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Seattle Washington Trip
Best Historic Hotel: Built in 1924, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University St. (tel. 800/223-8772 or 206/621-1700; www.fairmont.com/seattle), is styled after an Italian Renaissance palace and is by far the most impressive of Seattle's handful of historic hotels. The grand lobby is unrivaled.
Best for Business Travelers: If your company has sent you to Seattle to close a big deal, insist on the best. Stay at the Grand Hyatt Seattle, 721 Pine St. (tel. 800/233-1234 or 206/774-1234; www.grandseattle.hyatt.com), and you can avail yourself of all kinds of high-tech amenities. If you're here on Microsoft business, head for the Woodmark Hotel on Lake Washington, 1200 Carillon Point, Kirkland (tel. 800/822-3700 or 425/822-3700; www.thewoodmark.com). Rooms are not only set up for taking care of business, but most also have water views.
Best for a Romantic Getaway: Though Seattle has quite a few hotels that do well for a romantic weekend, the Inn at the Market, 86 Pine St. (tel. 800/446-4484 or 206/443-3600; www.innatthemarket.com), with its Elliott Bay views, European atmosphere, and proximity to many excellent (and romantic) restaurants, is sure to set the stage for lasting memories.
Best for Hipsters: This is a city that likes to keep up with the trends, and the new Hotel Ändra, 2000 Fourth Ave. (tel. 877/448-8600 or 206/448-8600; www.hotelandra.com), has given Seattle a boldly contemporary lodging. Best of all, it's on the edge of the trendy Belltown neighborhood, which makes this an ideal base for club-crawling night owls.
Best for Families: Situated just across the street from Lake Union, the Silver Cloud Inns Seattle-Lake Union, 1150 Fairview Ave. N. (tel. 800/330-5812 or 206/447-9500; www.silvercloud.com), is far enough from downtown to be affordable -- and yet is not far from Seattle Center and has a great location overlooking the lake. There are indoor and outdoor pools and several restaurants right across the street.
Best Moderately Priced Hotel: The Best Western University Tower Hotel, 4507 Brooklyn Ave. NE (tel. 800/899-0251 or 206/634-2000; www.universitytowerhotel.com), is surprisingly reasonably priced for what you get -- it's one of the most stylish contemporary accommodations in Seattle. Ask for a room on an upper floor and you'll also get good views.
Best Budget Hotel: It may be a bit out of the way and a little old, but the Mercer Island Travelodge, 7645 Sunset Hwy., Mercer Island (tel. 800/578-7878 or 206/232-8000; www.mercerislandhotel.com), has a lot to recommend it. You drive across a floating bridge to get here, it's right on a walking/biking path, and there's a very pleasant neighborhood a few blocks away.
Best B&B: Set in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Gaslight Inn, 1727 15th Ave. (tel. 206/325-3654; www.gaslight-inn.com), is a lovingly restored and maintained Craftsman bungalow filled with original Stickley furniture. Lots of public spaces, very tasteful decor, and a swimming pool in the backyard all add up to unexpected luxury for a Seattle B&B.
Best Service: The Alexis Hotel, 1007 First Ave. (tel. 800/426-7033 or 206/624-4844; www.alexishotel.com), a downtown boutique property, is small enough to offer that personal touch.
Best Location: Located on a pier right on the Seattle waterfront, The Edgewater, Pier 67, 2411 Alaskan Way (tel. 800/624-0670 or 206/728-7000; www.edgewaterhotel.com), is only 5 blocks from Pike Place Market and the Seattle Aquarium and 3 blocks from the restaurants of Belltown. The Waterfront Streetcar, which goes to Pioneer Square and the International District, stops right in front of the hotel; ferries to Victoria, British Columbia, leave from the adjacent pier.
Best Views: If you're not back in your room by sunset at the Westin Seattle, 1900 Fifth Ave. (tel. 800/WESTIN-1 or 206/728-1000; www.westin.com/seattle), you may not turn into a pumpkin, but you will miss a spectacular light show. Because this is the tallest hotel in the city, the Westin boasts fabulous views from its upper floors, especially those facing northwest.
Best Health Club: So you're on the road again, but you don't want to give up your circuit training. Don't worry: Bring your gym gear and book a room at the Bellevue Club Hotel, 11200 SE Sixth St., Bellevue (tel. 800/579-1110 or 425/454-4424; www.bellevueclub.com), where you'll have access to a huge private health club complete with an indoor pool and tennis courts.
Best Pool: Most hotels in the city center stick their swimming pool (if they have one at all) down in the basement or on some hidden-away terrace, but at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers, 1400 Sixth Ave. (tel. 800/325-3535 or 206/621-9000; www.sheraton.com/seattle), you can do laps up on the top floor with the lights of the city twinkling all around you.
Best Room Decor: If you plan to spend a lot of time in your room, then the Bellevue Club Hotel, 11200 SE Sixth St., Bellevue (tel. 800/579-1110 or 425/454-4424; www.bellevueclub.com), is the place to be. The rooms here are plush enough to please the most demanding of hedonists.
Best for Pets: If you'll be traveling to Seattle with your pooch and don't mind shelling out big bucks for a top-end hotel, then the Alexis Hotel, 1007 First Ave. (tel. 800/426-7033 or 206/624-4844; www.alexishotel.com), should be your home away from home. Special pet amenities includes designer doggie beds, dog treats, a dog bowl with distilled water, pet-sitting services, and even in-room dining for your pooch.
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Taking in the Sunset from the Waterfront. On a clear summer day, the setting sun silhouettes the Olympic Mountains on the far side of Puget Sound and makes the view from the Seattle waterfront truly memorable. Try the rooftop park at the Bell Street Pier, Myrtle Edwards Park at the north end of the waterfront, or the lounge at the Edgewater Hotel.
Riding a Ferry Across Puget Sound. Sure, you could spend $20 or $30 for a narrated tour of the Seattle waterfront, but for a fraction of that, you can take a ferry to Bremerton or Bainbridge Island and see not just Elliott Bay but plenty more of Puget Sound. Keep an eye out for porpoises and bald eagles.
Eating Your Way through Pike Place Market. Breakfast at Le Panier, espresso at what was once the only Starbucks in the world, lunch at Café Campagne, a martini at The Pink Door, dinner at Chez Shea, Celtic music at Kells, and a nightcap at Il Bistro -- that's how you could spend a day at Pike Place. Between stops on this rigorous itinerary, you can people-watch, listen to street musicians, and shop for everything from fresh salmon to tropical fruits to magic tricks to art glass.
Relaxing Over a Latte. If the rain and gray skies start to get to you, there is no better pick-me-up (short of a ticket to the tropics) than a frothy latte in a cozy cafe. Grab a magazine and just hang out until the rain stops (maybe sometime in July).
Wandering Around Fremont. This quirky neighborhood considers itself the center of the universe, but it's really a little bit left of center. Retro clothing and vintage-furniture stores, cafes, a couple of pubs, a great flea market, and the city's best public art make this the most eccentric neighborhood in Seattle.
Seeing a Show at the 5th Avenue Theatre. This historic theater was designed to resemble the imperial throne room in Beijing's Forbidden City. Can you say "ornate"? Nothing else in Seattle compares, including the show onstage.
Attending the Spring Flower and Garden Show. Each spring, gardening madness descends on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in the form of one of the largest flower-and-garden shows in the country. This show has more than 5 acres of garden displays and hundreds of vendors.
Catching Concerts at Bumbershoot. It isn't often that you get to agonize over which great music performance to attend next, but that's just what you have to do at the annual Labor Day music-and-arts extravaganza known as Bumbershoot. Whether your tastes run to Grieg or grunge, salsa or swing, you'll have plenty of choices.
Riding the Monorail. Though the ride is short, covering a distance that could easily be walked in half an hour, the monorail provides a different perspective on the city. The retro-futurist transport, built for the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, ends at the foot of the Space Needle and even passes right through the Experience Music Project. Although a fire shut down the monorail for much of 2004, it should be up and running again by the start of 2005.
Spending an Afternoon at Volunteer Park. Whether the day is sunny or gray, this park on Capitol Hill is a great spot to spend an afternoon. You can relax in the grass, study Chinese snuff bottles in the Seattle Asian Art Museum, marvel at the orchids in the conservatory, or simply enjoy the great view of the city from the top of the park's water tower.
Riding the Water Taxi to Alki Beach. The water taxi that operates between the Seattle waterfront and Alki Beach, on the far side of Elliott Bay, is practically the cheapest boat ride you can take in Seattle. Once you get to Alki Beach, you can dine with a killer view of the Seattle skyline and then go for a walk or bike ride on the beachfront path.
Enjoying a Day at the Woodland Park Zoo. The cages are almost completely gone from this big zoo, replaced by spacious animal habitats that give the residents the feeling of being back at home in the wild. Zebras gallop, brown bears romp, river otters cavort, elephants stomp, and orangutans swing. The levels of activity here make it clear that the animals are happy with their surroundings.
Strolling through the Arboretum in Spring. Winters in Seattle may not be long, but they do lack color. So, when spring hits, the sudden bursts of brightness it brings are reverently appreciated. There's no better place in the city to enjoy the spring floral displays than the Washington Park Arboretum.
Walking, Jogging, Biking, or Skating a Seattle Path. There are several paved trails around the city that are ideal for pursuing any of these sports. The trail around Green Lake is the all-time favorite, but the Burke-Gilman/Sammamish River Trail along Lake Washington, the trail along Alki Beach, and the trail through Myrtle Edwards and Elliott Bay parks at the north end of the Seattle waterfront are equally good choices.
Sea Kayaking on Lake Union. Lake Union is a very urban body of water, but it has a great view of the Seattle skyline, and you can paddle right up to several waterfront restaurants. For more natural surroundings, kayak over to the marshes at the north end of the Washington Park Arboretum.
Exploring a Waterfront Park. Seattle abounds in waterfront parks where you can gaze out at distant shores, wiggle your toes in the sand, or walk through a remnant patch of old-growth forest. Some of my favorites include Discovery Park, Seward Park, Lincoln Park, and Golden Gardens Park.
Museum Hopping on First Thursday. On the first Thursday of each month, almost all of Seattle's museums are open late and offer free admission for all or part of the day. Get an early start and be sure to check the opening and closing times of the museums. Talk about a great way to save bucks on your vacation!
Taking a Free Ride on Lake Union. For a couple of hours each Sunday afternoon, the Center for Wooden Boats, which is located on Lake Union, offers free boat rides in classic wooden sailboats. You can watch noisy floatplanes landing and taking off as you sail silently across the waves.
