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So you want to see Seattle, but you don't want to figure out where to stop
and how long to spend, what you should see, what to do... Aside from maybe
taking a course in decision making, you might want to take a tour! There
are several in Seattle to choose from, by water, rail, bus, or foot.
- Spirit of Washington Dinner Train
A great way to see the local scenery, and get dinner in the bargain. The
train ride takes several hours in the evening, or you can catch it for lunch
Saturdays and Sundays. Runs year round, but best in the summer months when
there's enough daylight to actually see something. Gotta love living this
far north in the winter...
At the Winery end, you can get out and take a tour of the wine facilities,
taste some wines, buy a case, and take in the scenery. The food on the train
is very good, and very rich. Their bar service is incredibly well stocked. If
you want something even more different, try one of their Thursday night
Murder Mystery trains or their New Year's party!
- Argosy Cruises
- Spirit Cruises
I've been on several of these, though I'm not sure which were Argosy and
which were on the Spirit of Puget Sound. I've done both, though!
I know that on the "Three Hour Tour" on the Spirit of Puget Sound, the
entertainment runs a bit on the cheesy-showtune
side, but the food is pretty good, and the view of Seattle is outstanding.
The locks cruises and lake cruises show you a good bit of Seattle shoreline,
and are a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Bring a sweater, it gets
chilly on the water. And if you're out on the Sound during the locks tour,
keep your eyes open as you pass the marker buoys...you might spot a sea lion
hanging out.
- Tillicum Village & Blake Island
If you're into the Northwest Coast Native American culture and history, you
really have to take this tour. It's about 4 hours, and takes out out to an
island in the sound that you can't visit easily without this particular tour.
Best way to describe the experience: think "luau", but with Northwest Coast
traditional foods like salmon instead of a big dead pig and Northwest native
dances instead of chicks doing the hula. A bit on the spendy side, but if
you've got the cash, go for it.
- Chinatown Discovery Tours
This tour is willing to specialize for groups that are interested in particular
aspects of Chinatown, such as art, history, or even acupuncture. Groups of
four or more are the standard, but 2-3 people can be accommodated upon
request. Most of these tours involve eating at the great restaurants in
Seattle's International District. Be sure to stop by Uwagimaya to shop for
gifts afterwards.
- Show Me Seattle
This tour is led by local actors, and is a humorous way to get around
Seattle and hear some of the inside scoops on local history and neighborhoods.
They'll even loan you an umbrella in the unlikely event that it rains.
- See Seattle Walking Tours
Now let's be honest here. With a good history book, some local guides,
and the motivation...you could do this tour yourself and not pay the $15.
However, it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining, and you'd probably miss a lot.
If you're new to the area, this is a great way to introduce yourself to the
Emerald City.
This guy does it all. You can catch a fairly routine walking tour of the
downtown area, grab lunch, and then decide whether or not to continue the
tour in the afternoon. If you have a large group (10-20 people...like if
your worst nightmare came true and your Family Reunion was at your house
this year), you can get a custom package deal. I went on one of the
scavenger hunts as a corporate team building exercise, and it was a lot of
fun. We saw things we didn't know existed, and I learned a lot about my
city. We also got a lot of exercise!!
- Brew Hops Tours
Won't show you much of Seattle, but will show you lots of beer. Seattle is
nearly as well known for it's microbrews as it is for Coffee Pretension (and
soon to be Tea Pretension). On this tour, take a few hours to see some of
the local brewpubs, sample some beer, munch on some food, and really get to
know the local brewing scene. They don't seem to have a website, but I got
their contact information from a bar, so if you need info, contact:
Brew Hops Tours
2403 Dexter Ave. North, Ste. 3
Seattle, WA 98109
(206)283-8460
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