Sleepless in Seattle and Looking for Something to Do?
Maybe one of the more popular overnights for flight crews especially in the summertime. Longer daylight hours, wonderful temperatures and plenty to do, Seattle offers every crew member something fantastic to enjoy.
Distance from airport to downtown : About 13 miles.
Local transportation Options: Central light rail, called Central Link, operates from the Sea-Tao airport to downtown Seattle every 7.5 to 15 minutes depending on the time of day from 5am to 1am. It takes about 38 minutes to get to or from the SeaTac Airport to downtown Seattle or back. Prices run from $2 to $2.75 One way. Day Passes cost two times the one-way fare and are good for travel on the service, date and stations printed on the ticket. You can use an ORCA card or buy a ticket from the ticket vending machine (TVM) on the Link train platform. TVMs accept cash, VISA or MasterCard.
Of course there is also cab and rental car. The crew hotel also might offer to take you to other locations nearby the hotel. You would have to ask what options they might be able to offer you.
Nearest Drug Store:
Walgreens Store in Tukwila, about 2.5 miles away – (206) 204-1284, 3716 S 144th St
Safeway, about 2 miles away – (206) 244-2567, 4011 South 164th Street
Nearest Major Shopping:
Westfield Shopping Center about 4.5 miles away (9 minutes by cab). At the Intersection of I-5 and I-405. 240 stores, restaurants, entertainment and grocery in one premier shopping destination. Shops including Macy’s, Nordstrom, JCPenney and Sears. Find haute selections at LOFT, bebe, Cache, Coach, Guess, MAC, The Get your trend on at Charlotte Russe, Delia’s, H&M, Hollister, Love Culture, Marc Ecko Cut & Sew, Sephora and XXI Forever. Relax at one of our fabulous restaurants: B-J’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, Blue C Sushi, Joey’s Southcenter, Duke’s Chowder House, RACHA Thai & Asian Kitchen, The
Cheesecake Factory, Rainforest Cafe, Bahama Breeze and Olive Garden. On your way out, don’t forget to pick up uniquely Northwest gifts from Made in Washington, Seattle Teamshop, Mariners Team Store, Fireworks, Fuego and Just Sports.
Pike Place Market-Downtown Seattle – about 20 away. Popular with tourists and locals alike. The original Starbucks is here along with movie locations by including Sleeping in Seattle. Also a number of great 3 restaurants nearby. Take the Central Link to Downtown Seattle and you can walk or grab a cab to Pike place.
Where to Eat: (besides at your hotel)
Sharps Rooster House – 8427 International Blvd, (206) 241 -5744. For over 20 years, Sharps Rooster House has been heralded as the airport’s most popular restaurant. A classic American Roast House, Sharps features over 10 Fresh Roast Varieties daily coming from it’s one of a kind 25 foot Roasting Works (look for it right in the dining room). The Bent Prop Pub actually does feature bent props from aviation defugalties. Check out our ceiling and then choose from over 500 spirits. Our wagering wheel, featuring drink specials, is spun every 30 minutes which means it’s happy hour all day long in the Bent Prop Pub. Note: They offer a 20% discount on everything but alcohol when you present your airline ID.
Mango Thai Cuisine & Bar – 8613 International Blvd, (206) 243-1888. Open from 11 am to 10 pm daily. The Seattle area is great for Thai food in general, so you expect competent Thai in the least, but this place nudges it up just a bit. The menu is a standard, easy to understand American Thai menu: Pad Thai, Ginger Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Panang Curry, etc. I had one of their green curries, and it was spectacular! The heat was definitely on at three stars, and was very welcome. The mixed drinks were also tasty. I loved the Lychee Mojito. This place is worth going to if you are in the area, and especially if you’re tired of the standard All-American fare. You will not be disappointed. Note: They offer a 10% discount on everything but alcohol when you present your airline ID.
13 Coins Restaurant – 8000 International Blvd, (206) 243-9500. Open 24 Hours, 7 Days a Week. Regardless of the time of day or night, this place is open and ready to fill you up! 13 Coins has been serving breakfast, lunch dinner since 1967. 13 Coins was voted of the top 5 Best Late Night Restaurants by the Food Network. Yes you really can have breakfast, lunch or dinner at any time, day or night at this restaurant. From Smoked Salmon Benedict, to a salad, burger or Filet Mignon, the extensive men is sure to have something you will enjoy. Note: They do not offer an airline employee discount.
What to do on your overnight: If you are going to overnight in Seattle on a regular basis then check out the Seattle City Pass that will save you up to 43% at 6 major attractions including the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, EMP Museum, Pacific Science Center, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour and either the Woodland Zoo either the Museum of Flight.
Take in a baseball game. One of the stops on Central Link is Stadium. This stop is just one block from the ballpark for the Seattle Mariners. So if you have the time and the Mariners are playing at home for $5.50 RT you get from your airport hotel to the game and back. Mariner games are rarely sold out so in most cases walk up and get your tickets. We went to a game last July with temperatures in the high 70’s and enjoyed a fantastic evening. Just so happened the Mariners were playing our home team Texas Rangers (Rangers won) . Get more info on the Seattle Mariners go to: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=sea
Visit the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection just 4 miles south of SeaTac airport is Weyerhauser Headquarters. Take a lovely walk and tour and learn about Bonsai, Rhodedenens, renewing lumbar sources and a fabulous art gallery. Put this on your list of things to see. The Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection is open weekly Tuesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays) year-round. Operating hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Bonsai is an ancient Asian art form that finds root in human emotion. The Weyerhaeuser corporate campus is the home for our Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection. Bonsai are miniaturized, living trees shaped by artists to portray scenic large trees in nature. The collection features 60 outstanding bonsai from six Pacific Rim nations. Take a cab to get here and back.
Chihuly Garden and Glass is Located north of Downtown Seattle, the Chihuly Garden and Glass isa new art experience showcasing the most signifigant works of internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer Dale Chihuly. Open 10 to 10 Monday through Thursday and 10 to 11 Friday through Sunday. (206) 753-4940. Adult tickets are $19, kids 4-12 are $12 and Seniors over 65 are $17.
Go shopping at Westfield Southcenter Mall. Take in a movie, dine, shop at over 240 stores if you want to exercise, walk the mall. Open 7 days a week. Take a cab from an airport hotel to get here and back.
Go Shopping, people watching and dining at Pike Place Market, you need to experience this place to know the attraction it has to visitors. Most merchants are open from 10 am to 6 pm daily. Sip coffee at the first Starbucks, watch the fish fly at Pike Place Fish, find fresh fruits, vegetables, homemade jams, deserts, pastas, flowers and more. Within a couple of blocks of Pike Place you will find a number of great local restaurants including some on the seafront with outdoor seating! Take the light rail to downtown Seattle and walk over to Pike Place or take a cab.
Seattle Aquarium is not far from Pike Place Market. Discover playful sea otters, graceful octopuses, luminous moon jellies and more. Be amazed by Window on Washington Waters, a 120,000 gallon exhibit with daily dive shows. Touch live sea creatures in the tide pools. Immerse yourself in our Underwater Dome’s 360 degree view. Take a virtual trip to the tropics in our Pacific Coral Reef exhibit. Be sure to check the Seattle CityPass for discount admissions. Tickets start as low as $21.95. Visit just the Aquarium or if you have time take advantage of the CityPass or one of the other combination tickets and enjoy the Aquarium and some of the to her special places in Seattle.
Explore the Museum of Flight 9404 East Marginal Way S, (206) 764-5720 The Independent Non-Profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than 500,000 visitors annually. The Museum’s collection includes over 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the Red Barn®-the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Co., the original papers of the Wright brothers, and the one-of-a-kind NASA Space Shuttle Trainer, used to train every space shuttle astronaut since the inception of the program. Among the most popular exhibits at the Museum are the world’s first fighter plane, the first jet Air Force One, the prototype Boeing 747, the West Coast’s only Concorde, and the world’s fastest aircraft – the Blackbird spy plane. More than just an attraction, however, the Museum is a hub of science, technology, engineering, and math education, serving over 150,000 participants each year through on-site and outreach programs and the Museum’s aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast, holding more than 1.4 million images. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Associations of Museums, and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Open daily from 10am to 5pm except the 1St Thursday of the month, April – September, when they are open until 9pm. Admission is $18. Take a cab to get here and back. Be sure to check Seattle CityPass discount admission to the Museum of Flight.