely be going to Seattle Pacific next year.</p>
<p>Seattle Pacific is a great school- D liked the marine bio program- only too close to home- she would like to go more than a mile ;)</p>
<p>Sunday- there is a Fremont Sunday market- which is just across the canal from SPU - Fremont is as granola as any neighborhood that has a sushi bar with a conveyor belt can be.</p>
<p>PCC in Fremont is a food coop, although the Fremont spot is the most yuppified. ( not the staff, the shoppers- they have great cold case and hot table though- try the califlower curry) several great book stores in Fremont too- I would investigate that area, as it is easy for SPU college students to access , to see if it is something she likes.</p>
<p>( its too bad my daughter is flying out Friday morning and wont be back till March- but anything else I can answer about the area feel free- we have lived in the neighborhood for 20+ years)</p>
<p>I always take visitors on a ferry ride from Seattle to Bremerton and back. Seattle is a maritime city and the ferry is a nice way to see some sights and experience the reason the city was founded. If you like history, try the “Underground Seattle” tour: <a href=“http://www.undergroundtour.com/[/url]”>http://www.undergroundtour.com/</a>. The ferry is about a mile from the Space Needle (maybe a little more), and if the weather is at all decent you could walk the whole way along the waterfront. Other downtown sites between your hotel and the ferry include the Pike Place Market (a block or two up from the waterfront), the odd-thing store (forget its name), the aquarium, and a street car.</p>
<p>Watch the movie ten things I hate about you, filmed in Seattle, then you can look for the ■■■■■ under the bridge- EK can you tell her where that is- every one should see it…also what about that area with the cool fountain by the funky music buildings?</p>
<p>can you tell I’ve been to Seattle, but don’t know it well enough to tell any one how to find anything</p>
<p>Touristy but very cool things we take our visitors to see when they visit us:</p>
<ol>
<li>Seattle Center: go up the Space Needle - the view is awesome, but do not eat at the restaurant there (overpriced for the quality). Visit Seattle Science Center and ride the bike!</li>
<li>The blob-like building near the Cener is the EMP - Experience the Music Project museum. Pretty cool, too.</li>
<li>Take a monorail ride from the Center and explore the downtown. From there, go towards the waterfront, check out the Pike Place market on your way and observe the flying salmon. Seattle Aquarium is on the waterfront, too, as well as the Olympic Sculpture Park.</li>
</ol>
<p>An area called Fremont is right across the ship canal from SPU. It is a very artsy and sort of off-beat place with a lot of little restaurants (I like the Blue C Sushi and the thai place next door) and shops, including a glass blowing studio and a chocolate-making shop. There is even a statue of Lenin sitting next to an icecream shop! I told you this was an off-beat place Do not forget to check out the Fremont ■■■■■ under the Aurora (Hwy 99) bridge while you are there. Not too far from Fremont is the scandinavian area of Seattle - Ballard, where you can explore the Ballard Locks (in the spring and fall, you can see the salmon making their way up the fish ladder).</p>
<p>If you have time, Tacoma Museum of Glass has some neat stuff. PBS just ran a show on Chihuly glass studio which is located there, and you can observe artists creating beautiful things out of molten silicon dioxide!</p>
<p>The movie which was filmed in Seattle and actually not too far from SPU and Fremont is Sleepless in Seattle :)</p>
<p>If it is clear you might want to go to the top of space needle- but I agree don’t waste your money on the restaurant.</p>
<p>Personally- I wouldn’t spend time or money on a short trip at EMP or the science center. I used to really love the science center- but it is for little kids- they haven’t upgraded the exhibits and it is overly dominated by “sponsors”
Now if you could ( borrow) a little kid- I would go to the Childrens museum downstairs from the center house-
but I could easily spend a whole week or three around the pike place market- & you are supporting local artists!</p>
<p>With 2 nights in Seattle you should spend one evening in Pioneer Square- Elliott Bay Bookstore is worth an hour by itself, lots of galleries, plenty of restaurants or the Intl District is a few blocks away (mmm Chinese BBQ). But make sure you pay for parking, they ticket like crazy.</p>
<p>Air Museum at Boeing Field. Just over hill from Seattle. Everything else is humdrum.</p>
<p>For PDX, See the Rivers, Columbia and Willamette. The Columbia Gorge and the many many waterfalls-It was the reason for Columbus (NW Passage, TJefferson sending out Lewis & ClarK). The Willamette because it was the reason for the Great Migration.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks, everyone… these are excellent ideas. D and H will have so much fun checking them out! </p>
<p>And thanks BunsenBurner, I’m especially looking for things to do/see/places to eat/drink coffee, etc… within walking distance of SPU because that would give D a taste of her future life if she goes there (she won’t have a car). That Fremont area sounds like it would really appeal to her sushi-loving, Thai-food, artsy self. Any good Mexican food around there? (Coming from So Cal, that would be the hardest for her to give up, I think. )</p>
<p>Oh, and how do college kids without cars get around Seattle? Do they just walk? Take the bus? </p>
<p>And is there decent public transportation from the airport to the SPU neighborhood? (This is something she’s planning to ask at the campus visit, but if anyone knows?)</p>
<p>Years ago, when H and I visited Seattle before D was born, we did the Underground Tour; it was fascinating. We love the city and can’t wait to visit it over and over if D goes to college there.</p>
<p>thisoldman’s suggestion is great! I love that place. If time were not of essence, a trip north to the Boeing plant in Everett is well worth the time:</p>
<p>Bunsen- there is a Jaliscos on 65th in the Roosevelt district.
There are also lots of Latins living in Ballard- many work in the fishing industry and the local grocerys carry a good selection of appropriate food items</p>
<p>My daughter didn’t drive when she lived here- she walked/took the bus/rode her bike.</p>
<p>She lived in ballard and worked in downtown/columbia city while in Americorps- summers she was a counselor at Museum of flight.
I will lend her my car when she is here, if i don’t need it- but as long as you are staying in teh city, you can get around easily- I would get a bike though to get around from lower queen anne- which is where SPU is, to Fremont /Ballard( or you could walk)</p>
<p>Younger D doesn’t have a car either- however- if you have to get from one neighborhood and then have to transfer downtown- it can be a real PITA, because the buses don’t run according to schedule and marked stops aren’t always accurate.
Buses may come early and leave early- not come at all- its good to have a bike as backup. There are also Flexcars
<a href=“Your flexible alternative to car ownership | Flexcar”>Your flexible alternative to car ownership | Flexcar;
<p>trivia- I don’t know if anyone likes that song " last kiss" ( I don’t) that was popular during the 60’s, but is now a staple of Pearl Jam live performances- but Eddie discovered it, in a “vintage” junk shop on the corner of Fremont next to Starbucks- ( but many more coffee shops than Starbucks)</p>
Do not forget to check out the Fremont ■■■■■ under the Aurora (Hwy 99) bridge while you are there. Not too far from Fremont is the scandinavian area of Seattle - Ballard, where you can explore the Ballard Locks (in the spring and fall, you can see the salmon making their way up the fish ladder).</p>