Things to do in Seattle when you're forced there for bad reasons for a week?

[senorcorazon]

Taking suggestions, PLEASE. I'm probably not fit to be meeting new people but need some short trips and excursions to keep my sanity. I'll have a wife and car to keep me company. We've both been there before, so no need to suggest the Space Needles and Experience Musics.

Examples:
- New Seattle Library
- Great book stores?
- $7 Mariners bleacher seats

Halp!

[not that clay]

I've found that Mariners tickets on stubhub are CHEAP if you get them within 24 hours of game time. Couple times this year I've got $60 tickets for $18.

What part of town are you going to be in?

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

What's the big one?  Elliot Bay Books?  Definitely worth it. 

[senorcorazon]

I've found that Mariners tickets on stubhub are CHEAP if you get them within 24 hours of game time. Couple times this year I've got $60 tickets for $18.

What part of town are you going to be in?

Was looking at tickets perhaps, since the bleachers are as low as $7. We'll be up north near UW.

[senorcorazon]

What's the big one?  Elliot Bay Books?  Definitely worth it.

Can't believe I might not have been here before. Will repent for my sins of omission.

[not that clay]

Elliot Bay Books moved to Capitol Hill, Pike/Pine neighborhood. It's not as cool as the old location in Pioneer Square but it's still pretty cool. Around the corner is my favorite cheap asian place, Ballet. I always get mock chicken curry (it's vegetarian).

The Frye Art Museum on First Hill is free and even has free parking.

The Ballard Ave area is pretty cool. There's a really great Mexican place called Senor Moose Cafe there. They have unusual regional Mexican food I've never seen anywhere else.

If you haven't been before check out the Pike Place Market. It's actually really fun.

Just north of UW there's a nice medium-sized book store called Third Place Books (Ravenna). My favorite pub is in the basement.

If you like comics you'll definitely want to go the Fantagraphics store in Georgetown. There's some great food down in Georgetown too.

If you just want to relax and kill time take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island and walk around Winslow Way.

Sorry for my  rambling Larry King style here. If there's anything you're into let me know. My areas of expertise include botanical gardens, vegetarian restaurants, and  guitar stores.

[dave from knoxville]

Isn't Andy Garcia in that?

[senorcorazon]

Thanks! Great suggestions. We have a friend who works at the Frye so we'll certainly go by there at least once. I had no clue that Fantagraphics had a store, and if that means that I can get another episode of Thrizzled, my trip will be saved.

Rambling welcomed. All three of these specialties are in the middle of the venn diagram.

[fonpr]

If you haven't been before check out the Pike Place Market. It's actually really fun.


Downstairs there's a  very good record store.

[Big Plastic Head]

The library downtown is worth a visit. Interesting architecture. I dig Olympic Sculpture Park too.

And Elliott Bay is great. I did not know they moved though. I loved the old creaky wood floor of the old location.

[Christina]

Is Twice Sold Tales still there?

[not that clay]

The library downtown is worth a visit. Interesting architecture. I dig Olympic Sculpture Park too.

And Elliott Bay is great. I did not know they moved though. I loved the old creaky wood floor of the old location.

Yeah, it's really sad. That old store was dreamy. It was no Powell's but you couldn't beat it for well-worn style.

[not that clay]

Is Twice Sold Tales still there?

Not the old store on Capitol Hill. It got torn down to make way for the subway stop.

[not that clay]

Thanks! Great suggestions. We have a friend who works at the Frye so we'll certainly go by there at least once. I had no clue that Fantagraphics had a store, and if that means that I can get another episode of Thrizzled, my trip will be saved.

Rambling welcomed. All three of these specialties are in the middle of the venn diagram.

OK, you asked for it!

by neighborhood, roughly north to south:

BALLARD
Ballard Ave shopping. fun for ladies.
Senor Moose Cafe (mainly for breakfast/brunch food. I always get huevos divorciados)
Ballard Locks -  nice gardens too
Dutch Bike Co (actual dutch bikes). cool people. test drive a bakfiets.

UW/RAVENNA
Ravenna/Cowen Park - pretty walk along a creek.
Araya - vegan Thai food
Hillside Quickies - vegan soul food. super greasy in a good way
Trading Musician - pretty good guitar store
Third Place Books Ravenna - nice little bookstore, great pub in basement
Center for Urban Horticulture - terrific garden, small, nice walk in some grasslands. short trip.

CAPITOL HILL
Washington Park Arboretum - large, lotsa trees, pretty. free
Interlaken Drive - winding street. pretty drive.
Cafe Flora - alright vegetarian restaurant. maybe past its prime. slightly fancy
Volunteer Park Conservatory - super little greenhouse. free. dahlia gardens right there too.
Remedy Teas - veg sandwiches and snacks. Fun if you like tea.

PIKE/PINE
Elliot Bay Book Company
Ballet - cheap asian with veg options. I'm a regular. I always get mock chicken curry.
Cal Anderson Park - nice little walk around an urban park
general hipster scene

DOWNTOWN/PIKE PLACE MARKET
Shorty's - pinball. you can get a beer and a veggie chili cheese dog. If Tom lived in Seattle I bet he'd hang out here.
Xanadu Comics
White Horse pub in the market - hard to find. tiny tiny tiny english-style pub. Open after 4 or 5pm I think

PIONEER SQUARE
Emerald City Guitars - nice guitar shop. Cool people.

GEORGETOWN
Fantagraphics Store - must-see for comics-lovers
Georgetown Liquor Club - good god I love this place. It's a dive bar with all vegetarian food. I always get the french dip sandwich.

WEST SEATTLE
drive out to Alki beach and pretend you're in California

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If the weather's nice it's fun to rent bikes somewhere and bike along the Burke-Gilman trail. Renting a canoe at UW and paddling around Union Bay is fun too.
http://depts.washington.edu/ima/IMA_wac.php

[KickTheBobo]

Visit Bruce Lee's Grave.
Get some Eggs Benedict @ Coastal Kitchen
James Turrell room @ Henry Art Museum
Play old school video games @ Shorty's

If you haven't been exposed to much nature in awhile (or ever), it might be worth taking a ride out to Mt. Ranier. It was amazing.

I would also suggest making a audio loop of "Spare change? Spare Change?" to listen to beforehand to get yourself acclimated to the sounds of Downtown/ Capitol Hill & U District. Seriously, the frigging squatter punx are numerous and quite aggressive/rude from my experience.