that's so kool tennisgal! which part of California will you be visiting? make sure to visit the beaches...
Greetings from the road! We've been travelling the entire state down the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping at many beaches and breathtaking views of the California coast. Hopefully these pictures will get me through a couple of years in Iowa.
Currently, we are in LA to visit Hollywood (we have to do
some touristy stuff) and then it's down to San Diego, back up to Disneyland, through Yosemite, and we'll slowly begin working our way back to Seattle. Ah... I love vacation.
I'm not from Seattle or Washington but my gf and I are going their for vacation before school starts. We'll be there mid-July. Any suggestions on great places to eat and sites to see? We'll be there for 4 days so any suggestions would be appreciated.
You should really visit Pike Place, and not just the top floor! There are many lower floors with some really fun shops/sights that give Pike Place its flavor. (Watch out for the world-famous flying fish!) The shops across from Pike Place are also a lot of fun (my favorite is the map store) and the first Starbucks is also at Pike Place. Lots of history there. Other suggestions (not in order):
1) Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe on the waterfront, in fact, just walk the waterfront! There are tons of restaurants/fun little places to poke in and out of. While you're there, eat at Ivar's fish bar, a Seattle classic. Also, walk on/ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island/Winslow if you have the time. At the north end of the waterfront is the new Sculpture Park, with some awesome views of Puget Sound/city skyline if you have the time to visit.
2) Alki beach (the one made famous by Sleepless in Seattle) - it is in West Seattle. You'll have stunning views of the city skyline, can rent skates/bikes (or walk) if you want to travel up & down it, and there are a ton of little galleries and cheaper waterfront restaurants to visit.
3) Seattle Center/Space Needle... If you want to ride up the Space Needle it does offer some amazing views of the city, but it is a little expensive. A nice alternative is to visit the parks on Queen Anne Hill and get the view from there (much cheaper, plus you can visit the fun/quaint shops). Fun things to do at Seattle Center: Experience Music Project (the weird-ass looking building built as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, it's supposed to be a drum set and instruments covered with drapes, but I can't see it), the Pacific Science Center (they have an amazing IMAX theater there that often plays blockbusters as well as typical IMAX movies), the Science Fiction Museum, the Fountain. (The Seattle Center House has a ton of food options if you want to grab something and go.)
4) The Seattle Art Museum just reopened (AKA SAM), I haven't been yet but my friends say it is pretty cool. If you continue south on 1st avenue you'll eventually run into Pioneer Square. If you want to do any touristy things, this is probably where you'll start. The Ducks go by here (tour buses that travel on land & by water), and it is also the home of the Underground Tour, which literally gives you an underground look at old Seattle (and is usually pretty funny!).
5) For animal lovers, the Woodland Park Zoo is a great place to visit. (It is in Fremont/Wallingford, at the north end of the city along higway 99. It's only ~6-7 blocks from my apartment!) If you are in this area and want to see a place made famous by the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You", visit Gas Works park. It also offers great views of downtown Seattle.
6) If you are at all interested in a great walking/running/hang out place, definitely visit Greenlake. This is a local hot spot and full of great restaurants (I mean it, you can't really pick a bad restaurant here! My favorite it the Green Lake Grill.). Take a walk around the lake at sunset, trust me, you won't be disappointed. I LOVE running there. It is a place you can escape the city for a while. You can also rent skates/kayaks here if you wish.
7) For a quirky experience, visit University Ave in the University District. (There are a ton of random shops there and some cheap/fun places to eat, it's a college area, enough said) or Capitol Hill (same thing, less college).
8) If you are interested in getting out on the water, you can go to UW stadium and rent kayaks to explore Lake Washington surrounding the campus. My family & I used to do this all of the time when I was a little kid. Consequently, if you are interested in seeing lots and lots of boats, visit Golden Gardens Park/Shilshole Marina and the Locks in Ballard.
9) If you are interested in a great hike that gives you some stunning views of Puget Sound, visit Discovery Park in Magnolia. (Bring some sandals, you can go out on the beaches there at low tide!)
10) South Lake Union is another up and coming area with a ton of restaurants and great views of the lake/boats/sea planes taking off and landing. Some of my favorite restaurants in this area are: Duke's Chowderhouse, McCormick and Schmidts (GREAT happy hour), the Blue Water Bistro.
11) Finally, if you want to see a flick or take it easy for a while, the Westlake Mall/Pacific Place area of downtown offers a lot of shopping and a ton of restaurants to anyone's taste. I honestly don't have a favorite.
OK, I need to stop. (As you can tell, I could go on forever.) I know you can't do all of this in 4 days, but you should pick and choose what most interests you. Let me know if you want any other info!
(Can anyone tell I'm not ready to leave the West Coast yet?
)
so, i really know what GOOD pho is...restaurant pho will never be as good as my mom's...
