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Innkeepers Suggested Itineraries
Our Neighborhood
Our Neighborhood
 Walk
down our stairs and start your Seattle vacation in one of the city's oldest and most vibrant
neighborhoods, the University District!
Within a 10 minute walk of the Inn, you will find, shops, restaurants,
coffee shops, a park, the Burke-Gilman jogging/biking trail and
the University of Washington campus!
 At
one end of our street is the beautiful Ravenna Park complete with
a playground for kids, a dog walking meadow, and hiking trails through
the woods and beside Ravenna Creek. This is a great place for a
pre dinner walk!
At the other end of our street, the University
of Washington Campus awaits. A great place for a stroll, the
campus is known for its fabulous view of Mount Rainier, glorious
cherry trees, and mixture of stately old buildings and amazing new
architecture. The campus encompasses several blocks and we have
maps here at the Inn to guide you to and around the campus.
 Down
the hill from us is the
University Village Shopping area: Crate and Barrel, Pottery
Barn, a huge grocery store the QFC, Eddie Bauer, Barnes and Noble
books and many local shops, (we like Mrs.Cooks
for kitchen gadgets) will keep the shoppers in your group busy.
Up the Hill from us is the U-District
shopping area. Catering to the college crowd, here are the funky
coffee shops, lots of CD stores, interesting clothing and handicraft
shops, and almost any type of ethnic and inexpensive food one can
want! The University Bookstore is a wonderful, huge and independent
bookstore, selling new titles, great reference material and all
those text books. Find your Husky Dog paraphernalia here!
 Great
restaurants abound in our neighborhood! In addition to the ethnic
food found up on the "Ave" by the college you can also
find great steaks and fine cuisine near the Inn. The finest dining
in the neighborhood is the Union Bay Café, with a great wine
list, beautiful dining room, and innovative menu, this is the best.
For steak lovers, the Jak's
Grill is a 5 minute drive from the Inn. PAIR
is a new offering, with great wines and a "small plate menu"
this neighborhood find is a short walk from the Inn.
Then there are our dependable nearby choices, Thai
Dusit offers great thai food in a nice atmosphere a 5 minute
walk from the Inn, and in the University Village, the Italian favorite
is Piatti, try a local brew at the Ram Brew Pub and Restaurant,
Asian at the Zao noodle house, and baked goods from A La Francais
Bakery.
If that is not enough a very short drive away are the Seattle neighborhoods
of Greenlake, Wallingford, Fremont, Wedgewood, Laurelhurst and View
Ridge. Downtown is a 10 minute drive or 20 minute express bus ride.
Innkeepers Suggested Itineraries
 Get
an early start, and catch the 71, 72, or 73 express bus at the corner
of University Way and 45th street. This will take you to Westlake
Mall in the center of downtown. Take the escalator to the street
level and head west about 6 blocks to the Pike Place Market.
 The
Pike Place Market is our local farmer's market, and has allowed
urban dwellers access to fresh produce, fish, meat and much more
for over 100 years. In the mid-70s, the market was in danger of
being demolished for the development of condominiums, but a group
of local professors and students, including one young architectural
student by the name of Patrick Duffy, managed to save the market.
Today it stands as a microcosm of the diversity and spirit of the
northwest. In addition to fresh food and produce, there are also
many local craftspeople and restaurants. Stop by Pike Place Fish
to watch the acrobatic antics. Every time a fish is sold, one vendor
throws it across the counter while an other
catches and wraps it. Oh yeah, don't forget to say hi to the Monk
fish. As you wander through the market, you will likely see many
types of produce that are unfamiliar to you. Don't hesitate to ask
the vendors any questions you might have. As you finish your tour
of the market, this would be a good time for lunch. There are lots
of great places for lunch, whether you want a quick snack or a full
meal.
After leaving the market, head south on 1st Ave. to Pioneer Square.
The walk will take about ten minutes, or you can hop on a bus. This
is a free ride area, so don't worry about the fare. Pioneer Square
is the oldest part of the city, and was part of the original settlement
in the mid 1800's. However  the
many original wooden structures were lost in an enormous fire in
the late 1800;s The city was rebuilt in brick, and there are several
bars and buildings that go back to the time of the Alaskan gold
rush. While no gold was discovered in Seattle, this was the launching
pad for many thousands of prospectors and explorers. While few individuals
ever struck gold, many a fortune was made in Seattle as a headquarters
for outfitting and a final port of call. When you arrive at Pioneer
Square, a visit to the Elliott Bay Book Company is essential. This
bookstore is one of the oldest in the city, and is a wonderful spot
to spend a few minutes or a few hours surveying the stacks of this
eclectic collection. Follow the spiral staircase near the entrance
to the basement coffeehouse. Enjoy an espresso and a scone while
you survey your purchases. Or pull one of the books of the shelf
next to your table and settle in for a while. This coffeehouse is
rumored to be the model for Café Nervosa in the television
show Frasier.
 For
a slightly quirky historic adventure, take the Underground Tour.
Tickets and information can be found in the center of Pioneer Square.
This 1 and a half hour tour will take you beneath the stores and
streets of historic downtown Seattle. For the baseball fan, continue
to walk south to Safeco Field, where you can take a behind the scenes
tour of this beautiful new ballpark. This tour takes fans through
the dugout, into the pressroom and up to the luxury suites. For
more information visit the Mariners at www.seattlemariners.com.
 By
this time you will probably be ready to take a break. Head back
to Westlake Mall and catch the 71, 72, or 73 back to the University
District and make the brief walk back to the inn. You might want
to freshen up, have a cup of tea and a cookie before you venture
out for the evening.
The perfect conclusion to your whirlwind one day tour of Seattle
is an evening at Ray's Boathouse. Ray's is located about 10 to 15
minutes west of the inn by car, and about a $15 taxi ride. Here
you can find some of the freshest seafood around, with great service
and a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. You can choose to dine
at either Ray's Café, a less formal and more relaxed experience,
or at the more formal dining room. The dining room is a bit more
expensive and the menu is a little more sophisticated. Both spots
have great views. In the dining room you can make reservations,
and in the Café, you can enjoy the open air deck in the warmer
months. Ray's sits perched over the Puget Sound and offers views
of the Olympic Mountains and a parade of passing ferries. After
a relaxing meal, return to the inn for a cup of tea and a relaxing
nights sleep.
Day Two
 After
day one, today you can relax a little. Head down to the Westlake
Mall, and go to the top floor to the monorail station. Take the
two-minute monorail ride from Downtown's Westlake Center mall to
the Seattle Center. Head up the Space Needle for 360-degree city
views; a drink from the SkyCity coffee bar is the perfect complement.
Afterward take in one of Seattle Center's many ground-level attractions:
the Pacific Science Center, the Children's Museum, the Experience
Music Project, or the Science Fiction Experience museum. Have lunch
in Queen Anne or Belltown, and then walk southwest down Broad St.
to the water and the Olympic Sculpture Park. Ride the trolley past
the docks and through Pioneer Square to the International District.
Wander around the slim shaded streets, absorbing the Asian culture
and picking up goodies at fruit stalls, tea shops, and knickknack
stores. Tour the Wing Luke Museum, and then head up to Kobe Terrace
Park for a look at Elliott Bay. For dinner, try a neighborhood joint
along 12th Avenue South or dine at Uwajimaya, the Asian superstore
with a Pan-Asian food court that will enable you to eat your way
from Japan to Vietnam. See what's happening at the Nippon Kan Theater,
or head east to the Capitol Hill shops and bars. Not on Monday,
when the Wing Luke Museum is closed, or Sunday, when local shops
are closed or have shorter hours.
Day Three
 Since
you've covered Downtown, today you can explore the vastly differing
neighborhoods just outside the city. Grab a quick coffee at a Green
Lake café, then take a stroll around the water to watch Seattleites
-- and their dogs -- waking up with a jog. Visitors of all ages
find both the Woodland Park Zoo and the Ballard Locks captivating,
so consider rounding out the morning with a visit to one or the
other. Have lunch in Wallingford, then head down to Fremont for
a little shopping. Cross over to the University District and the
University of Washington's Waterfront Activities Center, where you
can rent a kayak to enjoy views from the water -- or head to the
Kenmore Air terminal for a seaplane flight over the city. Try one
of the University district's inexpensive little ethnic restaurants
for dinner, then spend the evening shopping at University Village
or bar-hopping the Ave.
Here are some extra ideas you might want to add to your itinerary.
A Ferry Ride
There is no better way to spend a couple of hours than taking a
cruise on the Bainbridge Island ferry. You can board downtown at
the water front and you don't even need a car. Just walk on and
enjoy the 30 minute ride. Once you depart on the other side, there
are places for a quick lunch or a cup of coffee before your return.
This is one of the best views of the city, and a great way to spend
a couple of hours relaxing on the water.
Ride
the Duck
You haven't seen Seattle until you've seen it from a Duck! Travelers
of all ages love Ride the Ducks! Our hilarious, Coast Guard-certified
Maritime Captains will take you on a fun-filled, musical tour of
the Emerald City. Amphibious World War II vehicles will show you
Seattle from both land and water!
You'll see Downtown Seattle, Pike Place Market, historic Pioneer
Square, and funky Fremont, then SPLASH into Lake Union for a spectacular
view of the city skyline, luxurious yachts, and Sleepless in Seattle
Houseboats!
Buy your tickets and board the Ducks at the northeast corner of
5th & Broad, across the street from Experience Music Project
and the Seattle Center. Walk ups are welcome, advance purchase is
recommended.
A Day Trip to Victoria Island
Just two and a half hours away via the Victoria Clipper, is the
world famous Buchart Gardens. Spend the day wandering through the
gardens, and touring the quaint English town of Victoria. The gardens
can be reached via public transportation, or the staff of the Victoria
Clipper will gladly arrange for your transportation for a price.
Arrangements can be made at www.victoriaclipper.com
or on the boat. Victoria is located on the island of Vancouver and
is within the boundaries of Canada. So, bring a photo I.D. (passports
can be required if you are not a U.S. citizen) and be prepared for
a lovely day, a relaxing high tea and a favorable exchange rate
for the U.S. dollar. For more information on ferry travel, visit
The Ferry Traveler at www.ferrytravel.com
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