Bringing a little bit of South Dakota to Seattle!
by JWAY on Mar 7, 2011 3:00 PM PST
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PrintSo my wife has recently approved my vacation proposal for going out to visit Seattle. We're planning on going in mid-August so we can catch a Sounders and Mariners home game, and then check out the rest of Seattle that we can. While we got some friends who recently moved out there, they'r rather new and don't have a whole lot of suggestion. So I'll come to you guys.
What do you recommend we do and why? Looking for entertainment, restaurants, pubs/bars/clubs, and basically anything that can beat South Dakota culture.
For those who have no idea what South Dakota is, or what its culture may be here is my list:
- Cows
- Wanna-be Cowboys in bars.
- Country Music
- Rodeos
- Native American art (sometimes really good, but not often)
- Gravel roads
- Farms
- and much much more...ehh
P.S. My wife and I are not farmers, cow ranchers, cowboys, rodeo fans, country music lovers, and we really hate gravel roads. But we love to see art, have fun, watch the Sounders, drink wine, good music, animals, etc.
Thanks!
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Where are you from in South Dakota?
I grew up in Aberdeen and moved to Seattle 10 years ago.
There are 3 classes of areas you should explore while here:
1. Water
2. Mountains
3. The City
Here is a short list. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but a starting point.
Water:
- Take the ferry to Bainbridge Island and have lunch on the deck at the Harbour Public House.
- Rent a kayak or electric boat on Lake Union.
- Stroll Alki Beach or a sunset at Golden Gardens Beach.
- Long day trip to the San Juan Islands
Mountains:
Drive to Winthrop and take in the beauty.
Drive up to Paradise on Mt Rainier.
Drive to Artist Point up near Mt Baker.
See the destruction of Mt St Helens.
City:
Underground tour.
Walk around Fairview Ave on Eastlake and look at the houseboats. (respectfully)
Go see the Locks.
Skip the needle and take in the view from either Kerry Park (Queen Anne) or Smith Tower (Pioneer Square).
I am from Sioux Falls, currently working for USD in Vermillion
Awesome suggestions, however we are not getting a car, so we hope to stay mostly in the city, so the mountains are out.
Thanks!
Unofficial Sounder Fan Club President - South Dakota Division
You can do Bainbridge tho
The ferry ride alone is worth the trip and the food at Harbour Public House is pretty affordable and good.
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by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 7, 2011 7:56 PM PST up reply actions
I liked your list of cultural highlights
But you don’t need to sell South Dakota so short. LOL. If you’re going for the stereotypes, you missed the jackalopes, Wall Drug and mosquitoes…
Shoot me an email and I’ll connect you with a lot of different options.
Your neighbor from Yankton…
Since I'm now working for the Coyotes, the team up North and the animal associated with them are unnamed..
Wall Drug is silly, and well the mosquitoes… They’re much larger than you remember…So much bigger.. ::shudder::
Unofficial Sounder Fan Club President - South Dakota Division
Ride Free Area
If you don’t have a car and cool with buses, it would be worth it to note that downtown as a Free Ride Area from 6am-7pm daily.
Space Needle Alternatives
Another alternative to the Space Needle is the Columbia Center Observation Deck which is the tallest tower in downtown. Just note that the observation deck closes at 4:30pm.
Most people make suggestions to alternatives because it’s not really worth the $18 to go up on the needle. But you can ride up to the Space Needle Restaurant for free; then have a few drinks, maybe dessert, and then walk up a flight of stairs to the observation deck. (or did they close that loophole somehow?)
Depending on when you are in town...
August is a busy time of the year for Seattle:
Seafair is in full effect the first two weeks of August.
First Thursday Art Walk is on 8/4. (all the galleries are open for free and lots of interesting things to see)
touristy path:
pike place market will have buskers, artsy stuff and although it will be crowded it is a place not to miss.
underground tour in Pioneer Sq
Off the touristy path:
There are sailboat races you can watch from the shore of Lake Union every Tuesday night. Definitely take a ferry boat ride (walking on or rent a bike if you are into a little greater exploring once on Bainbridge). Alki and Golden Gardens are going to be tricky to get to without a car but you could look into taking a passenger ferry from downtown to Alki it is 7 bucks roundtrip and a fun little ride in itself.
Lots of places to get great fish and seafood. Make a point of eating some salmon and clams while you are in town and the dungeness crab from Alaska is always great.
Nos audietis in somniis
Nos audietis in altum
Outsourcing my advice
This old thread on Lookout Landing can lead you to some good places. (There’s also some Portland advice you can ignore.)
I definitely recommend Pike Place. I’m not sure where the best place to drink wine is (you probably don’t want to bus it out to Woodinville), but there’s lots of good drinking establishments.
I also really like the arboretum. It’s neat to walk around nature, then get to see the floating bridge freeway.
Walk around Greenlake
Rent a paddle boat or canoe or whatever else. Then have lunch/dinner at Duke’s. There are also many bars around Greenlake you can goto after dinner.
Walk around downtown
See a show at the Showbox (best venue ever!)
See a show at Neumo’s (best small venue ever!)
In the Pacific Place mall, there’s a really good wine bar. Probably several others around as well
For a nice dinner out goto The Melting Pot
Check out Pike Place Market of course
That’s all I can really think of right now…
Showbox @ the Market
Avoid Showbox SODO at all costs
by Bobby Young on Mar 11, 2011 10:05 AM PST up reply actions
Dinner Shows
I was gonna compile a list myself, but then found out that somebody already has the same list of Dinner Shows in Seattle. These are all places where you can eat, and catch some live performances.
Not listed on that website are a couple dueling piano bars: 88 Keys is near Qwest Field, and Chopstix is near the Space Needle.
Triple Door
If you can catch a show at the triple door. amazing intimate theater with food and drink service. Acoustics are phenomenal. You will not be disappointed.
by Bobby Young on Mar 11, 2011 10:15 AM PST up reply actions
Moroccan Cuisine & Belly Dancers
Marrakesh serves Moroccan food in Belltown, and there are belly dancers. I’d double-check with the restaurant when the dancers are there (I think it’s only Fridays and Saturdays).
Restaurant recommendations
Near the market:
- Zoe (2nd & Blanchard)
- Chez Shea (above the market - a good place for a romantic dinner) Etta’s (Western Ave
- my favorite of Tom Douglas’ restaurants) Cafe Campagne (Post Alley — good brunch)
On Capitol Hill:
- Cascina Spinasse (14th & Pine) or Osteria La Spiga (12th & Pike)
- Sitka & Spruce (Melrose)
- Quinn’s (Pike & 10th) or Smith (15th) for a gastro pub experience
For the obligatory seafood meal, Elliott’s is the most expensive but probably also the best high-end seafood restaurant near downtown; also worth considering are Anthony’s (also near downtown) and, if you make it up to Ballard, Ray’s Boathouse.
I’m sure others will have suggestions in this area as well.
Thank you all for the great suggestions!
Keep them coming, this makes my planning much easier!
Unofficial Sounder Fan Club President - South Dakota Division
Some other food options
Below are some other food options. I’m guessing it’s probably hard to get food in SD that’s not your usual steak and fries. All are reasonably priced and acessible by cab or bus from downtown.
Smith’s: One of my favorite bistro pubs (and it has an extensive beer selection).
Kabul: A nice little restaurant in the U-district with good Afghani Food. Great Kebabs and rice.
Tamarind Tree: This International District restaurant has a huge selection of Vietnamese food.
Annapurna Cafe: Good Indian/Nepalese food in Capital Hill
Queen Sheba: Great Ethopian food. The best dish is definately the Asa Tibs. It’s definitely not for everyone as it’s spicy and you don’t get forks.
A suggestion...
Either buy tickets to a seahawks preseason game or put off the whole trip for a month and get a regular season match. Then you could do all three sports. Frankly, the Hawks would probably be more fun than the Mariners, and as some Saints fans told me after the playoff game a few months ago, Qwest Field on Sunday is a “life-changing experience”.
Quest gets loud for Hawks games
It’s amazing how loud Quest gets when it’s fully packed. I can’t wait until the Sounders can fill the whole stadium for regular season games.
by Dizzo on Mar 9, 2011 11:48 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Heres to
The Sounders causing an earthquake of their own
by Little old me on Mar 10, 2011 12:08 AM PST up reply actions
Not really interested in the Seahawks.. And my wife is a teacher.
So dates are stuck.
Unofficial Sounder Fan Club President - South Dakota Division
Might be really hard to see a Seahawks game this year
Since there may not be a season for the NFL
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Do you like Chinese food?
The International District has some great places. I particularly like Hing Loon and Seven Stars Pepper Schezuan. Both are pre-match traditions for my group of firends. Also some great Vietnamese places around there.
+1 to Seven Stars Pepper Schezuan
I had hot pot there the other day and it was divine
by Bobby Young on Mar 11, 2011 10:09 AM PST up reply actions
depending on how much you want to see
You can save a little money with a city pass: http://www.citypass.com/seattle
(Hint: the aquarium is ho-hum, but the museum of flight is really cool)
Into Art, while downtown the SAM may be worth an evening: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/
Into music, if you like Jazz, this is one of the best places for it you’ll find anywhere: http://www.jazzalley.com/
some other music things to watch for
Zoo Tunes: http://www.zoo.org/zootunes
Chateau Ste Michelle Summer Concert Series: http://www.ste-michelle.com/events/concerts (this is a little out of town in Woodinville)
Although...
… if you and your wife enjoy drinking wine, the schlep out to Woodinville might be worth it. There are a number of small wineries (and one large one — Chateau Ste. Michelle) with tasting rooms in and around the area.
by Kenneth Jung on Mar 11, 2011 12:41 PM PST up reply actions
Would love to do that..
Probably not this time though, thanks!
Unofficial Sounder Fan Club President - South Dakota Division
Parks
Here’s a list of parks around downtown if looking for a free place to chillax and enjoy the sun, or perhaps you want to pretend you’re not in the city anymore:
Waterfall Garden in Pioneer Square is a small lil space with a cool looking water feature.
Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill always crowded and fun if you like to people watch. Also has a water feature.
Freeway Park is right behind the Convention Center. I usually like to walk through this area when crossing the freeway. Anybody know if they turned the water back on with the water feature here?
Olympic Sculpture Park is near the Space Needle, and not only do you get an awesome view of the Sound, but also some cool looking sculptures there.
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