Home › Forums › WSB Reader Recommendations › Fave Places to take Out-of-Town Visitors
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
July 2, 2010 at 4:24 am #595403
inactiveMemberHello 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.
July 2, 2010 at 4:39 am #698157
CrystalizedGingerMemberWhat 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 :)
July 2, 2010 at 4:53 am #698158
CrystalizedGingerMemberOh, 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!
July 2, 2010 at 4:55 am #698159
QueMemberOlympic Sculpture Garden on a beautiful day.
Pink Door for dinner on the patio.
Hamilton Viewpoint at night.
July 2, 2010 at 5:12 am #698160
MousePotatoMemberMy 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)….
July 2, 2010 at 5:27 am #698161
celeste17ParticipantCity 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.
July 2, 2010 at 5:31 am #698162
Garden_nymphMemberI 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.
July 2, 2010 at 5:34 am #698163
celeste17ParticipantJuly 2, 2010 at 6:34 am #698164
pigeonmomParticipantArchie McPhee. They’ve moved again. They are back in their OLD neighborhood. 45th & Stone Way.
July 2, 2010 at 6:54 am #698165
HunterGParticipantoh and sol duc hot springs… love that place!!
July 2, 2010 at 3:38 pm #698166
CMPParticipantI 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.
July 2, 2010 at 4:19 pm #698167
mpentoParticipantI 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.
July 2, 2010 at 4:39 pm #698168
maplesyrupParticipantSightseeing: The aquarium, Bainbridge & Vashon Islands, Alki, hiking in the Cascades
Restaurants: The Brooklyn, Ipanema Grill, Sunfish
July 2, 2010 at 4:43 pm #698169
jwwsParticipantCrystal 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.
July 2, 2010 at 4:45 pm #698170
EmmyJaneParticipantThe 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.
July 2, 2010 at 4:45 pm #698171
KBearParticipantBack to the airport.
July 2, 2010 at 4:50 pm #698172
JustSarahParticipantHuh, UW campus is a good tourist spot? Never occurred to me to take people there.
July 2, 2010 at 5:10 pm #698173
austinMemberIf 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.
July 2, 2010 at 5:15 pm #698174
angelescrestParticipantA 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.
July 2, 2010 at 5:22 pm #698175
sam-cParticipantother 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.
July 2, 2010 at 5:42 pm #698176
metrognomeParticipantIf (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
July 2, 2010 at 5:54 pm #698177
celeste17ParticipantLocal Indian Casinos, Boeing Tour, LaConner, Northwest Trek, Hey Piason in Burien. Underground Tour, Mt. St. Helen’s, Mt. Rainier.
July 2, 2010 at 6:05 pm #698178
squareeyesParticipantThe Weyerehaeuser bonsai garden recently reopened. It’s very cool.
July 2, 2010 at 6:14 pm #698179
rockhillsMemberBelieve 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.
July 3, 2010 at 5:32 pm #698180
ws4everMemberStaying in Seattle this summer. Hoping to visit some of these places with local friends, wearing our tourist sunglasses of course!
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.