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Fave Places to take Out-of-Town Visitors

Started 1 year ago by westseattledood
Latest reply from JoB

westseattledood
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Hello WS Neighbors -

Just wondering where your best places, art galleries, events, activities, scenic drives or viewpoints in city, etc., folks take their visiting peeps. I'm not looking for the obvious basics we all like to show off, which are of course very good, like the Market, or UW Campus or Ballard Locks, etc. But, rather the particular gems that make our city and neighborhood special and make your lives here a pleasure and out-of-towners jealous. :]

Just to get the ball rolling, for example, restaurants. What dishes in particular do you recommend? What bar and why? What viewpoints? Is there something special in another neighborhood (is it ok to ask that?) What activity or place or adventure thrill your guests?

Not just West Seattle, but the whole city. TIA.

Posted 1 year ago #
CrystalizedGinger
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What impresses my guests, beyond the Market and the Needle, is our Ferry system and our greenery. I often forget how most states don't have our extensive ferry operation. I love to take visitors out to the San Juans on an hot day where they can 'see forever'- meaning our gorgeous Olympics, Rainier, lush greenery, islands, orcas, oh my!
It's the best of the Pacific Northwest, seriously, no other place as beautiful and uniquely ours on the right day :)

Posted 1 year ago #
CrystalizedGinger
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Oh, and food. There is nowhere in the world that can serve up a true wild Pacific salmon like we can (except Alaska) -Caught hours ago and never frozen, alder smoked! our East Coast friends with thier tasteless farmed Atlantic salmon they are shocked/delighted at the true flavor!

Posted 1 year ago #
Que
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Olympic Sculpture Garden on a beautiful day.
Pink Door for dinner on the patio.
Hamilton Viewpoint at night.

Posted 1 year ago #
MousePotato
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My family came out from Illinois years ago and we took them to Crystal mountain. It was summer but they continue to run their lifts for the view.

I've been here for nearly 30 years and I have to say the view there was the most amazing thing I've ever seen in Washington State. I went there to show my family our mountains but left amazed myself.

It's a long drive but I would recommend it for anyone. Resident or not, it's incredible.

(shameful plug)....

http://www.skicrystal.com/

Posted 1 year ago #
celeste17
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City Light runs dam tours. I have never been on it but have heard about it from my family that went on it before I was born. You get a nice drive and then tour two or three dams.
http://www.seattle.gov/html/VISITOR/tourism.htm

Edit: Just read that the Dam Tours have been cancelled for 2010 due to budget cuts.

Posted 1 year ago #
Garden_nymph
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I suggest taking them to see Snoqualmie Falls, Ride the Duck, then drive out to the Olympic Peninsula to see Crescent Lake, Hoh Rain Forest and Ruby Beach.

Posted 1 year ago #
celeste17
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Chuckanut (?sp) Drive is nice.
Ferry Rides with shopping and eating is nice.

Posted 1 year ago #
pigeonmom
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Archie McPhee. They've moved again. They are back in their OLD neighborhood. 45th & Stone Way.

Posted 1 year ago #
HunterG
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oh and sol duc hot springs... love that place!!

Posted 1 year ago #
CMP
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I love going to Paseo in Ballard for messy sandwiches (cash only) and then heading to Golden Gardens or the Locks to eat and people watch. I know you mentioned the Locks already but that's my favorite place in Seattle. Drinks on the deck at Ray's Cafe and then come back to West Seattle for pie at Shoofly. I think Magnolia is also a pretty cool neighborhood with some beautiful homes, but I don't spend much time there.

Posted 1 year ago #
mpento
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I like carkeek park at the shore area. If you're lucky a big long freight train will go under the bridge which is impressive (is that a subliminal thing?). Maybe stop at the other coast for a rajun cajun sandwich but only if the visitors are paying.

Posted 1 year ago #
maplesyrup
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Sightseeing: The aquarium, Bainbridge & Vashon Islands, Alki, hiking in the Cascades

Restaurants: The Brooklyn, Ipanema Grill, Sunfish

Posted 1 year ago #
jwws
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Crystal Mountain is serving dinners and Sunday brunch at the Summit House during the summer season - took my folks a few years ago and they loved it.

Taylor Shellfish Farm on Chuckanut Drive - do the drive then stop in and buy oysters, Dungeness crabs, mussels and take home for a seafood fest.

Float plane ride to Friday Harbor, see Orcas, have lunch, wander around, buzz Space Needle on the way back.

Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge - nice ferry ride and beautiful gardens to wander through.

Posted 1 year ago #
EmmyJane
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The old WaMu center, now the Russell Building, has a pretty amazing deck on the 17th floor. I don't know what the official rules are, but you don't need an access badge to get in at the moment. You could go there, hop on the water taxi and have HH at Salty's.

I just got a groupon for a steam boat tour of Lake Union that sounds pretty cool. Argosy puts on a good tour of Elliot Bay.

Posted 1 year ago #
KBear
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Back to the airport.

Posted 1 year ago #
SarahScoot
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Huh, UW campus is a good tourist spot? Never occurred to me to take people there.

Posted 1 year ago #
austin
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If it's nice outside Seattle is pretty awesome from the water. As has been mentioned a ferry ride is always entertaining. I'm a fan of the kayak and canoe.. The folks at Alki Kayak Tours offer kayak rentals and tours down at Seacrest from which you can get a good ride around alki or around the bay and up the river. If you want to get off the island it's a good time to go up to Agua Verde in the u-districtish area for some kayaking on lake union and then margaritas and mangodillas at their cafe. Or for a similar yet more economical experience it's always fun to pack a lunch and get a canoe or two at the UW and float around the arboretum. For the next couple of months you can hang around portage bay and see salmon jumping out of the water.

Posted 1 year ago #
angelescrest
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A quicky tour I've come up with:
Drive out the 90 (that view!), catch the 405 north, head back to town on the 520 (that view!). It's a great way to see the other, beautiful, water side of this city--and, it deposits you near that amazing air base-cum-multi-use park @ Sandpoint. The hangars are a thrill in themselves.

Posted 1 year ago #
sam-c
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other than all the great places already mentioned (reminder- Bloedel reserve requires reservation for visit, i think), you asked about galleries. one that is close by, free, a little hard to find, but I like the building, and that last exhibit I saw there was great: http://www.westernbridge.org

another vote for the Olympic Sculpture park.

Posted 1 year ago #
metrognome
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If (ok, when) it is raining:
- Museum of History and Industry in the Montlake neighborhood, including the trail to Foster Island and the north side of the Arboretum (seattlehistory dot org)
- the hydroplane museum in Kent (thunderboats dot org)
- the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett (flyingheritage dot com)
- the Museum of Flight
- an excursion on an historic Metro bus (mehva dot org)
In good weather:
- the Arboretum, esp. the Japanese Garden
- any outdoor concert venue

Posted 1 year ago #
celeste17
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Local Indian Casinos, Boeing Tour, LaConner, Northwest Trek, Hey Piason in Burien. Underground Tour, Mt. St. Helen's, Mt. Rainier.

Posted 1 year ago #
squareeyes
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The Weyerehaeuser bonsai garden recently reopened. It's very cool.
http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/Company/Bonsai/VisitUs

Posted 1 year ago #
rockhills
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Believe it or not, the older midwestern contingent of my family has made having breakfast at Easy Street and people watching for a couple of hours a tradition during their annual visit--one they really look forwards to.

Posted 1 year ago #
ws4ever
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Staying in Seattle this summer. Hoping to visit some of these places with local friends, wearing our tourist sunglasses of course!

Posted 1 year ago #
DP
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The Conservatory (Greenhouse) at Volunteer Park is a fun thing to do on a summer afternoon, and it's nearby many other downtown attractions.

If you're fanatical about parks and you have a lot of time to spend, you could take in several of the Olmsted Brothers parks in the Seattle area. Make it kind of a themed tour.

http://www.cityofseattle.net/Parks/parkspaces/olmsted.htm

—David

Posted 1 year ago #
ToddinWestwood
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drive across beacon hill on orcas st. then do the loop at Seward Park, then drive north along Lake Washington Blvd to the Arboretum. Always a good impression.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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i have recently rediscovered the sound from here to tacoma...
follow 509 and stop at all the state parks and follow signs to restaurants on the water ... they have unmarked parks next door... cross into tacoma over the bridge and turn right to meander along the waterfront to Point Defiance park in Tacoma.. do the scenic drive.. stop at all the viewpoints.. ferry to vashon.. traverse the island and ferry home...

very nice day with some unexpected stops... nothing like rediscovering your own back yard.

JanS...

do you remember the name of that little hidden park and the restaurant where we stopped for appetizers and a view of Admiralty Bay?

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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the little hidden park was at the Brown's Point Lighthouse. The restaurant was the Cliff House. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
Garden_nymph
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Chihuly Glass Museum Tacoma and Mt. St. Helens.

Posted 1 year ago #
Garden_nymph
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Alki lighthouse

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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Thanks to my neighbor's enthusiasm for the fourth and my sweet puppies fear.. i drove north to Mt Baker yesterday... Amazing.. even with the mountain at least partly covered by clouds...

i took hwy 9 north which took forever but was a pleasant meander through farm country and quirky little towns... but Seattle to the turnoff to Mt Baker Hwy is an easy couple of hours and on the way back down the mountain you can drive through bellingham and down chuckanut drive...

Posted 1 year ago #
Pibal
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JoB and JanS:

I think the view from the Cliff House Restaurant on Brown's Point is of Commencement Bay (Tacoma & the tideflats) vice Admiralty Bay, n'est-ce pas??

As long as you're down Tacoma way, Ruston Way from Old City Hall to Point Defiance is a great walk and restaurant row. You can get a real chocolate egg cream soda at Don's Diner in Ruston.

Downtown Gig Harbor on Tuesdays is home of the summer concert series at Skansie Park. Right on the water and a great time. Come via boat or lawn chair...

Posted 1 year ago #
SarahScoot
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Jan and JoB: I got married by the Browns Point lighthouse. :-) My parents live in Woodmont Beach in Des Moines, and my aunt and uncle in Browns Point, very near that park w/lighthouse. The drive you describe, JoB, is very much familiar to me.

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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SarahScoot...what a lovely place to get married. It is so peaceful and quiet there...and what an incredible view of the water. A good place to find (we're not tellin' - lol) when the crowds at Alki get too much to handle.

Posted 1 year ago #
WorldCitizen
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Day 1:
Up to Fremont around Lunchtime for a sandwich at Paseo (the best food in Seattle) eat it at Gas works park looking south over Lake Union. Take your time and drive out to Ray's Boathouse for an early afternoon happy hour cocktail on the deck overlooking the Sound. Make your way back down to West Seattle and have another Happy hour Drink at Salty's (purely for the view). Send them over to Maximilien in the Market for Sunset. I know it's in the Market, but the view is amazing around sundown and the Mussels Maximilien are truly fantastic. Then, a cab back home and sleep.
Day 2:
The next morning, Kayak tours of Elliot Bay and Alki, followed by an afternoon nap. After the nap, off to Capitol Hill for dinner reservations at Olivar (806 East Roy Street). Spanish style cuisine, relaxing, upscale, affordable, unobtrusive, tasty and at a slow pace. Then, if the energy is there, a jaunt down Broadway for some nightlife. Then a cab back home again.
Day 3:
The next day, (hopefully a weekday) head out east to one of the great short hikes with either a great payoff (Rattlesnake Ridge) or an easier, more picnic friendly one (Twin Falls). Back into town for either a short nap at home or along one of the beautiful waterfront parks in West Seattle.

That's a 3 day schedule I'd like to be given upon my first trip to Seattle.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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we just did the north cascades hiway loop with a stop in winthrop.

Why hadn't i done this before?

I can't wait to go back on a sunny day when i can actually see the peaks.

Pibal...

would you buy it if i said all the fireworks have me addled ? ;-> i don't know what excuse i will use for the rest of the year.

i am sure that JanS told me the right name for the bay.. i muddled it:(
but.. we can agree that it is a great view from the Cliff House

SarahScoot...

what a wonderful surprise Brown Point was...
Your wedding day is memorable enough.. being married there must have really added to the romance factor.
i got married in my backyard.
i am jealous .. :)

Posted 1 year ago #