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It took me no less than a day to fall in love with Seattle. The Emerald City is not only beautiful, it has character in its several interesting neighborhoods along with great food and music. A starting point to the Klondike Gold Rush, Seattle also has an intriguing history.
Where to Stay
The reason for my visit was to visit my friend Tim, who had invited us to stay for a week and visit the city and nearby national parks. We stayed at his apartment in Lower Queen Anne, therefore I have no hotel advice for you. The neighborhood is full of restaurants and close to Seattle Center and the Space Needle, which makes it easy to get into the downtown area.
Airport
Seattle is served by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also known as Sea-Tac. It serves over 80 domestic and over 20 international destinations. To get into the city from there, you can use the Link light rail.
Amtrak
Seattle is an important hub for Amtrak. You can head down the west coast to cities like Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight or east on the Empire Builder to Chicago. We took the latter on our way out. Trains leave from King Street Station.
Getting Around
Getting around town is fairly easy with Sound Transit. Much of the downtown area is walkable, and the Link can help get to areas further away. There’s also a decent bus system. You can buy an ORCA card for US$3 (as of January 2024) and fill it up with what you need to get around.
To get from downtown to Seattle Center, you can ride the monorail. It costs US$3.50 for an adult one-way fare (as of January 2024). There are only two stations – Seattle Center and Westlake Center – and it only takes about two minutes to ride between them. Monorails leave every 10 minutes. You can check the official website for operation times.
Sports
Seattle is a great sports city. You can find the Seahawks (NFL football) and Sounders (MLS soccer) at Lumen Field, and the Mariners (MLB baseball) at T-Mobile Park. Climate Pledge Arena (formerly Key Arena) hosts the WNBA’s Storm and NHL’s Kraken. You’ll also find concerts and other events at these stadiums.
The Huskies of the University of Washington play several different sports. College football is played at Husky Stadium and men’s and women’s basketball at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
Stay Dry!
Be prepared for rain. It wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be, but it was wet and gloomy during most of my trip to the city. The rain that falls is more gentle and misty than big storms.
