- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Seattle in late May
Posted on 12/17/25 at 9:31 pm
Posted on 12/17/25 at 9:31 pm
Thinking of booking a trip to Seattle in late May. Me, wife, and kids ages 15 and 12. Looking for recommendations on where to stay, things to do, places to eat. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
7
Posted on 12/18/25 at 1:49 am to Legion of Doom
I went in December so the weather and amount of daylight was much different. Make sure to visit UW's campus. I hear the cherry blossoms are beautiful in spring, but May might be too late to see the blossoms.
I liked Seattle's light rail.
Definitely do all the touristy things: Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Ivar's Fish and Chips is the touristy food thing, but fun. There are also some fun food tours: Chef's Tasting Tour of Pike Place Market and also the Underground Donut Tour. Book a boat tour (there are several options). Catch a Mariners game.
Do something outdoorsy outside of the city. I hate I didn't go to Mount Rainier. I did this hike to Twin Falls and visit to the town of Snoqualmie to see the falls there: LINK The host meets you in town and drives the tour group out in a van. She's really good though. I will warn that it's a moderate hike. Could be too much for a 12 year old.
I would recommend Seattle to anyone though. Lots of stuff to do. The Seattle Spheres is another thing I didn't get to do that looks cool.
I liked Seattle's light rail.
Definitely do all the touristy things: Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Ivar's Fish and Chips is the touristy food thing, but fun. There are also some fun food tours: Chef's Tasting Tour of Pike Place Market and also the Underground Donut Tour. Book a boat tour (there are several options). Catch a Mariners game.
Do something outdoorsy outside of the city. I hate I didn't go to Mount Rainier. I did this hike to Twin Falls and visit to the town of Snoqualmie to see the falls there: LINK The host meets you in town and drives the tour group out in a van. She's really good though. I will warn that it's a moderate hike. Could be too much for a 12 year old.
I would recommend Seattle to anyone though. Lots of stuff to do. The Seattle Spheres is another thing I didn't get to do that looks cool.
Posted on 12/18/25 at 10:34 am to Legion of Doom
We just went to Seattle for Thanksgiving week with two kids, 7 and 10. We stayed for two full days in Seattle, then took the Amtrak Cascades train to Vancouver.
We stayed at the Sheraton Grand Seattle. It was within walking distance of Pike Place Market and restaurants right on the water. We were right next to the Monorail station, which took us to the Space Needle, Rock N Roll Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and several attractions in that area. Climate Pledge Arena is next to the Space Needle, so not sure if there are events while you are there. We went to a Kraken game, which was a really fun experience. You can also take a train or a short Uber to T-Mobile Park for MLB or Lumen Field for MLS (NFL Stadium). They are right next to each other. Two or three days in Seattle is about enough for me, just not much to do. The Lion King Broadway play was just starting when we were leaving, so maybe there will be something playing when you are there.
Check out the Boeing Everett factory tour in Seattle. That was really cool. You get to see the 777 planes in production.
The train ride and time in Vancouver were the best. It's a 4-hour train that follows the coast—lots of cool scenery and wildlife. I felt safe in Vancouver, and it is clean. We stayed at the Fairmont and were able to walk to most places. Easy border crossing into Canada and back in the US. The Canadian customs lady was bullish when we arrived, asking a lot of questions, but no issues. On the return, about eight fully armed US Border Patrol agents got on the train and checked passports. They were really nice to us, but you could tell they scrutinized foreigners much more than they did Americans. Vancouver has a good aquarium. I would highly recommend Hy's Steakhouse, which was one of the best steakhouses I've been to.
We stayed at the Sheraton Grand Seattle. It was within walking distance of Pike Place Market and restaurants right on the water. We were right next to the Monorail station, which took us to the Space Needle, Rock N Roll Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and several attractions in that area. Climate Pledge Arena is next to the Space Needle, so not sure if there are events while you are there. We went to a Kraken game, which was a really fun experience. You can also take a train or a short Uber to T-Mobile Park for MLB or Lumen Field for MLS (NFL Stadium). They are right next to each other. Two or three days in Seattle is about enough for me, just not much to do. The Lion King Broadway play was just starting when we were leaving, so maybe there will be something playing when you are there.
Check out the Boeing Everett factory tour in Seattle. That was really cool. You get to see the 777 planes in production.
The train ride and time in Vancouver were the best. It's a 4-hour train that follows the coast—lots of cool scenery and wildlife. I felt safe in Vancouver, and it is clean. We stayed at the Fairmont and were able to walk to most places. Easy border crossing into Canada and back in the US. The Canadian customs lady was bullish when we arrived, asking a lot of questions, but no issues. On the return, about eight fully armed US Border Patrol agents got on the train and checked passports. They were really nice to us, but you could tell they scrutinized foreigners much more than they did Americans. Vancouver has a good aquarium. I would highly recommend Hy's Steakhouse, which was one of the best steakhouses I've been to.
Posted on 12/18/25 at 12:18 pm to Legion of Doom
Pretty good suggestions here already. Space Needle, Rock n Roll Museum and Chihuly Glass exhibit are all very close to each other. If you're going to do all 3, buy a city pass and it'll save you some money. Definitely would recommend a Mariners and/or Sounders game as well.
Pike Place Market is okay, but I don't fully understand the tourist appeal tbh. Downtown is kind of gross. Avoid 3rd Ave when you're traveling N-S in the city.
A couple other suggestions:
- Take a ferry to Bainbridge Island, grab a meal over there, come back (or water Taxi to West Seattle and do the same thing - Bainbridge is more of an experience though)
- The aquarium is small and won't take long to see and it's centrally located
- If the weather is cooperating, whale watching up in Whidbey Island or Anacortes is lovely. Deception Pass is beautiful too. Mt. Rainier will not be a good family option in May, too much snow still on the mountain.
For restaurants, I'll drop a few of my favorite places here.
- Un Bien: amazing sandwiches. Get the palamillo steak.
- Pink Door: Fun italian spot downtown, entrance through an alley. You'll need a reservation well in advance. Not super expensive by Seattle standards
- Post Alley Pizza: located near the market (which I'm sure you'll be near), great pizza and sandwiches
- Asian food here is incredible. Try xiao long bao from Din Tai Fung, Dough Zone, or Supreme Dumpling (whichever is most convenient for you). Get some dandan noodles and garlic green beans too. Pestle Rock in Ballard is my favorite Thai place. Try the kao soi - many restaurants don't have this dish and imo it's the best thai meal you can find here. Sushi, japanese, ramen .. it's all good.
- Asadero in Ballard. Mexican steakhouse, really good and not crazy expensive
General tips/heads up:
- Going out to eat is expensive here, so just be prepared for that. Just one more reason I love the asian food here, it is relatively affordable
- Late may will still probably be rainy and not especially warm. Make sure the fam has a nice warm layer like a sweater with a thin shell on top.
- Don't be afraid to use public transit! Not sure if you'll have a car or not, but the public transit here is pretty good. If you have a rental car, never leave anything inside of it. Like, nothing at all. Seattle is safe but property crime here is wild.
I moved here about 10 years ago, so if you have any specific questions feel free to reach out and I'm happy to help.
Pike Place Market is okay, but I don't fully understand the tourist appeal tbh. Downtown is kind of gross. Avoid 3rd Ave when you're traveling N-S in the city.
A couple other suggestions:
- Take a ferry to Bainbridge Island, grab a meal over there, come back (or water Taxi to West Seattle and do the same thing - Bainbridge is more of an experience though)
- The aquarium is small and won't take long to see and it's centrally located
- If the weather is cooperating, whale watching up in Whidbey Island or Anacortes is lovely. Deception Pass is beautiful too. Mt. Rainier will not be a good family option in May, too much snow still on the mountain.
For restaurants, I'll drop a few of my favorite places here.
- Un Bien: amazing sandwiches. Get the palamillo steak.
- Pink Door: Fun italian spot downtown, entrance through an alley. You'll need a reservation well in advance. Not super expensive by Seattle standards
- Post Alley Pizza: located near the market (which I'm sure you'll be near), great pizza and sandwiches
- Asian food here is incredible. Try xiao long bao from Din Tai Fung, Dough Zone, or Supreme Dumpling (whichever is most convenient for you). Get some dandan noodles and garlic green beans too. Pestle Rock in Ballard is my favorite Thai place. Try the kao soi - many restaurants don't have this dish and imo it's the best thai meal you can find here. Sushi, japanese, ramen .. it's all good.
- Asadero in Ballard. Mexican steakhouse, really good and not crazy expensive
General tips/heads up:
- Going out to eat is expensive here, so just be prepared for that. Just one more reason I love the asian food here, it is relatively affordable
- Late may will still probably be rainy and not especially warm. Make sure the fam has a nice warm layer like a sweater with a thin shell on top.
- Don't be afraid to use public transit! Not sure if you'll have a car or not, but the public transit here is pretty good. If you have a rental car, never leave anything inside of it. Like, nothing at all. Seattle is safe but property crime here is wild.
I moved here about 10 years ago, so if you have any specific questions feel free to reach out and I'm happy to help.
Posted on 12/18/25 at 7:02 pm to BRPelican45
Thanks, I really appreciate it. Was thinking of booking a private tour to Mt Rainier-the tour company takes people for winter tours. With the snow do you think it’s not worth it? My kids would love the snow.
Also, how is the museum of Pop Culture? It looks pretty interesting on the website. Is it worth visiting in person?
Also, how is the museum of Pop Culture? It looks pretty interesting on the website. Is it worth visiting in person?
Posted on 12/18/25 at 11:37 pm to Legion of Doom
A private tour would def be worth it. It could be tough sledding in a rental, but if the tour looks fun you should do it.
MoPop Museum is nice. Check out the exhibits closer to your arrival to see if it’s something your family would like, but I’ve been there a few times and have always had fun. I mistakenly called it the Rock n Roll Museum as that’s what it was called until a few years back.
MoPop Museum is nice. Check out the exhibits closer to your arrival to see if it’s something your family would like, but I’ve been there a few times and have always had fun. I mistakenly called it the Rock n Roll Museum as that’s what it was called until a few years back.
This post was edited on 12/18/25 at 11:39 pm
Posted on 12/19/25 at 9:44 am to Legion of Doom
The kids will love MoPop. Take the ferry to Bremerton and back, it's a good way to kill 2.5 hours and see some beautiful scenery for super cheap. Gas Works Park is awesome, and The Fremont Troll is nearby. I recommend getting a rental car and go to the one of many National Parks and Forests for a day. We went to Olympic for the Hoh Rainforest and it was fun drive through mostly countryside. 10/10.
Posted on 12/19/25 at 10:21 am to Legion of Doom
When you book seats for your return flight, get window seats on the left. Assuming you're leaving in the morning, you will get an awesome view of Mt. Rainier during climb out from SEA. The airport has an unparalleled selection of craft beers at the different bars/restaurants, and it's not flooded with IPAs.
Posted on 12/19/25 at 6:14 pm to Legion of Doom
I went in July 2024 for ten days and never saw a cloud.
I went for 21 days in December 2005 and it rained every day .Timing is everything.
I went for 21 days in December 2005 and it rained every day .Timing is everything.
Posted on 12/19/25 at 6:15 pm to Legion of Doom
Nm
This post was edited on 12/19/25 at 6:16 pm
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News