After our two-night stay in Whitefish, MT to visit Glacier National Park during an epic road trip west with my parents, we come to the end of the first leg of our journey at the cruise port of Seattle, Washington.
Drive to Seattle
To be honest, I don’t remember much from the drive from Whitefish to Seattle, other than that Montana seems to be made entirely of back roads. Once we hit I-90, it was smoother sailing. I remember feeling like the state lines of Montana, Idaho, and Washington must have been drawn according to geography because they seem so different from each other, almost as soon as you cross the state line.
And we didn’t do much of anything in Seattle once we got there. Let’s face it, we were tired! At this point, we had been on the road for nine days and the elderly parents certainly weren’t up for an evening out. We landed at our hotel, ate in the Indian restaurant in the parking lot, and called it a night.
Seattle Park & Cruise Hotels
Where we called it a night is the most important thing in this case. It used to be more common that you could find a hotel in Seattle that would let you leave your car at the hotel while you go on your cruise. This is less common now, but there are a few places left that can save you some money over parking at the cruise terminal plus a hotel room.
We stayed in the Hotel Nexus the night before our Alaskan cruise. For just under $250, we got one night’s stay, the permission to park our car there for 7 nights while we were gone, breakfast, and shuttle rides to and from the cruise port. Considering that parking for the week at the pier alone would have cost $196, this wasn’t too bad a deal.
The hotel isn’t the nicest we stayed in–when we went, it was basically a colorful overlay to an old motel, and it doesn’t look like it’s changed too much since. But the staff were helpful, breakfast was good (if a bit crowded) and the shuttle service was a huge help.
The biggest downside was that the return shuttle only picked up at that port twice. Once pretty early, and once mid-afternoon. In order to get back on the road after our cruise with enough time to make it to our next stop, we had to carry off all of our luggage ourselves, and that was a bit tough. We should have given ourselves an extra day in Seattle to disembark with more ease.
Seattle
Had we stuck around Seattle a bit more, there would have been plenty to see! At the time, I really wanted to see the Seattle Great Wheel on Pier 57.
I visited Seattle in 2008 when a friend of mine lived nearby. On that trip, I was able to see the iconic attractions: Pike Place Market, the first Starbucks, and the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum (now the MoPOP Museum of Pop Culture.) And of course, the Space Needle that defines the Seattle skyline.
Seattle Great Wheel
Newer to the Seattle waterfront is the Seattle Great Wheel, a giant Ferris wheel perched at the end of Pier 57. Each of the 42 gondolas accommodate up to eight people each, OR you can book the private VIP car with leather seats and a glass floor for $50 per person. Regular adult tickets cost $14, kids 3-11 cost $9, and seniors 65+ are $12.
Check out touristy Pier 57 while you’re there for shopping and dining and (of course) your ticket in front of the wheel. Even if you don’t ride, it’s worth taking a look at the LED light show in the evenings.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is the ultimate experience in local farmer’s markets. The upper levels showcase produce of all kinds, beautiful (and affordable!) flower bouquets, fresh fish and seafood and much, much more. I remember piles of different varieties of dates and being encouraged to try each before buying.
On the levels below is where you can really see the history of the 1907 building and find an eclectic array of shops and restaurants. There are even maps for visitors and guided walking tours for a deeper look.
The Original Starbucks
If you’re into coffee, you can check out the original home of Starbucks, right across the street from Pike Place Market. And it won’t look like every other Starbucks you’ve been in either! Due to its historic nature, they try to make it harken back to it’s original look (with a hipster vibe, of course.) That is, if you can see the store at all–when I went, it was wall-to-wall people. The entire store was a line. But hey, I can say I got a coffee at the original Starbucks! I had to do it once…
MoPop Museum of Pop Culture
When I went in 2008, this swimmy Gehry-designed museum was called the “Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.” Inside were exhibits on pop music, including an extended gallery on Seattle’s Grunge scene.
I loved most the audio history room, just a bank of computers with headphones where you can listen to short interviews with legendary musicians and science fiction writers. I could have stayed
The adjoining Science Fiction museum was an absolute hoot. Props from all sorts of old sci-fi TV shows and galleries on robots and jet packs…it was delightfully silly and wonderful. I loved it!
Now, the whole collection is the Museum of Pop
Walk-up tickets cost $28 and under (with discounts for children under 17, students, military, and seniors 65+.) Add in the Marvel exhibit for a total of $36 or less. Tickets bought in advance online are $2 less per ticket.
Space Needle
Built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Space Needle has been THE iconic attraction in Seattle for decades. I’m under the impression that it used to be primarily an overpriced rotating restaurant. But in 2018, it was remodeled for more open access to two floors of observation decks. There is still a cafe and a wine bar inside, but now it doesn’t sound like a requirement.
The most interesting addition is The Loupe, a rotating glass floor almost 600 feet over downtown Seattle. Or climb up the spiral Oculus staircase to a higher level with benches that lean out over the view.
Adult prices are $27.50-37.50, with slight discounts for seniors 65+ and children 12 and under.
Tickets vary in price depending on the date you visit and even the time of day. It seems that February is a generally a little cheaper than March, and Sundays and some Mondays are cheaper than the rest of the week. Earlier in the day (9-11) is cheaper than later. There is also a two-visit option for $57 where you can visit during the day and then again during the last three hours of operation on the same day.
CityPASS, Seattle Center 4-Pack, and Other Attractions
If you want to see several of Seattle’s most popular attractions, weigh the option of a CityPASS or Seattle Center 4-pack.
The CityPASS costs $89 for adults and includes the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, a harbor boat tour, the MoPOP OR the Woodland Park Zoo, and Chihuly Garden and Glass OR the Pacific Science Center. (5 attractions are included–you’ll have to choose one or the other of the last two sets.)
The Seattle Center 4-pack costs $78 and includes the Space Needle, the Chihuly Garden
Again, I have super glossed over the majority of what Seattle has to offer, let me know what your favorite places to visit in Seattle are and where I should go when I visit Seattle again!
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