Seattle, Washington Destination Guide
Section 1: Intro to the Destination
Seattle or “The Emerald City” is Washington state’s largest city, surrounded by the lush evergreen trees, mountains, and water. Seattle has a large tech industry that is home to many major corporations, such as Amazon and Microsoft, yet still offers its own unique charm. The city is known for its iconic attractions such as the Seattle Space Needle, the original Starbucks coffee shop, the seafood... and mostly for the rain.
Which of the Following Phrases Best Describes this Destination? (You can select more than one)
Bustling, Cozy, Outdoorsy, Artsy, Unique.
What’s the Destination Known For?
Seafood, rain, ferries, and most importantly the first Starbucks.
Getting There
Seattle Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is the only public operating airport in the Seattle area.
Getting from the airport is easily accessed by taxi, yellow or orange. The flat rate to the hotel district is around $40, otherwise, $2.60 pickup, 50 cents per passenger, and a $2.50 per mile rate.
Other services like Uber and Lyft are good alternatives as well.
The light-rail (bullet train) and bus ticket fares from the airport are around $40.
Local Etiquette
Standard American etiquette is encourage, and engage in conversation.
Dress attire for dining is very relaxed and casual, unless informed differently.
As with the rest of the United States, tipping (except in select establishments where explicitly stated otherwise) is expected.
Weather
Spring:
High= 62F/16C
Low= 45F/7C
Summer:
High= 80F/26C
Low= 60F/15C
Fall:
High= 67F/19C
Low= 54F/12C
Winter:
High= 43F/6C
Low= 37F/2C
During the spring, I would layer a bit, because in Seattle during spring it can still be a bit cold, especially on a cloudy day.
In the summer, it is BEAUTIFUL weather! It’s just the right temperature, not to cold, nor hot. Short sleeves and shorts are perfect.
During the fall, layers are important, because in fall it begins to rain consistently.
In the winter, it can get below 32 degrees but the weather mainly stays above freezing. Snow is not common, but not uncommon, so pack many layers.
Getting Around
Most tourists and Seattleites walk and bike for transportation, the city is very walkable and a bit challenging to ride, because most people find the steep hills and weather exhausting to walk or bike ride in, but it is all based on personal preference. Companies like Limebike offer bicycles to rent for $1 every 30 minutes.
Other than walking, most people use the buses, or light-rail. All metro transit buses run 24 hours, although very few operate between 1am-5am, fares include a $2.75 flat rate during the rush hours, but a $2.50 rate if not. The light-rail is basically the subway of New York City. Fares are based on distance, so depending on where you are travelling to and from, it will cost different amounts. Per station is about $2.25 and you must purchase your ticket at a kiosk located at any of the stops.
The streetcar is a city bus that follows a set of tracks around the Seattle. An adult single ride is $2.25 or a day pass is $4.50, for youth (6-18) it is $1.50 a ride, or $3.00 for a day pass, and children under 5 rides for free.
Another common form of transportation in Seattle is boat. Ferries to Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Vashon Island, West Seattle, San Juan Islands, and Edmonds are on average $8.45 round trip for walk on passengers (standard adult).
Of course, there is a taxi system along with Uber and Lyft available. Rates for easy downtown getting around can be anywhere from $5 to $20, but if needed I would suggest using Uber or Lyft for a less expensive option.
Section 2: What to See, Do, and Eat
Coffee
Dubsea Coffee
Great place to work remotely, because of the space, Free Wi-Fi, and of course coffee.
9910 8th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Starbucks
If you are looking to grab a coffee from Starbucks and be able to sit and enjoy, instead of waiting in line for a while to visit the must-see original Starbucks at Pikes Place Market, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room is as great as the original. Business ramps up towards the late morning, so if you are planning on visiting the reserve, I would plan for an earlier time.
1124 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
Breakfast
$-tier
Top Pot Doughnuts
Coffee and Doughnuts
(Many locations throughout Seattle)
3rd and Columbia, Downtown Seattle
720 Third Ave, Seattle, WA, 98104
Very Casual
Coffee and glazed doughnut
$$-tier
Biscuit Bitch
Homestyle biscuits
(3 locations around Seattle)
Pioneer Square
621 3rd Ave, Seattle WA 98104
Casual
Biscuits and gravy
$$$-tier
5 spot
American Breakfast
Queen Anne
1502 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
Causal
Chicken and waffles
Brunch
$- tier
Sweet Iron
Belgian Restaurant
(2 locations)
Downtown Seattle
1200 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101
Casual
Nutella waffle and Bacon and real maple syrup
$$-tier
Tilikum Place Cafe
European-style bistro
407 Cedar Street, Seattle, WA, 98121
Casual
Baked Eggs and quiche
$$$-tier
The Wandering Goose
Southern Restaurant
403 15th Ave E., Seattle, WA, 98112
Lunch Hours: 7am-4pm
Fried Chicken Friday Dinner: 5pm-9pm *only on fridays
Nice Casual
Fried Chicken Plate
Lunch
$-tier
Ivar’s Acres of Clams
Seafood
(Many Ivar’s Locations)
1001 Alaskan Way, Pier 54, Seattle WA, 98104
Casual
Ivar’s Famous Clam Chowder
$$-tier
Matt’s in the Market
American Restaurant
First & Pike
94 Pike Street, Suite 32, Seattle, WA, 98101
Nice casual
Fishwich
$$$-tier
Lola
Greek Restaurant
2000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98121
Dressy/Casual
Anderson Lamb Kebabs
Reservations
Dinner
$-tier
Serious Pie
Pizza Restaurant
316 Virginia St., Seattle, WA, 98101
Casual
Fennel sausage and pepper pie
$$-tier
The Pink Door
Italian Restaurant
1919 Post Alley, Seattle, WA, 98101
Dressy
Summer risotto
There is entertainment nights on saturday’s, reservations are needed.
$$$-tier
Canlis
Fine dining
2576 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109
Fancy attire
Ribeye
Reservations
Bars
$-$$
Unicorn
Unicorn is a carnival-themed bar that has nostalgic fair foods such as, corn dogs and fried snickers bars, and has of a wide variety of strong drinks. Unicorn also offer tons of arcade games, like pinball and a stage.
$$-$$$
Needle and Thread
Needle and Thread is a speakeasy type bar inside of, Tavern Law, to enter the bar you must pick up a telephone on the wall to be let in, then open the “bank vault” door next to the phone. Reservations are suggested. You must have a valid ID to be let in and be 21 and over.
Other (Food Trucks, Late Night Bites, Ice Cream Shops, etc.)
$-tier
Dick’s
Burgers, shakes, fries (establishment).
115 Broadway Ave. East
Seattle, WA 98102
Very casual
Chocolate, Vanilla shake.
$$-tier
Molly Moon’s
Ice cream
Many locations
917 E Pine St, Seattle, WA, 98122
Casual
Salted caramel or honey lavender ice cream
$$/$$$-tier
Pie Bar
Pie’s
1361 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122
Moderately casual
Peanut Butter Chocolate pie
Top things to See and Do
Seattle Space Needle
The space needle is one of Seattle’s most famous attractions towering the city at 520 feet. A 41 second elevator ride or 848 steps if you prefer climbing to the tops is worth every second to see spectacular views of Seattle. General admission for Regular (13-64) is $29 but $24 after 6pm. Seniors (65+) is $24/$14 and Youth (5-12) $19/$14. The space needle is open Monday-Sunday from 8:00am to 11:00pm. *Hours may change for holidays or special events happening.
Original Starbucks
Visit the first ever Starbucks opened in 1971 at the Pikes Place Market. Most likely you will not be the only one who thought about going to the first starbucks at 8:00am on a monday, so expect extremely long lines. I don’t think it’s worth the wait to go inside to get a $5 dollar coffee you can get down the street. But go ahead and take a picture!
Seattle Aquarium
Located on Pier 59 the Seattle Aquarium is a great look into the marine life of Seattle, with great exhibits and exciting activities, it is a fun stop for the whole family! Children under 3 visit for free, Youth (4-12) $19.95, and an Adult ticket (13+) is $29.95.
For each entry, include a brief description of what it is/why it’s cool, as well as an average cost (i.e. Tickets start at $10). ALSO, note anything particular or unusual, like needing a reservation in advance. Make a note if an attraction is good for families/children (try and include a few of these if possible), or if it’s adults-only.
Festivals/Parades
Bumbershoot: most young adults/festival goers go to Bumbershoot which is a music festival during labor-day weekend on the grounds of Seattle Center. Bumbershoot is relatively close to Coachella (a music festival in California). Featuring big name artists of all genres, bumbershoot is not for all, but is definitely recommended for the younger crowd. A general Admission ticket is around $220.
https://www.bumbershoot.com/passinfo/
Nightlife
Where to go and hang once the sun sets – bars, nightclubs, etc. Try and find BOTH places where the locals hang AND places where the tourists hang. For each location, record the name, address, website, and anything interesting it might be known for (e.g. live Tango demonstration by professional dancers every Thursday night at 9PM.)
Hidden Gems
We want off-the-beaten-path things here. Examples are: a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that’s not famous but has the best carbonara this side of Italy, something natural like the bat caves outside of Fredericksburg, Texas (it’s cool, for real), a neat piece of history (like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall in Las Vegas).
