The first impression upon arriving in Seattle is how overwhelming green everything is. No wonder it is called the “Emerald City”. Our flight arrived on time and while we only had carry-on as to avoid the luggage carousel, it took about 20 minutes to walk from the gate to the outside of the terminal (what felt like two miles – be forewarned). The cab to downtown was $45 (including a $5 tip); but for the more adventurous, there is a “SkyLink” monorail from the airport to downtown for $3 (but it is a 38 minute ride).
We planned to visit the most memorial sites in Seattle, which included the Space Needle and the Pikes Place Market – but to avoid the drama and crowds, plan your visit for early in the morning or at the end of the day. We walked Pikes Market for about three hours, slowly visiting almost a hundred stalls and shops. Barbara was so happy to purchase a handmade leather belt customize to her size and she picked out the buckle. The craftsman guaranteed the belt for a lifetime and we believe Barbara will be happy with it for at least this lifetime.
We ended our first day’s visit at Pikes Place Market with a stop at the first Starbucks café. There was a line and about a 20 minute wait. It offers the same coffee you can find at any of the 27,00 Starbucks cafes (I suspect that more than half are in Seattle) – but the real reason for the visit is to obtain a Starbuck’s mug unique to that first store. I saw one person purchase the ten mug limit - I guess to give as gifts.
Visiting Seattle for the first time requires a visit to the top of the Space Needle – yes it is a tourist trap, but the view is worth the price of admission ($28 adult). Be mindful, that unless you arrive first thing in the morning or much later in the evening, there could be a one-hour wait to buy tickets and another one-hour wait to take the 42-second elevator ride to the observation deck. We did the Space Needle early in the morning and avoided the lines plus we purchased a combo ticket to admission to Chihuly Glass Gardens located at the base of the Needle, which Barbara enjoyed more than the Needle.
For the afternoon of the second day we took an enjoyable two-hour live-narrated one way cruise through the Chittenden Locks. While it was a little windy on the top deck, seeing Seattle from the water was truly enjoyable. We purchased our tickets in advance.
For food, we can recommend three stops, Tai Tung, 665 S. King Street, excellent Chinese cuisine. Ask to sit at the “Bruce Lee booth” if available, which is where Bruce ate lunch on almost a daily basis. Oddfellows Cafe, 1525 Tenth Avenue, the best Biscuits & Eggs in Seattle. It is next to Elliott Bay Bookstore, the largest independent book store in Seattle, where I spend three hours browsing for books. Top Pot Doughnuts, 2120 Fifth, their custom donuts were heavenly, which President Obama visited when he was in Seattle.
