RatherGhastly

Dear FTers, I shall be arriving in Seattle in a fortnight, where I will have three free days (Thu–Sat). I shall be on my own staying in the Uptown/Queen Anne district, and the only thing I have planned at the moment is to see the ballet on the Thu evening. Desiring a leisurely trip, rather than a lot of running around, I won’t have a car, so I am looking for one thing to do each day, perhaps following a late breakfast. I should also like to have at least one nice dinner, so recommendations on that front would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions.

P.S., I would really love to do a Boeing factory tour, but, from what I can see, they have not yet restarted following the COVID shut-down. I have also been advised that the Space Needle is only worth doing on a completely clear day.

david55

Take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island ( where we live) ....a 35 minute ride cross the Puget Sound. Lovely little town and a first rate regional museum BIMA ( Bainbridge Island Museum of Art) that has a couple incredible shows right now. Lots of places to have lunch in town and some great bakeries and shops. All within walking distance of the ferry terminal.

allset2travel

+1

Visted the island pre-Covid days. One of my fav destinations.







Lunch at Doc's was fab!

david55

Doc's is closed for a remodel.... it may be open by the time of your visit. Depending on budget BaSa (asian), BIMA Museum has a cafe, Streamliner Diner ( an institution) or Bruciato for pizza.....a local chef done good.

djp98374

What interests you?

you have Boeing museum south of downtown
Seattle Art museum
there are a bunch of other sites

there are a bunch of different neighborhoods in Seattle

if you are traveling later this month you will have some rainy weather.

there are a bunch of restaurants of different food types.

allset2travel

+1.
Thanks for the headsup re Doc's remodeling.

RatherGhastly

Thanks, david55, allset2travel and djp98374 for your responses above. I shall definitely have to get over to Bainbridge Island!

I don’t know why I said ‘in a fortnight’, because I’ll actually be in Seattle next week. It looks like Doc’s Marina is still closed, though, but that would be exactly the sort of place I would head to, rather than a pizza parlour (since I live in Italy), so any alternative recommendations along the same lines?

david55

There is the Pub just a short walk from Doc's but I haven't been there in 15 years and no one else is mentioning it lately so I would think twice. Both those places are really " outside " dining and inside a bit depressing. Stay away from the Mexican place Isla Bonita.

There is not a lot on main street of town.

I would try Basa.... https://www.basabainbridgeisland.com/

Or the Streamliner Diner. https://streamlinerdinerbi.com/

There is a fish and chips place ( Proper Fish) that use to be really great but I have heard it is struggling after covid and change of owners.

FYI.... the pizza place is really good. https://www.pizzeriabruciato.com/

There is a poke ( raw fish) place between the ferry terminal and town....not my thing but some say it is decent. Another just opened up in Winslow Green which is at the end of the town street. ( I think we have like 4 poke places on our island)

Going to the end of town and turning right on Madison, about 500ft walk..... there is a building up on the left that has a bunch of restaurants. Japanese , Mexican, Indian, Greek, and another poke place. We patronize them...especially the Mexican place. https://casarojascantina.com/

In a pinch our grocery store Town and Country (center on the main street) is really an amazing upscale grocery with many dining options.

Gardyloo

First, it's not the Boeing Museum, it's the Museum of Flight, located on Boeing Field, and it's a must-see in my view.



Bainbridge is a good idea for a day trip. If Doc's is closed, you can get a pretty good burger at the Harbour Pub, also overlooking Eagle Harbor.

For a quicker view from the water, consider the West Seattle Water Taxi, which departs from a pier next to the ferry terminal and which crosses Elliott Bay to Seacrest Park in West Seattle (part of the city.) The views of the downtown skyline are fabulous, and when you get to West Seattle, you can have a meal right on the pier at Marination Ma Kai, a very cool Hawaiian/Korean fusion cafe (with a great bar) with amazing views of the city. Then if you feel energized you can walk (level, around 2 miles) around Duwamish Head to Alki Beach (more cafes and bars) and see our own wee Statue of Liberty, with passing ferries and the Olympic Mountains in the background. West Seattle-Seattle Route - King County

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/vBMKQBpsUCZ75ovo9





Another watery in-town destination is Fishermen's Terminal, located across the Lake Washington Ship Canal from Ballard. Have a late breakfast or lunch at the Bay Cafe, then walk off the carbs along the piers and jetties. Fishermen's Terminal is the home port for much of the Puget Sound fishing fleet and a good part of the Alaska fleet too. Because the Bering Sea crab fisheries are closed this winter (a major disaster for the fishing community) you'll probably see some of the big "Deadliest Catch" crab boats tied up there, possibly waiting on the foreclosure paperwork (hope not.)



If you want a high vantage point at a somewhat lower cost than the Space Needle (IMO not worth it) consider heading up to the top of the Smith Tower, a historic skyscraper that for a time was the tallest building west of Chicago. There's a bar at the top, in the "Chinese Room" area, and an outdoor deck where you can walk around and see... the Space Needle, as well as the waterfront and other views. It's not the tallest viewpoint in Seattle (there are a couple of others in the Columbia Center building) but it's the one with the most character. Seattle Observatory, Seattle Event Space, Seattle Bar, Smith Tower

As for places to eat, I'd be remiss in not mentioning Uwajimaya, Seattle's iconic pan-Asian grocery and department store, located a block or so from the International District light rail and bus station. It's a marvelous experience, a visitor destination on its own. Play "name that vegetable," then nosh in the Asian food court or browse through the branch of Kinokuniya, Japan's biggest bookstore chain, inside the market. It's a real blast.


For a good "real" meal and staying where you are, the easy answer is Toulouse Petit, a sort of Cajun place right in the heart of the Uptown/LQA district. Terrific food and bar, and breakfasts to die for. It's a major go-to place for us. Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge

FWIW, here's a map showing the locations of some of these places, not intended to be a single trip. https://goo.gl/maps/mgeCjk5LNTnmzj4p7

YVR Cockroach

Are all the Bainbridge Island above-mentioned places within walking distance of the ferry terminal? Was going to get between Victoria and Seattle via Coho ferry, The Strait Shot bus and WSF ferry but the layover in Port Angel;es was too long. Maybe next time.

david55

Yes....all of them within walking distance. The art museum is on the first corner you come to.....cross a short bridge and you are in the heart of town. Just follow all the other walk-offs.

mtnsider

The Chihuly Garden and Glass museum is beautiful and you can walk there easily from the area where you are staying.

mbluecpa

Second that, in fact we were just talking this morning about this in the context of activities for incoming out of town visitors. The size is just right, too: we’ve usually spent 60-90 minutes there without rushing.

RatherGhastly

Well … thank you for your advice, one and all. I did make it to Bainbridge Island last Thursday, and, just by way of a heads up, Doc’s has in fact reöpened. I had the tuna tacos, which were lovely, although definitely spice forward, a little too much so, and the NW cioppino. The latter arrived when I was barely halfway through my entrée, which was a little disappointing, but I sent it back to the kitchen to be kept warm. when I was done with the tacos, I asked for 10 mins before they brought out the main, but the manager came out to tell me that they were going to refire it, rather than given me the one that had been standing for 20 mins at this point, so all’s well that ends well!

Eujeanie

Besides lunch, what did you do/think of Bainbridge Island? I'm also considering it for a quick jaunt in April. I sat next to a woman on a plane last year who lives on a boat there and really talked up the place.