mymiles2go

Head into the city. It's a 16 minute Taxi ride downtown, about $35 each way. There is public transporation as well avail, but takes much longer.

Plenty of stuff to do in 4 hours. Ya could even head up to the Space Needle, catch the view of sunset (depending on time of year), but in a few weeks you should be able to catch it still. Then wander around downtown a bit, down towards the waterfront, maybe past Safeco field if there is a game.

Good luck!

Mikey

Well, if you have not had dinner yet, going to the waterfront for a nice Salmon dinner would be a good choice.

corwinsl

If you're worried about the time, security lines should be fairly short at that time. AA shares its terminal with AS and you can enter via the C or D/N security checkpoints.

But if you're queasy about the time, you can cross International Boulevard and go to the 13 Coins. It's an interesting restaurant with a lengthy menu and a 70s sort of charm to it.

gregseattle

I would go downtown or near downtown too. You've got the time. Public trans is weak that time of nite so you'll need taxi cash. I think you'd have at least 2 hours to hang out. (land at 8, get landside by 8:20, get taxi to wherever by 9, hang out until 11:30, get taxi to apt arrive by 12:00, get airside by 12:35, have time to breathe and make it before final)

Sunsets are 9:30-ish lately, and have been spectacular. You should be able to catch this on the waterfront. I would either head to the downtown waterfront (Tell Taxi driver to take you to the aquarium) or to Alki Beach, which gives you views of sunsets and of downtown. It's a little slower paced, and there will be beach fires and the like. Difficulty about going there might be getting a taxi to take you home. I'd watch that variable.

Alki really isn't a nite-spot per se, I think things generally shut down there at 10ish. But the sunset would be great. I would then taxi into downtown.

The space needle is a good area generally, there is a lot to do in that area.

Security lines are notoriously SHORT for redeyes as of late. Not sure if AA you have to ride the train or not, but that adds on an extra +/- 12-15 minutes to your getting to the gate.

Have fun.


here is the Mariners schedule for August:
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/NASA...jsp?m=8&y=2003

jstockton

I agree with the above posters - go downtown and see the sites. Whatever you do - do NOT hang around the airport as it will be the longest four hours of your life if you do...

Jennifer

DFWFlier

Thanks for the suggestions..I'll definitely head downtown. Anyone know if there are lockers at SEA to stow my luggage?

corwinsl

There are no lockers as lockers are considered a risk in a post 9/11 world. But there's a place called Ken's Baggage Storage that will accept your bags for what I view as an extortionist's fee. Still, sometimes you'll pay anything not to carry around your luggage.

http://www.portseattle.org/maps/air/...ge/default.htm

It's on the baggage level right in the center of the terminal and is called out in the above diagram.

Sluggo!

In the tradition of the "___ hours in ____" series of threads: I've got 7 hours in seattle. I've never been before and don't know what to expect. Be there from around 3-10pm on a saturday. Any hints, good eats, good drinks? Any airport club preferences? Are there showers available?

Thanks for your help.

tom911

Get out of the airport!

There's local bus service right to downtown Seattle on the 174 and 194 routes (the 194 is the express route).
http://transit.metrokc.gov/

If you take the local bus (route 174) it goes right by the Museum of Flight, and you could visit there before heading into the city, or consider it a destination on its own.
http://www.museumofflight.org/

7 hours gives you plenty of time to explore. Seattle is one of my favorite places to weekend. Pleny of shopping downtown, or you could go walk along the waterfront and do a quick ferry trip over to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton and back around. There's nothing quite like seeing the Seattle skyline by ferry. You have unlimited options once you get down there. With all the FTers that are Seattle based, I'm sure you'd find someone to join you for dinner.

HeHateY

I'm not sure Seattle is there anymore.

According to NBC on Sunday there has been a massive earthquake in Seattle and the Space Needle has fallen down, nearly crushing a boy on a bicycle.

wck4

Just looked out the window, sadly it's still standing.

My preferred non-taxi transportation between SEA and downtown is actually the Grey Line airport-to-hotels bus. Buy a $15 roudtrip ticket (just hold onto the return stub & you can use it anytime), and get on the bus at SEA, it will stop at about 8 hotels downtown.

If it's a nice day, a ferry ride to Bremerton and back (you can just stay on the ferry if you don't want to get off and explore) is always nice. And check out Pike Place market for snacks for the flight back- Le Panier and Piroshky Piroshky (both along the main strip of the market) should be able to load you up with lots of amazing food.

HeHateY

I'll second that. The King County Metro 194 is cheap and almost as quick, but the Gray Line is more comfortable, faster (if you getoff at the first hotel on the circut in downtown, and board at the last one for the trip back to SeaTac), plus the drivers monitor the traffic and will take I-5 or 99/509 depending.

If you have the time at the airport, check out the new terminal on the south end, near the soon-to-openA concourse/pier:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/...&searchdiff=35

tom911

It seems like that new terminal has been under construction forever. Is it going to be entirely international flights out of there?

YVR Cockroach

Not at all. Those will still go to the south satellite.

Sluggo!

All great ideas, Thanks! The aviation museum sounds cool, I've been on a couple of MR's to SFO and the museum in the airport has always been closed Ferries and good eats will suit me fine, though I thought I heard they drink some beer in the great NW...maybe I was mistaken ...any hints on friendly local pubs?