which is better?

[jetsfan]

Our family of 6 will be staying in Seattle for 2 nights this July. We don't want to rent a car. Please tell me would it be better to be in downtown Seattle or Seattle city center. I am not familiar with these areas. We want to see the Space Needle and don't mind taking a taxi to the Boeing plant. Thanks in advance for your help.

[Dan G]

downtown by a bit but the Space Needle area isn't bad. Look on tripadvisor.com and the Seattle forum. On top right you can read 'where to stay in Seattle' and other info that you will find useful. A taxi to Boeing will cost at least $75.

[mapleleaves]

by "Seattle city center" do you mean the Seattle Center area where the Space Needle is?

If so, that area is perfectly fine. It's about 1 mile from the downtown core but easily accessible by the monorail. Both areas are great, so is Lake Union, so stay where you can get the best deal. If you have questions about specific hotels, please ask.

[Casagordita]

There's a site called the International Taxi Fare Calculator that claims to give you accurate estimates of fares, based on the rates for your city and the driving distances. They say that the taxi fare (including tax, tip, and moderate traffic, but NOT at rush hour, which can be awful on that route) from the Space Needle (I just picked that as a convenient landmark--if you leave from downtown it would be more) to the Boeing Future of Flight tour will be around $90.00, each way. Are you sure you want to do that?

 

A rental car just for the day would be much cheaper, but I understand if you just don't want to do that. There are a couple of tour companies that will take you up there for less (since their prices include the admission price for the tour itself, which would be extra if you take a cab). Take a look at Tours Northwest and Grayline.

 

(Also, keep in mind that if you're bringing young kids, they have to be at least four feet tall to go on the Boeing plant tour.)

[jetsfan]

Thank you so much for the links to those tour companies. I know renting a car is easier, we just really want to treat ourselves to a relaxing time in Seattle and be able to have drinks and not worry about traffic.

 

My kids are over 4 ft. tall. I had read about that on the Boeing site.

 

I have a reservation for the Silver Cloud Lake Union which provides a free shuttle to 3 major tourist sites. It seems a bit far out from the action, although it looks nice. I would switch if moving closer to the city made more sense.

 

My concern is, we only have a day and a half to look around Seattle. We are flying from JFK on Sunday and will be pretty wiped by the time we arrive. We really want to see Space Needle, Boeing plant, and the market. Not really interested in water tours (because of time) and would like a really great funky place to eat. Any suggestions?

[mapleleaves]

The Silver Cloud is very nice. Our office uses it frequently for clients and always got wonderful feedback. They b'fast is great, free laundry facilities which might be handy after your cruise and the shuttle to the downtown core takes less than 5 minutes. There's a waterfront park nearby, it's fun to watch the boats, floatplanes, kayaks, etc. And several good restaurants along the lake as well. As for somewhere funky ... others will surely chime in. Bizarro is the only place I can think of off the top of my head. What kind of food are you looking for? How old are the kids?

[Casagordita]

Thank you so much for the links to those tour companies. I know renting a car is easier, we just really want to treat ourselves to a relaxing time in Seattle and be able to have drinks and not worry about traffic.

 

My kids are over 4 ft. tall. I had read about that on the Boeing site.

 

I have a reservation for the Silver Cloud Lake Union which provides a free shuttle to 3 major tourist sites. It seems a bit far out from the action, although it looks nice. I would switch if moving closer to the city made more sense.

 

My concern is, we only have a day and a half to look around Seattle. We are flying from JFK on Sunday and will be pretty wiped by the time we arrive. We really want to see Space Needle, Boeing plant, and the market. Not really interested in water tours (because of time) and would like a really great funky place to eat. Any suggestions?

 

You're well within the city at that location--just not right downtown. It's a nice area.

 

A really great funky place to eat...well, some people may suggest Buca di Beppo, which isn't so very far from your hotel. My bias is that it's a national chain, not at all uniquely Seattle, and although Seattle isn't known for a lot of fine Italian restaurants, there are better ones. But the food isn't bad, and it is undoubtedly funky, in a pre-packaged, formula sort of way!

 

The Pink Door is another Italian place, located at Pike Place Market. The food is pretty good. They have some really offbeat entertainment some evenings--cabaret, balloon art, circus acts (we're not talking animals, but an aerialist dangling over your heads as you eat, that might happen!) They also have a lovely deck with a view of the Market and Elliott Bay if you prefer something more quiet.

 

Lunchbox Laboratory is a burger place in the South Lake Union neighborhood, also not so far from your hotel. They do a wild array of burgers, from the familiar to the truly weird, plus some unusual cocktails (especially good if you like Tang, or Kool-Aid). Epicurious.com put them on their list of best burgers in America (and ignore the part there about their cramped space and erratic hours--they've solved those problems since then). Their decor runs to vintage lunch boxes and lava lamps, and they have a collection of great 1980's video games upstairs.

 

Hope that helps!

[scottbee]

Our family of 6 will be staying in Seattle for 2 nights this July. We don't want to rent a car. Please tell me would it be better to be in downtown Seattle or Seattle city center. I am not familiar with these areas. We want to see the Space Needle and don't mind taking a taxi to the Boeing plant. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Don't confuse BFI/Boeing Field and the Boeing Museum of Flight; with the 'Boeing Plant' for the tours, which is located in Everett at PAE/Paine Field about 30 miles north of downtown.

 

SEA/Seatac Airport: Passenger Airport, between Seattle and Tacoma

BFI/Boeing Field/King County Intl, just south of downtown, north of SEA: Original Boeing Factory, Museum of Flight

RNT/Renton Airport: 737 manufacturing

PAE/Paine Field, Everett WA: manufacturing of 747,767,777,787 and the 'Boeing Plant Tour'

[jetsfan]

I am confused now. I thought we were talking about the Boeing tour. My husband is an engineer and this is a must do for him. Are the tour companies listed above going there?

 

My kids are 23,20,16, and 15. We like things that are a little out of the box. I think we will stay with the Silver Cloud and just do the shuttle. It has gotten good reviews and the free breakfast is a bonus with 6 people.

 

I wish we had more time to tour Seattle, so we will have to be creative.

[Dan G]

there is only one official Boeing tour, and that is for the factory in Everett where the twin aisle planes are assembled. You'll see the 787, 767 and 747 assembly line. The other Boeing site is the Musuem of Flight which is more an aircraft musueum where you can walk thru a 'concorde' and Air Force One in which Kennedy and LBJ flew. Its on the way to the airport.

 

also look at

 

customizedtours.net

 

showmeseattle.com

 

for other boeing tour choices. Since they are providing transportation just use who is cheaper. Customized tends to have far fewer big groups so its more personal.

[AnotherJenny]

You might like Fremont. There's the troll under the bridge, a Lenin statue and a rocket with a plaque explaining that the center of the universe was discovered in Fremont. I don't know about funky places to eat, but I had some pretty good deep dish pizza, and there's a Fremont website listing a bunch of restaurants. You could see 3 in a half hour, they're close together. Then about a mile away there's the Archie McPhee store in Wallingford, which is pretty out of the box. There's Molly Moon ice cream down the street, which of course you'll want in July. Fremont and Wallingford are not that close to Lake Union if you're walking, but there's good public transportation.

[jetsfan]

Thanks to all of you who took the time to post your ideas and suggestions. The kindness shown on these board is great:)

 

I e-mailed showmeseattle and they were very prompt to respond. I think we will do a private tour with them, that will take us to the Boeing plant, museum, and all the key places of interest.

 

It could be considered pricey by some, but by the time I add up the car, gas, admission, parking and frustration of driving in a strange city, I think the cost is well worth it. We will be by ourselves and the driver will be able to tell us things about the city we would never know on our own. We can stop when we want, and have door to door service to and from our hotel.

 

It may be a long time before we are back in Seattle, so I want to do it right. For those of you who live in Seattle and the surrounding areas other than the obvious places, what else should we see?

[Casagordita]

Thanks to all of you who took the time to post your ideas and suggestions. The kindness shown on these board is great:)

 

I e-mailed showmeseattle and they were very prompt to respond. I think we will do a private tour with them, that will take us to the Boeing plant, museum, and all the key places of interest.

 

It could be considered pricey by some, but by the time I add up the car, gas, admission, parking and frustration of driving in a strange city, I think the cost is well worth it. We will be by ourselves and the driver will be able to tell us things about the city we would never know on our own. We can stop when we want, and have door to door service to and from our hotel.

 

It may be a long time before we are back in Seattle, so I want to do it right. For those of you who live in Seattle and the surrounding areas other than the obvious places, what else should we see?

 

 

If it's not making you poor, and it's what you want, then that's all that matters!

 

Since you'll be at the Boeing plant in Everett, you might also want to consider visiting The Flying Heritage Collection. It's also located at Paine Field (Boeing's airstrip). Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates (and so can buy pretty much anything he wants!), has an amazing collection of historic aircraft. He's put them on display here. Most of them are military planes, and many still fly--some the only one left in the world in good enough condition to do that. I'm not a particular aviation or engineering buff, but I do enjoy history, and I loved this museum. I got to see aircraft I'd only read about (like a WWI Buzz Bomb), and to learn about things like the Russian "Night Witches" (women who flew very flawed small planes on bombing missions against the ****s) that I'd never heard of before.

 

Edited to add-- :eek: Wow, this post was censored for referring to those WWII bad guys by name! I chose the word rather than saying "Germans," since as many people will point out, the whole population of Germany wasn't ALL to blame for the evil stuff that was done by some. I wasn't insulting anyone, they really were proud, staunch ****s! But I think you get who I was talking about.

[jetsfan]

I will mention it to my husband. He is the one who loves planes and flying. He wanted to be a pilot, but because of his vision was unable to. For myself and the kids, that might be too much of a good thing. They want to see the stadium and the "cooler" stuff Seattle has to offer. It will be almost possible to do everything, but we are going to give it a good shot.

[scottbee]

If it's not making you poor, and it's what you want, then that's all that matters!

 

Since you'll be at the Boeing plant in Everett, you might also want to consider visiting The Flying Heritage Collection. It's also located at Paine Field (Boeing's airstrip). Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates (and so can buy pretty much anything he wants!), has an amazing collection of historic aircraft. He's put them on display here. Most of them are military planes, and many still fly--some the only one left in the world in good enough condition to do that. I'm not a particular aviation or engineering buff, but I do enjoy history, and I loved this museum. I got to see aircraft I'd only read about (like a WWI Buzz Bomb), and to learn about things like the Russian "Night Witches" (women who flew very flawed small planes on bombing missions against the ****s) that I'd never heard of before.

 

Edited to add-- :eek: Wow, this post was censored for referring to those WWII bad guys by name! I chose the word rather than saying "Germans," since as many people will point out, the whole population of Germany wasn't ALL to blame for the evil stuff that was done by some. I wasn't insulting anyone, they really were proud, staunch ****s! But I think you get who I was talking about.

 

Axis powers. It was morn than just Germany. Also, the Buzz Bomb was a WWII product (and also used as a US armament after the war!)

[Casagordita]

Axis powers. It was morn than just Germany. Also, the Buzz Bomb was a WWII product (and also used as a US armament after the war!)

 

Sorry, the part about the Buzz Bombs was a typo--I knew they were WWII (those Bad Guys Who Shall Not Be Named fired them at England during the Blitz).

 

But the Night Witches definitely bombed just the Bad Guys Who Shall Not Be Named, and not the whole Axis--their flimsy little planes would fly that far!