Insider tips for visitors to Seattle

Here are some of my favorite places to take guests visiting Seattle. Enjoy!

For post card views of downtown , there’s Kerry Park in Queen Anne. Even my jet-lagged friends thank me for dragging them here. Surprising that not many Seattle natives even know this place.

Mt. Rainier is an icon, and the best place to see it is at Sunrise. Paradise is more well-known, but Sunrise is an easier drive, gets you up to higher elevations and has better views of the mountain. Drive to Enumclaw and follow state highway 410 to Sunrise Road. Or, continue down 410 on Chinook Pass to check out “…magestic views of Rainier at every turn”.

Another great day trip just 29 miles east of downtown is Snoqualmie Falls. Who doesn’t love waterfalls?

How about a boat cruise in Elliot Bay? Why bother paying $75 for an Argosy Dinner Cruise when you can pay just $3.00 for a ride on the King County Water Taxi (just $1.00 w/ a metro bus transfer), which gives you nearly the same experience, shuttling you from Pier 55 in downtown Seattle across Elliot Bay to West Seattle.

Once you’re in West Seattle , stroll around and enjoy the beachfront, then hop over to La Rustica (4100 Beach Dr SW) for a home-style Italian meal. This place is not well-known, so please keep it a secret, okay?