day to spare in Seattle: any suggestions?

[cooperplace]

I've got a spare day in Seattle next week. Can anyone think of anything interesting to do there?

 

Thanks

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

Bruce Lee's grave, Boeing Factory, Space Needle.

 

 

[cooperplace]

ahhh, Boeing, of course.

 

 

[Dreamliner]

Boeing factory tour and their museum of flight. Note that there are two different sites. Both excellent.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Museum of flight, definitely worthwhile. A bit south of Seattle.

 

 

[Akromaster]

The fish market is worth a visit...watch them holler and throw fish around. Lots of shops to wander through. If you like Starbucks, Seattle is where it all started and you can go checkout the very first store where they sell Starbucks memorabilia.

 

Check out Fries...it's a massive store of everything electronics and electrical goods.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I went to the fish market and all I could smell was dope from peeps smoking it. (Dope is legal in Washington ). The space needle was alright but nothing to really write home about. Next door to the space needle is a glass art museum or something like that where blown glass is made into sculptures. That was amazing. I didn't have time to go to the Boeing factory tour, but it is brilliant from all accounts. I will definitely go next time I'm there.

 

 

[dutchroll]

Lived there for a year. Seattle is an absolutely wonderful place. A great city. You've got some tough decisions to make!

 

Aviation related (in no particular order):

 

• Boeing Factory at Paine Field, Everett (north of city).
   
   
  
• Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection, also at Paine Field but at the other end to Boeing.
   
   
  
• Museum of Flight at Boeing Field (south of city).
   
   
  

 

 

Not aviation related (in no particular order):

 

• Space Needle
   
   
  
• Pike Place Markets
   
   
  
• Seattle Underground tour ("Beneath the Streets")
   
   
  

 

 

Some brief info on the above:

 

Boeing Factory: well, it's the Boeing factory which is what makes it interesting. Don't think you're going to get up close and personal with the planes on the assembly line though. You'll see it from a distance on a viewing balcony, but it's pretty impressive. Quite fascinating.

 

Flying Heritage Collection: Paul Allen is the co-founder of Microsoft and loves planes. He amassed an amazing collection of historic military aircraft, had them restored to literally their original condition (the lengths he went to are a whole separate story), and pretty much all of them are airworthy and actually fly. You can't touch, but you can walk around very close to them all. Incredible collection in this Museum.

 

Museum of Flight: I was there a whole day from opening time to closing time! From the original Boeing factory with its old woodworking machinery set up, to the Concorde (you can walk through it), etc etc. Too much to list.

 

Space Needle: tall building with impressive view. Meh.

 

Pike Place Markets: Quite historic and people who like markets absolutely love it. Good places to eat there, but I'm not a huge market fan overall.

 

Underground Tour: the "old city" was built at sea level and the "new city" was built above it after it burned down. Some of the old city remnants were restored and you get a tour around below ground. It's actually quite interesting (more than I've made it sound!)

 

Suggest you get googling!

 

 

[cooperplace]

thank you everyone!

 

 

[dutchroll]

Oh crap. What day are you there?

 

It's Seattle Seafair at the moment and the big weekend celebration starts on 31 July. I forgot about that.

 

It's massive. Power boat & hydroplane races on the lake. Usually the US Navy Blue Angels do air displays there plus there are other air displays.

 

The only practical way of getting to it is public transport (which is not bad in Seattle) and they put on special services. Better check whether that's a factor for your day there.

 

If you haven't realised one day in Seattle during summer is not enough by now, you never will!

 

 

[cooperplace]

Oh crap. What day are you there?It's Seattle Seafair at the moment and the big weekend celebration starts on 31 July. I forgot about that.

 

It's massive. Power boat & hydroplane races on the lake. Usually the US Navy Blue Angels do air displays there plus there are other air displays.

 

The only practical way of getting to it is public transport (which is not bad in Seattle) and they put on special services. Better check whether that's a factor for your day there.

 

If you haven't realised one day in Seattle during summer is not enough by now, you never will!

thanks, I'll check into that. I'm there August 1.

 

 

[DGL Fox]

Our next overseas trip will start in Seattle and then move over the border to Canada...always wanted to visit that city....I am even more looking forward to it now I seeing now that I have seen the list of things to do and see there...thanks dutchroll for the overview...

 

Dvaid

 

 

[poteroo]

Dynon Avionics is located in Woodinville, a SE outer suburb of Seattle. If you are into avionics - an interesting operation to visit. happy days,

 

 

[dutchroll]

thanks, I'll check into that. I'm there August 1.

Ok well you are right smack in the middle of the main Seafair weekend. If you haven't seen it already, here is the lineup for Saturday 1 August. Bonus - you can get to see the Flying Heritage Collection actually flying rather than in the museum hangar!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1

 

8:30 a.m. - Gates Open

 

10:25 a.m. - Air National Guard, John Klatt MX-S and Team

 

Oracle Presents Sean D. Tucker

 

10:35 a.m. - Flying Heritage Collection Sortie

 

Noon - Lear 24 Jet

 

12:10 p.m. - Breitling Jet Team

 

12:30 p.m. - Boeing Seafair Air Show Pilot Autograph Session

 

12:40 p.m. - U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor

 

1 p.m. - Flying Heritage Collection

 

1:15 p.m. - U.S. Marine Harrier Jet AV-8A

 

1:30 p.m. - U.S. Navy Blue Angels C-130 Fat Albert

 

1:40 p.m. - U.S. Navy Blue Angels

 

3:25 p.m. - Team Oracle Presents Sean D. Tucker

 

3:40 p.m. - Air National Guard, John Klatt MX-S

 

3:55 p.m. - Embry-Riddle, Matt Chapman Eagle 580

 

4:10 p.m. - U.S. Air Force C-17

 

6:30 p.m. - Gates Close

 

 

[dazza 38]

I hope I didn't sound harsh about Seattle, a nice place, but I found Vancouver and Toronto awesome, more to my interests.

 

 

[dutchroll]

I hope I didn't sound harsh about Seattle, a nice place, but I found Vancouver and Toronto awesome, more to my interests.

USA versus Canada. Chalk and cheese!

But if you're in the northern USA, Seattle is one of the nicer places to go. Summer particularly, or if you like skiing only a couple of hours drive away, winter too. San Francisco and Boston are my other picks.

 

 

[cooperplace]

I like Vancouver and Toronto, but I've never been to Seattle so I'm looking forward to it.

 

 

[poteroo]

USA versus Canada. Chalk and cheese!But if you're in the northern USA, Seattle is one of the nicer places to go. Summer particularly, or if you like skiing only a couple of hours drive away, winter too. San Francisco and Boston are my other picks.

Really liked Seattle - 'feels' a friendlier city than most in the US, but Vancouver is also vg. Try Union Lake, (mid city Seattle), and be awed by the seaplane traffic from the terminals there. They really know how to do it! happy days,

 

 

[Yenn]

I went to Seattle many years ago, late seventies I think. Hired a car in vancouver and drove down the string of islands from the border, ferry to Seattle and took one look at the traffic and went back North. Coming from country Qld, Seattle was to me worse to drive in than London.

 

I did really like driving down those islands though.

 

 

[frank marriott]

Nice drive from Seattle to Vancouver. They wouldn't allow us to drop off our rent-a-car over the border so got an 8 seater taxi. Price was quite reasonable at the time - mid 80s.

 

 

[cooperplace]

we did the Boeing at Everett tour, the underground tour, and finished with a few beers in the bar at the top of the Columbus tower -76 floors. A wonderful day. The Boeing factory is amazing, and the tour only costs $18. No cameras allowed. They make 747, 777 and 787 aircraft there. The building is v impressive: it could fit all of Disneyland with room to spare.

 

When we got back to Seattle we had the Blue Angels overhead.

 

Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone.