43 Things to Do with Out-of-Town Guests that Don't Involve the Phrase "Space Needle"
Yeah, we know -- out-of-town guests are the only reason you visit the Space Needle in the first place. But there's more to this city than really tall spires with Galileo-inspiring drops. Got friends or family coming from out of town? Here's 43 suggestions for things to do with them.
1) The Fremont Troll followed by the statue of Lenin.
2a) If they're male, show them the badass urinal in the 5 Point Cafe where there's a window with a Space Needle view.
2b) Don't despair, ladies -- there's an awesome restroom in town for you, too. If you can finagle your way onto the 76th floor of Columbia Center, the Columbia Tower Club's women's restroom has spectacular views of the skyline.
3) Show off the Seattle Central Library. And be sure to show them the suicide leap. Then a fun game: see how long it takes them to find their way back down to street level.
4) The Experience Music Project: great building or big fuckin' mess? Bonus: get there before September and check out masterpiece-level art.
5) Chef's choice dinner at Lampreia. Seriously, people, this is amazing food, damn the expense. Would James Beard steer you wrong?
6) Speaking of appetites: up to Lake City for Dick's and Rick's.
7) Whirlwind architectural tour including the Capitol Hill Library, the Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University, and Gas Works Park.
8) A slower-than-whirlwind architectural tour from the Seattle Architecture Foundation (a.k.a. the Seattle Aboveground Tour).
9) The Seattle Underground Tour. Yeah, everyone does it, but that's because everyone loves it. (Even if they do tell some stretchers.)
10) As long as you're taking tours, check out the seamy side of Seattle on one of Jake's Private Eye Tours.
11) The top of the Volunteer Park Water Tower
12) James Turrell Skyspace at the Henry.
13) Check out the marquee on the Lusty Lady. Ha!
14) Speaking of lusty ladies: Babeland.
15) Swing by Greenwood and tock up on your space travel supplies.
16) The lake from a kayak from NWOC or over by Agua Verde -- or go the canoe route at the UW.
17) The Whalemaker Lounge or the Sunday Brunch at Ivar's on Lake Union.
18) Ferry ride to Bainbridge.
19) Water taxi to West Seattle.
20) Discovery Park, with a stopover at Ray's Boathouse.
21) Lunch at Matt’s in the Market.
22) Breakfast at Easy Street in West Seattle.
23) Overnight trip to the San Juan Islands for some whale watching (unless you're a crybaby "leave em alone" type). Even if the orcas are shy, there's so much other cool wildlife out there.
24) While you're on the islands, head up to Roche Harbor and get a map to the spectacularly eerie Afterglow Mausoleum.
25) Hiking anywhere off 410 near Crystal/Mt. Rainier
26) Dinner at either Crave (your treat!) or Lark (let mom and dad pay).
27) Elliott Bay Book Company.
28) Tamarind Tree Vietnamese restaraunt in International District.
29) Stop by Paul Allen's ultimate home theater experience, the Cinerama. Doesn't really matter what's playing, does it?
30) "Meet the man" at Dixie's BBQ in Bellevue
31) Ezell's Famous Chicken.
32) Archie McPhee.
33) The Ballard Locks.
34) Breakfast at the Hi Spot Cafe.
35) Magnolia Bluff
36) BBQ at Golden Gardens
37) Jose Lopez and Felix Hernandez (the latter may require a trip to Tacoma).
38) While you're in Tacoma, why not stop by the Museum of Glass? It's more than Chihuly!
39) A walk along the water in Eastlake
40) Rent a boat (see if you can snag a Junior Knockabout) at the Center for Wooden Boats.
41) The Frye.
42) Tour the Boeing plant up in Everett and see some future planes, then head south to check out aviation history at the Museum of Flight.
43) And you best believe any guests of ours will be treated to doughnuts from Top Pot.
Now tell us: what slipped our minds?
Comments [rss]
-
Tri
-
Matt Baldwin
-
h.Lo
-
George
-
jennmac
-
LeFemmeMonkita
-
Chelsea
-
ben
