Alaska News

Scott McMurren: The essential Seattle guide

Going to Seattle? Alaska travelers often pass through the Emerald City. Sometimes it's just to change planes. But often there are friends to visit, a game to see or a great concert that draws us south.

Since Seattle is our closest "big city" and air hub, many Alaskans have a routine when they visit: where they stay, whom they visit, where they shop.

Don't miss the essentials, though. My first trip to Seattle was to see the World's Fair in 1962. That's when I got my first million-dollar view from the Space Needle. It's still at the top of my list, but there's a lot more!

1. The Chihuly Garden: World-famous glassmaker Dale Chihuly built a new exhibit at the base of the Space Needle. Don't miss it. The incredible workmanship and wild colors will take your breath away. There are a half-dozen galleries inside the exhibit where Chihuly has fashioned incredible glassworks into flowers, bowls, sea creatures and stuff only a real artist could imagine! Then there's a glass house where special works hang from the ceiling and you can see the Space Needle in the background. Finally, there are glassworks in the garden outside. Don't miss it. It costs $37.50 to see both the Space Needle and the Chihuly Exhibit.

2. The Olympic Sculpture Park: If you walk straight down from the Space Needle to the water, you'll stumble on the sculpture park, which is part of the Seattle Art Museum. Of course, the museum itself (on First Avenue by the Pike Place Market) is worth visiting, especially if it's raining. But the sculpture park is free and it affords great views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains on the far side. There are sculptures by world-famous artists like Alexander Calder. There's also a display of a "nurse log" so visitors can see a piece of the rain forest up close. Also, there is a "pocket beach" on the water where you an see an occasional harbor seal frolicking.

If you really want to drill down on the top attractions, stop in to the Visit Seattle booth at the Washington State Convention Center. There, my favorite "Seattle Maven" Ann Peavey will give you the latest information on the Seattle Aquarium, the Woodland Park Zoo or the Pike Place Market. Ann is a great resource!

Getting there

After you arrive at the airport, you're free to rent a car. Or you can take the light rail into town. From the airport to Westlake Center in downtown Seattle, the cost is $2.75 each way and it takes about 40 minutes.

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It's possible to ride the bus around the downtown area without a car.

To get to the south shore of Lake Union, take the South Lake Union Streetcar. The station is about two blocks from Westlake Center and it goes down Westlake Avenue. There is lots of construction in this area, but lots of great restaurants (Portage Bay, Flying Fish) are popping up in this neighborhood.

Lake Union also is the home of Kenmore Air's fleet of floatplanes. You can take off from here for the San Juan Islands or Victoria. But you also can get a great air tour around Seattle for about 20 minutes ($99).

If you want to see the skyline from a different view, take a one-hour harbor cruise from Argosy Cruises. There are several cruises from which to choose, including a cruise that goes through the locks at Lake Union. It leaves from the waterfront at Pier 55 and sails to South Lake Union.

Pike Place Market

You could spend your whole vacation exploring Pike Place Market: the fresh seafood, the produce and all the homespun goodies. I like to start at the south end at Pike Place Brewing Company. Charlie and Roseanne Finkel have put together quite an operation, featuring some delicious craft beers in a fun setting.

For a more comprehensive view of the market, consider a walking food tour from Seattle Food Tours. There's a stop at DeLaurenti's grocery store, the Crumpet Shop, the Pure Food Fish Market and a couple of other taste-and-see attractions. You'll learn about the history of the market, as well as a few insider secrets.

Coffee

Seattle is home to Starbucks, and the giant chain is trying a new approach to artisan coffee, called the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room. But in Seattle, Starbucks is just one of a handful of awesome coffee roasters. My favorite? Top Pot Doughnuts, in the shadow of the monorail on Fifth Avenue. Sure, the coffee's great. But the doughnuts are worth the trip. Just leave an apple fritter for me, please!

Chocolate

There are many chocolatiers in Seattle, including Fran's Chocolates inside the Four Seasons Hotel near the Pike Place Market. But my favorite is Theo Chocolates. It's located in the old Red Hook Brewery over in Fremont. Not only do they have a great showroom where you can taste all their truffles and specialty bars, you can also go on a tour of the factory. This is a great trip and it's just $10. The tasting is just part of the fun!

Breakfast

Check out Tulio, in the Hotel Vintage. Located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Spring Street, Tulio does a great job with omelets and its house-made pork fennel sausage. The Hotel Vintage is run by Kimpton, which also operates the Hotel Monaco and the Alexis Hotel. I've had a delicious breakfast at each of these hotels as well, which are all within about five blocks in the downtown core.

Lunch

You cannot go wrong with any of the Tom Douglas restaurants, including Lola (inside the Hotel Andra) or Serious Pie -- as in pizza. At Lola, try the lamb burger. At Serious Pie (326 Virginia St.), I recommend the pizza with sweet fennel sausage, roasted peppers and provolone cheese. Yum!

Dinner

Fear not. You cannot go hungry in Seattle. If you want a sampling, check out the Seattle Food Tour of Belltown. It's like a rolling feast, with oysters from Local 360. Then there is an artisan cocktail from Rob Roy and a taste from the sushi masters at Shiro.

One of my favorites near Pike Place Market is the Steelhead Diner. Everyone has their own favorites, but I love the black cod.

Aviation geeks

They don't call Seattle Jet City for nothing. Check out the Museum of Flight near Boeing Field, between downtown and Sea-Tac airport. You'll see historic warbirds from World War I and World War II and the historic "Red Barn," where Boeing designed its first airplanes. There's an SR-71 "Blackbird" on display, as well as the Boeing 707 Air Force One, the Concorde and one of the first 747s.

Fast-forward to today's bustling aviation industry. Take a Boeing factory tour at the Future of Flight Aviation Center in Everett. It takes a half-hour to drive out to Paine Field, but it's worth it to see the largest building in the world, where they assemble the 767s and 777s.

Also at Paine Field is the Flying Heritage Collection. Owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the museum features warbirds that are in flying condition. You'll see German planes, Russian planes, Japanese planes and all manner of warbirds.

Spend the night

There is an eclectic collection of hotels in and around Seattle. Check with Visit Seattle for an entire list that you can sort for price range and location. Kimpton Hotels (which operates the Hotel Vintage, the Hotel Monaco and the Alexis Hotel) is running an Alaska resident special. Go to the Kimpton Hotel site and use ALASKA for the rate code to get a 20 percent discount on the best available rates. The Alaska resident rate special includes free valet parking and two cocktails in the hotel bar. Be prepared to show your ID at check-in.

Beat the sales tax

Speaking of showing your ID, be sure and take it shopping with you, since you can avoid the hefty sales tax.

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If you're traveling to Seattle for the holidays, check out the video of the "Christmas Ship" operated by Argosy Cruises and listen to the podcast of my interview with Seattle insider Pam Mandel.

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant. Contact him via his travel blog at alaskatravelgram.com.

Scott McMurren

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. Subscribe to his e-newsletter at alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.

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