Seattle in December.....advice?

[Jloreli]

I just found out I will be in Seattle in early December for a professional conference....Yay! I've never been (or flown but that's another post) and live almost as far across the country as you can get.

What are the in-expensive, local, fun, delicious, interesting things not to be missed in the evenings? I believe we get set free at 5:00 each evening. Ooo and I don't know where they are booking us to stay yet so I can't give you neighborhood to work with.

On the other end of the spectrum what are the things that I needed waste my limited time with? (just there for 3 days)

[Kestrels Nemesis]

Bring your rain boots and raincoat!    Don't bother with an umbrella....its the mark of tourist 

Be sure to check out Pike Place Market.  It's our local year round farmers market.  I am partial to ferry rides myself, so a quick trip over to Bainbridge Island to wander around Winslow is always nice.

If you are a skier you can head up to the mountain passes just an hour or so East of the city and get in a few runs, depending on the weather.

Personally, I think the Space Needle is a waste of money.  If the weather is crummy, which it most likely will be in December, you can't see much, and it's a pretty expensive ride to the top.

If you are into back to nature type things the Seattle Aquarium is nice (though not terribly cheap)  You will get a true taste of PNW aquatic life.  It is right on the waterfront near the ferries.

Ivar's clam chowder is a mainstay for Seattlites, if you are into coffee, the original Starbucks is located in the Pike Market area.

[trailgrrl]

Take the bus to Funky Fremont http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont,_Seattle (ftp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont,_Seattle). See the Troll, See the statue of Lenin, have dinner at Jai Thai (mmmmmjaithaimmmmm).

I agree, the Space Needle is like 25 bucks now and with the weather rolling you won't be able to see a thing. Also avoid the Duck Tour.    I do recommend the Underground Seattle Tour http://www.undergroundtour.com/ (ftp://www.undergroundtour.com/) And Experience Music Project http://www.empsfm.org/ (ftp://www.empsfm.org/)

and of course The Pike Place Market

Metro is pretty easy to get around on
http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/cgi-bin/itin_page.pl?resptype=U (ftp://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/cgi-bin/itin_page.pl?resptype=U)

In December they will have the Carousel set up in Westlake in the center of Downtown and it is very pretty at night.  Which will be at about 4:30 PM in December.

PM me if you have any questions

Trailgrrl

[Sirius]

I'm in the Portland area, and practically everyone here carries an umbrella during the rainy season.  I've even seen people in the outfits of various ethnic groups carrying umbrellas, so I don't entirely agree that an umbrella makes a person look like a tourist.

[GratefulMaria]

Used bookstores!  I try to find one anywhere I visit.  http://recollectionbooks.com/seattle.html for starters, Google for more.

DS1 visited a few years ago and loved the troll and Lenin!  Is Lenin still for sale?

[Wulfie]

It may be that way in Portland but it is true that in Seattle only tourists carry umbrellas.

If you get a chance and want a fun tour, take the Ride The Duck. I have never laughed so much in my life!

Pike Place Market is a must. If you like ghost stories, take the Ghost Tour of the Market, it is in the evening so the place is starting to shut down for the night. Very fun and a bit creepy. The market will also be decorated for the holidays.

I agree to save your money on the Space Needle, it is overhyped. If you want a great view of the town, go to the Columbia Tower observation level.

The Underground Tour is a bit overhyped as well. You don't really see much other than tunnels and dusty basements. The stories are fun and if you take the Over 21 tour it includes a drink in the bar afterwards.

PM me if you want to meet up while you are here, I live by the airport so if you end up at one of the hotels out there (which is pretty common for training) I am not far away.

[sevenday]

I live a couple hours south of Seattle.  I agree with many of the above comments. In December, the Needle won't be worth the $$ to the top.  Try the Columbia -oh someone beat me to that too.  I skipped the Underground Tour- it really depends on who you have as your tour guide, it seems.  Skip the umbrella, do wear a nice thick jacket and water-resistant shoes.  Pike Place market is fun any time of the year, but it can get hot and stuffy in there at times, so keep that in mind.  The Seattle Science Center can be a fun way to waste a few hours- they close at 5 pm, but the King Tut exhibit is there right now and their final entry is at 7 pm.  The IMAX theater there also has some shows after 5 pm.  I second the suggestion to try Ivar's. Some of them now have the Coke Freestyle machines.   The Duck tour, I've heard, is fun - not sure if it would be too cold/damp in winter. 

[Shoo]

Bring your rain boots and raincoat!    Don't bother with an umbrella....its the mark of tourist 

Not true.  I am born and raised in the PNW and I (and everyone I know) carries an umbrella when it's raining.  That's one of the myths "locals" like to spread about this area.    I have lived in or around Seattle for a long time.

[sevenday]

The main reason I say skip the umbrella is this: everyone else will have one, so you can take advantage. That, and they're annoying and easy to lose - plus if it gets really windy down the "wind tunnels" of certain streets in the city, it'll be more or less useless.  While we're discussing legends, Shoo-  don't forget the one about Seattleites all having webbed feet!

[kareng57]

Bring your rain boots and raincoat!    Don't bother with an umbrella....its the mark of tourist 

Not true.  I am born and raised in the PNW and I (and everyone I know) carries an umbrella when it's raining.  That's one of the myths "locals" like to spread about this area.    I have lived in or around Seattle for a long time.

I too am in a rainy city near the PNW - and almost every pedestrian carries an umbrella on rainy or uncertain days.  No one would want to get soaked simply to avoid looking like a tourist.

[Bramble]

I think the whole "only tourists use umbrellas" comes from the many PNW natives who will chose to just wear a good raincoat with a hood and avoid the hassle of an umbrella.  When we say no to umbrellas we're not saying go out in the rain and get soaked.  Its just that there's often enough wind that the rain defeats the umbrella, so a coat is needed to not get wet, and with a good enough coat you stay dry enough that the umbrella just seems like an hassle.

[bbgirl]

If Marrakesh is still open up there that's a fun spot for some really good food!
 It was ten years ago but it's been awhile since I've ventured North, plus there's one in Portland that I can get to faster

[cass2591]

I don't carry an umbrella, actually never really have, since I tend to lose them. I must say that I've never thought anyone with an umbrella screamed "tourist" but then again so what if they are.

Seems to me it drizzles more than it pours, like in that show "The Killing". I've seen it pour like that for a couple of days but that show gave the impression the rain never stopped. It does.

[GratefulMaria]

DS1 is in his fourth year at school in Portland.  He went to Pittsburgh and felt really conspicuous being the only one without an umbrella when it rained.  I, umm, sort of picked on him and told him he must really stand out as a tourist.

[lilfox]

I think the whole "only tourists use umbrellas" comes from the many PNW natives who will chose to just wear a good raincoat with a hood and avoid the hassle of an umbrella.  When we say no to umbrellas we're not saying go out in the rain and get soaked.  Its just that there's often enough wind that the rain defeats the umbrella, so a coat is needed to not get wet, and with a good enough coat you stay dry enough that the umbrella just seems like an hassle.

This.  I know when I moved here, and the rains started in October, I was surprised to find that most rainy days, it was really just drizzle.  Drizzle (to me) isn't worth breaking out the umbrella for, but is worth investing in a good hat.  The relatively few days of hard rain, sometimes it's worth having an umbrella and others, it is so windy an umbrella ends up being a hassle.

In addition to the other good suggestions here, i recommend finding a place to eat around south Lake Union, especially on the lakefront.  The view can be really nice, with seaplanes coming and going (though in Dec as mentioned, darkness hits by 4-4:30...).  And in addition to the original Starbucks, there is the original Nordstrom downtown.