Hi Everyone,I know that this isn't train related but having never been to Seattle We could use some advice from those of you that have. We will get to seattle on the EB on May 10th. We Will be there till the 11th, at which time we will be sailing off to Alaska. For 20 years I have dreamed of this trip. The EB, the cruise, who could ask for anything more? Anyway we will be staying at the Quality Inn about 2 blocks East of the Space Needle. I plan to take the monarail to down town. My husband can only walk so far, about two or three blocks and he has to rest for awhile. First, would it be far to walk down to the waterfront ? And if not where is a good seafood restaurant? I realize they are all over, but I want one someone knows something about. Also, has anyone of you stayed at this Quality Inn? If so what did you think of it? Thank you again. We really appreciate all your help.
Okay, first, the hotel. If this has been a trip you have been looking forward to for 20 years, I suggest not staying at a motel on Aurora Avenue. I have not stayed at the Quality Inn, but I live near it, and it doesn't look like much on the outside, and is not in a nice area -- it's not a dangerous area, but not nice, either. And, if you plan on taking the monorail, by the time you made the five (not two) block walk to the Seattle Center (i.e., north) terminus of the monorail, you could have walked most of the way downtown. (Not as prosaic as the monorail, but there are buses that stop right by that Quality Inn that will take you downtown, and have more than one stop there, too.)
The Quality Inn is also pretty far from the waterfront, for folks who can't walk long distances. And it is also at a much higher elevation than the waterfront, which might not be so bad going down, but coming back up would be a problem for you. But that's true of just about all of downtown -- you are going to climb a hill coming back from the waterfront.
You don't say which pier your ship will be leaving from, but I just looked at this year's sailing schedule and I am going to say you are on the Carnival Spirit sailing from Pier 91. If you were sailing from Pier 66, I would recommend you change your lodgings to
the Edgewater or
the waterfront Marriott, both of which are within walking distance of that pier. Heck, stay there anyway, even though it'll cost more than the Quality Inn -- it's a 20-year-dream trip, and you are only going to be staying there one night.
If you stay at one of those two hotels, it's worth knowing that there is
a free Metro bus that runs up and down the waterfront, and up into Chinatown. (Metro started this service to replace the waterfront streetcar that was removed because the city decided to rip out the car barn at the north end of the line and install a hideous "sculpture park." Don't get me started.)
Seriously, for the trip of a lifetime, stay someplace nicer than where you are booked. If the two I have suggested are too pricey, look into
the Mayflower Park, which has the advantage of being right near the southern terminus of both the monorail and the South Lake Union Streetcar -- you could still take a round trip on the monorail, just the other way around. Some other likely-looking hotels in that area are
the Westin,
the Andra,
the Hotel Max, and
the Warwick. Another option might be
the Residence Inn on Lake Union which has water views, only of fresh water instead of seawater, and is right on the South Lake Union Streetcar line to take you into downtown.
Okay, restaurants:
Ivar Haglund was the kind of wonderful civic character that every city should be lucky enough to have. He's been dead for almost 30 years, and lots of us remember him and miss him. That having been said, his seafood restaurants are just "good," not great. I eat at them, and enjoy it, but I don't go there for fine seafood. So, you can eat at
Ivar's Acres of Clams, and get a good meal from good people in an interesting location, but I don't think you will find it memorable.
My favorite seafood restaurants in Seattle are
The Brooklyn,
Ray's Boathouse,
Cutter's Bayhouse,
Anthony's Pier 66, and any of the local members of the McCormick & Schmick chain:
McCormick's Fish House,
McCormick & Schmick's, and
McCormick & Schmick's Harborside. I've never eaten the seafood at them, but
the Dahlia Lounge and
Etta's are also considered to be some of the best seafood places in town.
Of the restaurants I listed, all are downtown, with the exception of McCormick & Schmick's Harborside, which is on Lake Union, and Ray's Boathouse, which is out on Shilshole Bay (you will pass it coming into town on the Empire Builder, but from downtown you'd need a 15- or 20-minute cab ride to get back to it). Ray's has the best view, if that is important, followed by Anthony's Pier 66, Cutter's, and then McCormick & Schmick's Harborside.
Wherever you stay and wherever you eat, I hope you enjoy your trip and your brief visit to Seattle.
