Just Booked Next Year's Adventure - What to do in SEA on layover

Booked my great adventure for next year. CHI to PDX on #27. Arrive in PDX on Sunday, and D4 and I are spending it there until we depart on Friday AM.

We're taking the Cascades to SEA, and we'll have a 4 hour layover there before #8 takes us home, arriving on Sunday afternoon (I hope!).

All of it (other than the Cascades) in a Bedroom. Already excited.

So, what's to do in Seattle for four hours? Sights? Restaurants?

Also, we're Business Class on 506. What perks does that give us?

Nice trip George, we're envious!

4 hours isn't really much time in SEA, I say perhaps head to one of the Great Seafood Restaurants ( Charlie Hamilton is our go to guy for Seattle) for Lunch, perhaps a quick look around the Pike Market and walk back to King Street Station through Pioneer Square!

If its one of those takes your breath away clear, sunny days that Seattle occasionally has, if y'all haven't been in the Space Needle, I'd say hop a cab, lite rail or bus to and ride the elevator to the cafe, have lunch ( like all tourist sites it's mediocre and overpriced but the view is the thing!), them take the Mono-Rail downtown and either the lite rail, bus or a cab back to King Street Station.

(You could skip lunch in the Needle, just visit the observation deck, and eat in one of the joints around the Seafront or Pike Market as first mentioned)

Other thought is to visit the International District and have lunch ( nee Chinatown) across the tracks from King Street Station, (it surrounds the old Union Station, very nicely restored as an office building by Paul Allen and the lite rail stop is below it)!

George K,

You must have meant Cascades #500 and not #506, which arrives SEA at 4:05PM. The #8 departs at 4:40PM. Anyway, what time of year are you traveling? You might consider just walking up to Coleman Dock and boarding a ferry boat to Bainbridge Island, where I live, or to Bremerton. You could get off upon arrival, and return on the same boat, kill an hour or three, and have a nice cruise! What are you planning to do with your luggage?

Ronbo said:

George K,

You must have meant Cascades #500 and not #506, which arrives SEA at 4:05PM.

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Yes, of course.

That's funny! Having a Senior moment, are we Captain? Been there, done that!

Hey! I'm retiring in October. I'm entitled to repeat myself (post edited, of course, take no prisoners leave no evidence).

Can I stow my luggage at King Station for a few hours?

George K said:

Hey! I'm retiring in October. I'm entitled to repeat myself (post edited, of course, take no prisoners leave no evidence).

Can I stow my luggage at King Station for a few hours?

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Yep, the luggage check room will hold them for the standard charge of $4 a day per bag! ( though some agents don't charge it and others only charge $4 per all bags)

George K said:

Booked my great adventure for next year. CHI to PDX on #27. Arrive in PDX on Sunday, and D4 and I are spending it there until we depart on Friday AM.

We're taking the Cascades to SEA, and we'll have a 4 hour layover there before #8 takes us home, arriving on Sunday afternoon (I hope!).

All of it (other than the Cascades) in a Bedroom. Already excited.

So, what's to do in Seattle for four hours? Sights? Restaurants?

Also, we're Business Class on 506. What perks does that give us?

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I just got back two weeks ago.

Here are the photos from the Cascade's Business Class portion: https://www.flickr.com/photos/115569327@N08/sets/72157653378317772

Here are pictures from Seattle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/115569327@N08/albums/72157652976080789/page3

Business Class on the Cascades, you get a 3 dollar coupon for you to use in the cafe. That is enough and some change for a beverage.

When you get to King Street station, I would take Uber to Pikes Place Market. Plenty to eat and see around there. I say Uber, because while Uber charged us a little over 6 dollars, the cabs will pull the "Special Rate" for station crap and charge you 20 on way.

I can just about guarantee you'll go crazy trying to decide what to do with a mere 4 (or 3) hours in Seattle. I've visited my Sons there several times over the years for a total of maybe 8 days and have seen quite a few things, but they were my tour guides. Were I in your shoes, my first goal would be to insure I don't miss the train home. With that in mind - and knowing how time flies - I'd select one single thing to explore in Seattle. Which one? I can't say, not knowing your interests. You can pick one suggested here or take a look at what's available by using Trip Advisor. After entering "Seattle WA" and selecting "Things To Do", clicking on the map to enlarge it will let you scroll around to King Street Station and what's within a reasonable distance. Plan wisely - time is your enemy.

Lotsa luck!

niemi24s said:

Were I in your shoes, my first goal would be to insure I don't miss the train home.

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YARLY!

I'm thinking just a ride to the top of the needle and lunch somewhere would be more than enough for that layover.

Head right downtown and ride the monorail- it will be the most exciting 4 minutes of your life. Then head back to Chinatown and look arounf. I still miss the Hawaiian seaweed from Uwajimaya supermarket. Sadly the city did away with the waterfront streetcar years ago.

If you're into sports you might be able to get a tour of either Century Link Field (home of the Seahawks) or Safeco Field (Home of the Mariners.) Both are within walking distance of King Street station.

Four hours isn't much. Getting from King Street to Westlake in the tunnel and up to the monorail, and then up the needle and back -- I'd be sweating making my train -- depending on the time of day and the season -- better have the local schedules and wait times well in hand.

The ID and the waterfront on Elliot Bay - better - but the waterfront is somewhat hadicapped by the problematic big dig and a few other problems.

Was near there 3 weeks ago, but my son said - naah - skip the hassle - better food in Ballard. But you won't have time for Ballard.

The Pike Place Market or the ID -- real good.

Hope some locals post here -- hehe you know who you are -- help please.

NW cannonball said:

Hope some locals post here -- hehe you know who you are -- help please.

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There's a seattle thread in What to See with some good info . . .

I would definitely recommend taking the ferry across & back if you had more time.

With the time you have, you can leave your bags at the station and walk down to Pikes Place and explore the market. Two of our favorites are Piroshky, Piroshky & Three girls bakery. Take a cab back it's less than $10.00 including tip.

Our daughter lived there for 8 years and we were lucky enough to be able to visit once a year. She moved back just before the huge delays the Empire Builder was having. Enjoy your visit and next time stay longer.

As much as I want to recommend taking the monorail to the Space Needle, I'd be concerned about crowds and time. We went on a Tuesday night in early March, and we still had to wait about 10-15 minutes to board the monorail and another 20 minutes to go to the top of the Space Needle.

If you really want to see the Space Needle, I'd use Uber to get there. I think you can buy tickets in advance too. That will allow more time at the top instead of worrying about rushing back down.

I'm one of those people who worries about time, to the point I'm always early wherever I go, so I'd probably head up to Pike Place Market and wander around during the layover. There's plenty to see there, and you can get some tasty food for your trip.

Hmm.... at this moment we're in the lounge in CHI waiting to board 27 for this exact trip. So much for our "original idea".

I agree with the "four hours isn't much". We were burned on a similar layover many years ago when we lost track of time and missed the train. So we won't be attempting the Space Needle nor monorail. However, the tip about Pike Place Market is greatly appreciated and we will plan our walking (and lunch!) accordingly.

I really loved Pike Place Market. You won't regret it. There are so many merchants to visit, and the fresh fruit is wonderful. I ate some raspberries while walking around.

If you want to see something weird but fun, go downstairs and check out the Gum Wall.

You'll be close to the waterfront too, so you'll be able to see Mount Rainier (if it isn't super cloudy) and Puget Sound.

I would chime in my vote for Pike Place Market too. You can spend a good portion of that 4 hours just wandering around there. There are many, many eateries in that area. My personal favorite is Lowell's, located right inside the market itself. I'm not the only one to share that opinion, though; I met my sister and niece there for lunch and we had to wait for a table. Whatever you do, enjoy!

From what I remember we walked to downtown along the water from the train station.

I live here, I'd recommend the Pike Place Market. The main arcade will be crowded but on a Friday it won't be quite as bad as on a summer weekend, when it gets so crowded you literally cannot move. There are also numerous other buildings that most tourists don't ever get into, as well as the "Down Under", there are 4 or 5 levels underneath the main arcade, the Market, like the rest of that part of downtown, is on the top of a bluff.

Pike Place Market is a longish (and uphill) walk from King Street Station. If you are going to do it, I'd take Uber or a cab.

June weather is usually pretty good, it is this year. At worst you'll get overcast and some drizzle, but usually not even that. Of course, here you can't really count on summer kicking in until 4th of July.

I don't think the Space Needle is practical in your timeframe. There are lines and it isn't very close to King Street.