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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 1, 2012 - 12:32pm PT
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I'll be in Seattle walking around on Wednesday or Thursday this week, and I'm looking for interesting things to see when I'm there.
My mission is to score some stuff in Chinatown for a stir-fry this weekend - rice wine, dark soy sauce, etc.
While I'm there I'll be scouting kite-photo locations along the waterfront, and maybe waiting for wind.
Other than that, I'll just be killing time horsing around.
I plan on parking somewhere around Pike Place Market, and walking between Chinatown and Seattle Center, and I'll need a beer and something to eat while I'm there.
What's good or interesting in those neighborhoods? What's not to miss, outside of the normal touristy crap?
I pretty much know my way around the Wallingford area, so I'll probably skip visiting there.
Thanks in advance!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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REI and Pike Place Market are places I always seem to wander through when in Seattle. Since I was a little kid and always enjoy checking out every few years. I also have enjoyed the Space Needle , yeah I know it's the ultimate tourist trap but it's also pretty damn cool. As you mentioned you will be right in those areas anyway and it's not at all hard to find good eats of any type.
Also if you have time take a ferry somewhere. Cheapest boat tour on the planet with some great views.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Eat seafood and drink.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Plenty of people from up there will give better answers, but my $0.02:
I had an enjoyable afternoon some years ago in the Pike Pub and Brewery after seeing the travelling Van Gogh exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum...both the museum and pub are within a couple blocks of Pike Place market (it helped that I was with a beautiful young lady, and that Pike Kilt Lifter scotch ale was one of my all time faves before giving up the booze).
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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Mariners game.
Acres of oysters.
Fly your kite from the Bremerton or BI ferry.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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Second floor of Pike's has an awesome old wood paneled bar that has a great view of the ferries and boat traffic. Good place to relax with a beer and a hot chowder, which is excellent there.
Going down to the aquarium is also a good way to spend some time. I haven't been there in a long time, but they used to have live tidal pools along the boardwalk with lots of sea anenomes (sp) and such.
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MudPuppy
Trad climber
Gliese 581 g
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Maybe take the ferry to Bainbridge Island and check out Bloedel Gardens if you're at all into japanese plants, landscaping, etc.
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Longstick
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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First Thursdays of month are free at Seattle Art Museum...well worth it! Park at 3rd and Stewart for 4 hours for $6...when you visit the art museum ask for the pkg garage voucher which you need to get this deal. I was there at SAM this Sat using the Smithsonian free coupon....and the displays are terrific. Yes, I also ate mid-lunch pizza...fennel saugage at Serious Pie. Chat it up with the chefs while you wait for a table. They like the interaction and take pride in what they do. Serious Pie ..which is on Virginia and 4th...just a block from Stewart and 3rd. You can't go wrong.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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If I wasn't stuck in bloody Atlanta on those days, I'd join you for that beer. But Wayne's suggestion of Collins pub is good. Not too far from the ID. If you're more in the downtown core you can get good beer at alittle joint called The Whisky Bar at 3rd and Virginia.
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lars johansen
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Check out the main public library, seriously. This Rem Koolhaas building is one of the architectural masterpieces of the world. Pioneer Square is also a good bet for gallery trolling.
lj
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 4, 2012 - 02:23pm PT
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Thanks a ton, everyone, for the great suggestions! You came through with all kinds of great ideas that you won't find in the tourist guides.
I took advantage of many of them, and considered them all ( even Captian Or Skully's suggestion I get a tattoo to ramp up my climbing. I passed on the ink, however. I guess I'll never get to send those 5.3+ lines I've had my eye on )
Of course I rode the ferry ( Mukilteo - Whidbey )
I missed out on visiting the library, aquarium, giant ferris wheel, the underground tour, Space Needle, Serious Pie and the art galleries. I had #1 Dog with me, and I couldn't really leave her unattended long enough to check out those places. It only takes her a few seconds to chew all the way through 1/2" tubular.
I did get away with tying her up right outside Pike Place Brewing long enough to have an outstanding I.P.A., and see the last couple outs of the A's beating Texas to win their division.
The action on the Pier below the Market ( Pier 63? ) was slow, so I missed the ladies of the evening stomping each other. And the bums in Victor Steinbrueck Park were all stoned on medical marijuana ( at least it smelled medical ), so they were pretty much mellowed out too. That's OK. I can see the Bum Fights back home in San Bernardino whenever I like.
Pier 63 turned out to be an excellent place to launch the kite for some aerial photos, and with the right wind I'll take advantage of that some time. Yesterday though, I couldn't make anything happen, even after working up my courage at the Brewery. I'll remember that location in the future.
I got the stir fry stuff I needed. Houisin sauce, rice wine, dark soy sauce, ginger, etc., and I picked up a bamboo wisk and a small oil can, which will certainly elevate my Wok game. Major stir fry coming up tonight!
I wandered around the Pike Place Market ( once I found it, it's in a multi-level part of town, so being on the right floor is everything ), and found so many good looking places to eat I couldn't decide which one to choose, so I went hungry. I checked out the Fish Market, and it looked like Nature's wet dream.
I was late for the fish tossing, but I got a play-by-play account by some young guy from Chicago I was sitting next to at the Brewery. His recomendation was to pay for your fish with plastic, because you don't want fish smelling cash you get for change there to stink up your wallet ( another advisement the tourist guides fail to mention ).
I didn't get too many pictures - there were already plenty of tourist types there without me adding to the mix - but I did stop and get shots of this joint on First St I saw while walking to the Seattle Center:
Now, I'll for sure be getting that Alaskan mill for my chainsaw I've had my eye on so I can make some of this crap for myself.
I should have taken some pics of a bitchin map shop on the same street. They had all kinds of cool stuff, like this:
http://www.metskers.com/
It's a wooden relief map. I don't know what I'd do with one, but it looks damn cool - and a hell of a lot less expensive than anything Urban Hardwoods was selling.
Downtown Seattle's a blast. Kind of like a small-town New York City - but not as clean ( still cleaner than San Francisco, and a hell of a lot less dangerous than L.A. )
I'll have to go back again.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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I have spent more money at Metskers than any other place downtown. Great map store.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Feathered Friends used to have their main store over near REI... Definitely worth a stop.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Pebble Wrestling.... Badly lately.
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Go to the waterfront, eat oysters and drink good wine. Take a cab.
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