Some last minute questions, Seattle and Vancouver, Amtrak, etc.

We leave next Sunday for our back to back cruises to Alaska on the NCL Sun, from Vancouver.

I have a few lingering questions - I did some searches, and thought I found some answers, but just want to be perfectly clear. You all have been so incredibly helpful and I can't believe it's almost here!!!

We get into Seattle Sunday morning, and are planning on doing some exploring after we drop our luggage at the King Street Amtrak Station for the evening train.

1) Columbia Tower/Skyview Observatory, and maybe Smith Tower as well

2) Pike Place market, with lunch/dinner there.

Any recommendations for a restaurant in Pike Place that is reasonable and hearty? Hubby is very picky, but would love halibut and chips. Sandwiches, Chinese, sushi is out. A view would be great. Lowell's looks good. Any input?

I think we should be able to walk to Columbia Tower and then over to Pike Place Market easily. If we decide we don't want to walk back to the train station, is there easy public transit or taxis available?

My husband is concerned about the possibility of protests in Seattle as he saw one reported yesterday. We want to stay as far away as possible from something like that. Is there somewhere we can look and see if there is something planned for our travel day so we can avoid it?

We are taking the train to Vancouver, but it gets in very late.

Do they have a taxi stand/taxis waiting, or should I plan to call a taxi company to get us to our hotel? Would you recommend one taxi company over another? How easy is it to find the taxi stand at the train station?

Any other advice/info you have is always appreciated. You all have given so much great info that will make our trip just wonderful. Thank you all so much.

Let me work backwards:

There is a taxi stand at the train station in Vancouver and it's incredibly obvious once you walk out the front door. I've never had to call and I've never had a truly awful cab in Vancouver.

Avoiding protests:

Most protests focus on Westlake Park at the corner of 4th and Pine. You could peek at KOMONews.com for a pretty reliable heads-up. You will not get caught in one by accident - the Seattle PD is *really* effective in keeping non-protestors out of the way. I've only been riot-gassed once in the last 18 years! If you encounter something that makes you uneasy, immediately turn around and walk towards the water and towards the train station (south) - this will rapidly get you out of the path of inconvenient expressions of free speech.

If you're worn out at the Market: street-hailing cabs in Seattle is not impossible but it's pretty unlikely. There may be a taxi stand at the corner of first and Pike, but better to install the Uber or Lyft apps. A ride to the train station should be about $10 from the Market. It's roughly 1.25 miles and it's all downhill. A lovely alternative route would be to take the elevators from the Market down to Alaskan way and walk along the waterfront to Yesler Street, then head east and south to the train station. Other options would be to catch virtually bus with a route number under 199 heading south on 1st or 3rd Avenue and asking the driver for the stop nearest king street Station. Alternately, you could take Link Light Rail from Westlake Station. There are tunnel entrances on the south side of Macy's or the north edge near the McDonalds at 3rd and Pine. Board any train signed for Angle Lake/SeaTac Airport and ride it to the International District/Chinatown station which is across from King Street Station with very clear signage for Amtrak.

Lunch? Lowells is a good choice; you might also consider Emmett Watson's for fish and chips/oysters, Etta's Seafood or Cutters for a little more fancy atmosphere, or Steelhead Diner for a little more view and a slightly more contemporary take that is still friendly to picky/meat and potatoes types.

If you have time for a cocktail/nosh before the train, and were I you, I'd make time, Zig Zag Cafe is on the Pike Street Hillclimb and is one of my favorite places in the city for a well-made cocktail and something nibbly. If it's nice (and it probably will be), sit outside.

Welcome to Seattle and enjoy your afternoon.

Thank you so much for your input. Very much appreciated.

I'll add, if you need to call a cab. Yellow Cab is my first choice as they have the largest fleet.

Another option is the eCab app. When you put in a request... the app seeks out the nearest cab from all 4 cab companies at the same time for rapid service.

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Obviously there isn't a way to predict demonstrations very much in advance of when they occur so just Google Seattle news to see what's going on

Also recommend that you purchase dinner to eat on the train. We got some great deli sandwiches near Pioneer Square and some wine to enjoy as we wound our way up the tracks.