Hoyaheel

My husband and I are doing a weekend in Seattle in November - neither of us have been. We aren't going to rent a car and are leaning towards staying downtown for ease of walking/transport etc. Top choices right now are Fairmont Olympic or Kimpton Alexis. Any substantial difference in neighborhood or are they both going to meet our needs? (we don't have hotel loyalty - just picking based on reviews & location & price for our weekend)

It's hard picking out a few things to do for such a short trip! I know I'll have too many things on my list. Think we've dropped Boeing museum/factory for this trip as it would be a long & not-cheap trip without a rental car.....

muji

The Olympic is closer to the downtown department stores; the Alexis is closer to the waterfront and Pioneer Square. Based on that, I'd go with the latter.

Gardyloo

Agree, but before booking, have a look at the Mayflower Park - http://www.mayflowerpark.com/ . Its location is terrific, easily walkable from most downtown attractions, plus the Westlake light rail stop (airport, Pioneer Square, University etc.) is basically around the corner, as is the streetcar to South Lake Union (lake shore park, Museum of History and Industry, houseboats.)

If you're skipping the Boeing tour, don't overlook the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, easily reached by bus or Uber from downtown.

Hoyaheel

Yes, husband mentioned he was going to see what they had there (he's a private pilot and history nut - I'm just a history nut So I can handle a museum here and there - but I have to wonder if it's anything that much better/different than we've seen before....

Thank you both for hotel input - will look at Mayflower.

muji

I think he would really enjoy it, and hopefully you, too. It's about 15 minutes by taxi from downtown.

https://www.museumofflight.org/Plan-...-and-Admission

Hoyaheel

I guess my question is - for 3 days in Seattle - is it different enough from what I've seen at Air & Space & Udvar-Hazy to take up the time this trip? I lived in DC many years and am intimately familiar with Air & Space (as it seems I had to take everyone who visited me to that favorite museum) I'm sure it's a wonderful museum - I just don't know that I need to make it a priority for us, for this visit.....

Gardyloo

If you've spent time at the Smithsonian Air & Space, then no.

When in November are you coming? The issue is going to be finding things to do indoors; it's likely to be wet and probably dismal outdoors (sure, there are exceptions, and later in the month is worse than earlier.) What are your activity plans? There are circumstances where a car might actually be beneficial if you want to see things outside the downtown core (of which there are many) or see some of our marvelous surrounding country. A car can also be weather protection in wet (and quite short) days then.

Hoyaheel

Nov 9-12. Not worried about weather - we often travel in the fall to wet and/or cold spots and just pack the goretex. I've just started trying to figure out what we want to do....

Gardyloo

Let me throw out some activities or places for your data base (google these.)

- Snoqualmie Falls (car needed) - spectacular in rainy/fall weather.

- Ballard locks - always fascinating, maybe some steelhead visible through the underwater window at the fish ladder.

- Bainbridge Island ferry - walk to Doc's or the Harbour Pub at Eagle Harbor (15 min. from the ferry terminal.)

- South Lake Union Park and Museum of History and Industry - travel through Amazonia on the Lake Union Streetcar to MOHAI on Lake Union. Terrific museum, cool waterfront park. You can rent an electric boat (covered) and poke around the lake - houseboats, floatplanes coming and going, etc.

- Japanese Garden in the UW Arboretum. There will probably still be some good fall color on the maples; it's looking like it might be a late fall this year.

- Uwajimaya - fabulous pan-Asian grocery/department/book store with a very fun food court.

Just some thoughts for starters.

Hoyaheel

Thanks for the ideas!!