Going to Seattle in 2 days, any advice on things to do/visit/experience?

[Exalt]

So like the title suggests, I'm going on vacation to Seattle to see an old friend for about a week or so. He kind of gave me the run down of the city, and how different it is compared to Chicago and the Midwest as a whole, and he basically described the area as... a big group of hipsters/hippies all in one place. Chicago is a sea of concrete and trees aren't exactly important here, whereas he kind of explained how Seattle will go out of its way to build over and around trees and nature, rather than destroying it, and he explained how the people and the way of life is a lot different there (and not just how weed is legal).

Anyways, I'm sure he has a few places he wants to show me and stuff, but he asked me what I wanna do while I'm out there, but I really have no idea what there IS to do out there. I don't know the area at all, I've been all over the country except the Pacific Northwest, so I'm pretty much clueless as to what I should check out and things. A week isn't exactly a long time to see everything, and he wants to go to Portland too and I guess Olympia, but I could use some advice on cool things to see or what bar I should go to, what area is cool, stuff like that.

So, anyone living in the Seattle/Pacific Northwest area? Do you guys have any local advice as far as things I should check out while I'm there?

[Shortwood]

Fado: Get pulled lamb french dip... amazing
http://i.imgur.com/nkNTsBv.jpg

Citizen: Best breakfast... nutella and banana crepe with white russian
http://i.imgur.com/2gBTLlU.jpg

[Celestial Jeddak]

Wouldn't the type of activities you like to do influence what to do in Seattle? Perhaps you like going hiking, or clubbing.

[Shaddowknight]

It rains a lot. Bring an umbrella.

[Zeebu]

smoke weed err'day

[Bioture]

Been there once with a friend that lived in Denny Way. I felt so out of place by not wearing plaid, fedoras, or skin tight jeans.

[Celestial Jeddak]

Watch out for the 'high' elves if you visit Portland.
http://cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/dan-jo...cks-womans-car

[Ganon-Knight]

Catch a Mariners game. They're back in town starting tomorrow, tickets for pretty decent seats are cheap and Safeco Field is one of the more beautiful ballparks in the country.

Experience Music Project (EMP) is also cool. http://www.empmuseum.org/

[Crescent Seal]

go to cheat carrol's house

[qan]

I'm from Olympia/lived around the Seattle area most of my life. Some of what they say is true -- we do have a higher tolerance for types considered less desirable in most parts of the US (general malcontents), and it does tend to rain a lot. The last week and half has been amazing. May-September makes you realize why it's probably the best place in the US to live. Rarely too hot, and the lush, wild vegetation from rich soil and hearty rain.

Seattle is kind of a bubble, though ... people from Seattle sometimes think the sun shines out of a place other than the center of our solar system, and can be a bit smug. The entire rest of WA, on the other hand, bears probably as close a similarity to Canada as you'll find in the States -- straightforward and honest, difficult to anger, patient, apologize a bit too much, and go out of our way to be helpful.

You can do all the usual stuff in Seattle itself -- Pike Place Market; Seattle Art Museum (without the special feature it's strictly by donation only, if you're poor); giant under the bridge -- but in the end it's just a nice city, as far as cities go, and doesn't exactly define the PNW in my opinion.

I'd say: get out and enjoy one of the final areas colonized by humans. Our natural wealth is by far our biggest draw. Mt Rainier is close to Seattle, and camping in the Cascades this time of year is nothing short of amazing. The elevation, the vast swaths of untouched land ... Great hiking, etc.

If you have a chance, head over to the Olympic Peninsula, which is basically just a massive forest with roads going through it. It includes the only rainforests in the US, as well. This is where I grew up as a teenager. The Puget Sound (or the Salish Sea, as you like it) is WA's most unique feature, an enormous area filled with canals you can often just see across to the islands that dot along it.

Olympia is the last recommendation. Check out Evergreen -- beautiful campus in the woods, no grades, interesting people. And see an Olympia house show if you want to figure out where all the fun in live music's been kept alive. On a good night you will see people who are not full of themselves, not always that good at what they do, but really happy to be playing music. Most might dress like hipsters, but they bear almost no similarities to the veritable human scum in, say, NYC. (Portland hipsters are a bit like this as well, but still significantly more likely to be assholes. Olympia really is unique in this. It was quite arguably the center of the West coast post-punk/indie movement that started in the mid to late 80's, out of which came Beck, Nirvana, Beat Happening, and so on ... and part of the reason this was possible is Oly's naive innocence and willingness to fail.)

Welcome, and enjoy your visit to Glorious WA Master State!

[Exalt]

Well, I ended up moving out here. Too bad Qan quit, or I'd buy him a beer. I'm like 10 minutes north of him now. Go figure

[Vatican Assassin]

i live in seattle and you can go fuck yourself

[Exalt]

i live in seattle and you can go fuck yourself

The problem with Seattle are the natives, who are introverted dbags who hate life. The good news is, 90% of Seattle are transplants who didn't grow up here.