what to do in seattle?

[bones774]

im looking to spend 2-3 days post cruise in seattle. it's father and 3 teens. What to do in seattle that is unique or once in a lifetime? Markets and squares and shopping and restaurants we can do anywhere. Thnaks

[bones774]

60 views and no replies? I guess that's telling me something!

[pizzalady1]

What it is telling you is that you need to do some research on your own, then come back and ask specific questions. :) You have already ruled out at least one of the jewels of Seattle.

[martincath]

I'm not from Seattle but even I got a distinctly negative vibe off your posts there bones - perhaps telling us what you *do* like would lead to some more useful feedback without unnecessarily putting local noses out of joint...

 

Some suggestions that may fit into your ballpark:

 

• The Space Needle may not be the only tall building with a circular viewing platform in the world, but it was a groundbreaking design in its day, still unique IMO, and will provide a unique view of Seattle.
  
• The Hendrix memorial is unique (unless you count the small copy in my neighbourhood in Vancouver) and if you/your teens appreciate Jimis music could be worth visiting - ditto the Bruce/Brandon Lee gravesite for martial arts fans.
  
• The underground tour is not unique in concept, but is certainly a rare offering.
  
• Assuming they're not too similar to all the other museums out there for you, Seattle offers several art, science, music, sci-fi, maritime etc. focused versions.
  

[bones774]

I'm not from Seattle but even I got a distinctly negative vibe off your posts there bones - perhaps telling us what you *do* like would lead to some more useful feedback without unnecessarily putting local noses out of joint...

 

Some suggestions that may fit into your ballpark:

 

• The Space Needle may not be the only tall building with a circular viewing platform in the world, but it was a groundbreaking design in its day, still unique IMO, and will provide a unique view of Seattle.
  
• The Hendrix memorial is unique (unless you count the small copy in my neighbourhood in Vancouver) and if you/your teens appreciate Jimis music could be worth visiting - ditto the Bruce/Brandon Lee gravesite for martial arts fans.
  
• The underground tour is not unique in concept, but is certainly a rare offering.
  
• Assuming they're not too similar to all the other museums out there for you, Seattle offers several art, science, music, sci-fi, maritime etc. focused versions.
  

 

I have done some research which is why I was asking for something unique. The above are good suggestions and I will definitely see the needle. As for markets, yes it may be a nice market but it's not something that would occupy my or my teens full day, maybe a couple of hours.

thanks

[randych]

If they're into music or science fiction then a visit to the EMP/SciFi museum is a good idea. My kids loved that place when they were teens (and still love it).

 

If you're looking for something a bit more active, go to Aqua Verde cafe, rent kayaks and paddle through the Montlake cut or over to Gasworks park.

[bones774]

If they're into music or science fiction then a visit to the EMP/SciFi museum is a good idea. My kids loved that place when they were teens (and still love it).

 

If you're looking for something a bit more active, go to Aqua Verde cafe, rent kayaks and paddle through the Montlake cut or over to Gasworks park.

 

 

Those sound like different and exciting ideas for teens. Don't mean to sound off put but 10 minutes in a market and I got 3 teens asking me "what are we doing next?" Thanks

[LeftcoastBC]

Major League Baseball ...if you are there in season.

[randych]

Those sound like different and exciting ideas for teens. Don't mean to sound off put but 10 minutes in a market and I got 3 teens asking me "what are we doing next?" Thanks

 

It's really worth a visit, even if it's only 10 minutes. There are a lot of good food options in and around the market, so that always helped keep our kids interested. And if you head downstairs away from the fish, fruit and vegetables there are some quirky, offbeat shops that my kids loved. The gum wall is right there too which is sure to entertain them for a few more minutes.

 

There's also a Pike Place ghost tour. Might be a way to see the market, and keep your kids interested. I've never done the tour so I can't speak about it first hand, but it gets good reviews on Trip Advisor.

[randych]

Major League Baseball ...if you are there in season.

 

Yeah... except it's the Mariners :)

[bones774]

Yeah... except it's the Mariners :)

 

Yeah, except i'm from NY, you know the home of Jeter, Tanaka and a few others, those guys called the Yankees!

[Brickwood]

Don’t envy your task with 3 teenagers. Here are my thoughts having raised 2 and currently enjoying a 12 yr old grandson in the Seattle area:

 

Definitely do the needle as it is unique - maybe ride the monorail there from downtown. If you want to at least take a quick turn around the Pike Place Market to watch the fish being tossed and say you've been there, you could also try to find the “gum wall”. Google it - pretty gross but maybe fun for a teenager to leave their mark. Also, might try a ferry ride or harbor tour. Woodland Park is a pretty nice zoo if that's of interest.

 

My #1 recommendation with teenagers would be to rent a car and get the heck out of town for at least a day so you can enjoy what keeps us Washingtonians here, namely, the outdoor activities. Take a day trip and take a hike, a fishing tour, whale watching tour or whatever you think your kids might be interested in. The Agua Verda/kayaking is a great idea but if you want to get a bit farther out, you’ll need to rent a car. Or, you might find an outfit that would meet you at a ferry dock and take you on that kayak trip. You can catch a ferry from downtown to Vashon Island, Bainbridge Island and Bremerton so maybe look for an outfit in those areas.

 

There are lots of hikes to take in an hour’s drive or less. Then there are Mt. Rainier and Mt. St Helen’s. St Helen’s is probably 3-4 hrs and Rainier somewhat less. I’m not sure what the visitor center situation is at either so you’d want to check those out.

 

Lastly, the Olympic National Park is, I believe, the only temperate rainforest in the US and it is definitely beautiful but probably an overnight trip. The typical rain and clouds on the Olympic peninsula are probably why Forks, WA is the center of the Twilight book/movie series. You’d also get a good feel for Northwest ocean beaches (as opposed Seattle’s Puget Sound beaches) Have a great trip!

[PCWalton1]

Yeah, except i'm from NY, you know the home of Jeter, Tanaka and a few others, those guys called the Yankees!

 

My condolences. :p

 

Brickwood had the best recommendation, get out of town. If you are from the NYC area our city is not going to impress your teens. You have yet to say when you are going to be here (or I missed it) but taking a drive around Mt Rainier during the summer months is an easy daytime trip that might impress the kids.

 

If you do stay close Argosy cruise has a trip to Tillicum Indian village they might like and the salmon tastes great. :)

Edited March 12, 2014 by PCWalton1

[bones774]

Don’t envy your task with 3 teenagers. Here are my thoughts having raised 2 and currently enjoying a 12 yr old grandson in the Seattle area:

 

Definitely do the needle as it is unique - maybe ride the monorail there from downtown. If you want to at least take a quick turn around the Pike Place Market to watch the fish being tossed and say you've been there, you could also try to find the “gum wall”. Google it - pretty gross but maybe fun for a teenager to leave their mark. Also, might try a ferry ride or harbor tour. Woodland Park is a pretty nice zoo if that's of interest.

 

My #1 recommendation with teenagers would be to rent a car and get the heck out of town for at least a day so you can enjoy what keeps us Washingtonians here, namely, the outdoor activities. Take a day trip and take a hike, a fishing tour, whale watching tour or whatever you think your kids might be interested in. The Agua Verda/kayaking is a great idea but if you want to get a bit farther out, you’ll need to rent a car. Or, you might find an outfit that would meet you at a ferry dock and take you on that kayak trip. You can catch a ferry from downtown to Vashon Island, Bainbridge Island and Bremerton so maybe look for an outfit in those areas.

 

There are lots of hikes to take in an hour’s drive or less. Then there are Mt. Rainier and Mt. St Helen’s. St Helen’s is probably 3-4 hrs and Rainier somewhat less. I’m not sure what the visitor center situation is at either so you’d want to check those out.

 

Lastly, the Olympic National Park is, I believe, the only temperate rainforest in the US and it is definitely beautiful but probably an overnight trip. The typical rain and clouds on the Olympic peninsula are probably why Forks, WA is the center of the Twilight book/movie series. You’d also get a good feel for Northwest ocean beaches (as opposed Seattle’s Puget Sound beaches) Have a great trip!

 

 

Thank you, this is the kind of stuff i was looking for. You have a grasp of what I am talking about. I have 2 daughters 17 &19 and a 16 year old son, so it's difficult to please all.

[bones774]

My condolences. :p

 

Brickwood had the best recommendation, get out of town. If you are from the NYC area our city is not going to impress your teens. You have yet to say when you are going to be here (or I missed it) but taking a drive around Mt Rainier during the summer months is an easy daytime trip that might impress the kids.

 

If you do stay close Argosy cruise has a trip to Tillicum Indian village they might like and the salmon tastes great. :)

 

Thank you also, again the different kinda stuff i was looking for.Will be there at very end of june into july.

 

PS- Let's see what happens with Tanaka before you send me your condolences.:D

[nna]

if you drive to paradise visitor center at mt rainier or hurricane ridge, out of port angeles...in june and july you should be able to throw snowballs.

 

if you go out the olympic penisula...and are willing to drive 4 hours one way, there is a very cool hike at lake ozette...hike 3 miles out to sand point then, 3 miles back, or you can make it a 9 mile triangle hike..with 3 miles on a rocky beach. the 3 miles in and out is almost level boardwalk. so many people do it as a day hike. then, if it is still daytime, drive to neah bay and check out the museum and drive out to tattosh head. definitely a unique view of the northwest.

 

mt rainier has some great hiking at the sunrise visitor center...you get up at timberline...and you can see the wildflowers and the snow.

[Cruise4Sunshine]

Thank you also, again the different kinda stuff i was looking for.Will be there at very end of june into july.

 

PS- Let's see what happens with Tanaka before you send me your condolences.:D

 

 

A Seattle native, I highly recommend water activities with teens. Agua Verde rents kayaks and gear so you can get gorgeous views of the skyline and houseboats on Lake Union. The food there is great too.

 

I second the EMP for hands on history of music, I had to drag my teens out of there at the end of the day.

 

Green Lake Park also rents paddleboards, paddle boats and canoes. There is a lovely 2.6 mile walk around the lake with many little coffee shops and restaurants around.

 

Take a ferry ride for some of the best views of the city. Bainbridge is a good destination to walk to restaurants from the ferry dock. Leave the car behind.

 

Mt. Rainier is a whole day trip, get an early start and take hiking supplies with you if you want to see the ice caves (if they are open) or meadows. It's cold up there, so be prepared.

 

Hope you love it here.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Seattle is a perfectly safe city- I'd let the teens just go off on their own to explore. I've been there many times. The Pike Street Market is an absolute must even if you just browse through. It is one of my favorite experiences. http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

 

I loved the Space Needle for dinner and we were fortunate enough to see the "blue moon" the night we dined there. http://www.spaceneedle.com/information/

 

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is great for art enthusiasts. We enjoyed it.

 

There are floating homes in Seattle that fascinated me and they are located at Lake Union. Sleepless in Seattle was filmed on one of them.

Edited April 7, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain

[bones774]

Seattle is a perfectly safe city- I'd let the teens just go off on their own to explore. I've been there many times. The Pike Street Market is an absolute must even if you just browse through. It is one of my favorite experiences. http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

 

I loved the Space Needle for dinner and we were fortunate enough to see the "blue moon" the night we dined there. http://www.spaceneedle.com/information/

 

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is great for art enthusiasts. We enjoyed it.

 

There are floating homes in Seattle that fascinated me and they are located at Lake Union. Sleepless in Seattle was filmed on one of them.

 

Yes, the Space needle is a must. We will do Pike Street Market and the floating homes sound nice. One of my daughters is a real lover of "mushy" movies and would get a kick out of S.I.S. movie home. Thanks again all.

[AZ Ocean Lover]

One of my favorite things to do is take your car on the ferry to Bainbridge. Walk about the town of Winslow. It's not big so it won't take a lot of time but cute shops restaurants, bakeries, etc. Then continue up through the islands and end up in Port Townsend. They have all kinds of things to do here - incredibly beautiful hiking, kayaking, shopping, eating, etc. You can then take the ferry back from Port Townsend and it takes you across the sound north of Seattle and it's a beauful drive back down. It's a lot of driving but there's all kinds of places to stop along the way.

 

It's been years since I've done this but you can drive by the Boeing plant in Everett on your way back. The size of the hangers will make your jaw drop.

 

Seattle's beautiful and a very active town. You should have fun.

 

I know you don't want to shop but a trip to the REI flagship store would be fun for any teenager (or adult for that matter).