More Things to Do in Seattle and Beyond
The places listed below are a bit further away from the Seattle Convention Center. You'll need to take the bus, light rail, or Uber to get to most of these places.
South Lake Union
From the Seattle Convention Center, you can take the South Lake Union Street Car to get to the South Lake Union (SLU) area in about 20 minutes. Or, you can walk to SLU in about 25 minutes. It's always great to hang out at Lake Union Park and watch the seaplanes land, or go kayaking in the lake. There are two relatively cheap ways to boat around the lake.
If you have about a half-day to spend, I recommend taking a ferry to explore Bainbridge Island or checking out the Snoqualmie Falls. If you want to venture into the outdoors for intermediate day hikes, Rattlesnake Ledge and Little Si are some of the popular ones in the area. If you want even more challenges, you could check out Mount Si. There's a shuttle bus that takes you to most of these trails from downtown Seattle at a low price: Trailhead Direct.
With even more time in Seattle, it will be an excellent time to visit Olympic National Parks and Mount Rainier National Park. You can also drive down to Portland, Oregon (a 3-hour drive) and explore the famous beaches along the Oregon Coast.
South Lake Union
From the Seattle Convention Center, you can take the South Lake Union Street Car to get to the South Lake Union (SLU) area in about 20 minutes. Or, you can walk to SLU in about 25 minutes. It's always great to hang out at Lake Union Park and watch the seaplanes land, or go kayaking in the lake. There are two relatively cheap ways to boat around the lake.
- The Center for Wooden Boats has a free one-hour boat rental program that you can book in advance. These are for very simple wooden rowing boats, but it's free. :)
- Sunday Ice Cream Cruise is an excellent way to tour the lake, including the houseboat from the Sleepless in Seattle (1993) movie and the Gas Works Park. It's on a first-come-first-served basis and gives you a 45-minute tour of the lake ($15).
- Kerry Park: This is a very small park with the BEST view of Seattle. It is about a 20-minute bus ride from the Seattle Convention Center. While you're there, get ice cream at Molly Moon's and/or coffee at Caffe Fiore.
- Gas Works Park: This park has an interesting history. It was the site of the former gasification plant transformed into a park. It has a great view of Seattle with an amazing view of South Lake Union. You can walk about 15 minutes to get to the Fremont Troll and grab a cup of coffee at Milstead & Co.
- Ella Bailey Park: This park is a little out of the way, located in the mostly residential Magnolia area. But you get an incredible view of Seattle from a slightly different angle. You'll see a lot of photographers trying to get the best shot of the Seattle skyline on your way to this park.
- Discovery Park: It's a bit harder to get to Discovery Park by public transportation, but it's only a 20-minute car ride away. This is the largest park in Seattle and a completely separate world, great for hiking, trail running, birding, etc (check out the Loop Trail). There's also a scenic lighthouse and beach area with a fantastic view of Puget Sound. If you want to experience the nature of the Pacific Northwest while still in Seattle, this park is where you'll get it.
- Alki Beach Park: Alki Beach is located in West Seattle. A fun way to get to the beach is to take the West Seattle Water Taxi from the Seattle Ferry Terminal, which will take about 20 minutes. This is a prime location for the Seattle skyline view, and you'll get amazing photos.
If you have about a half-day to spend, I recommend taking a ferry to explore Bainbridge Island or checking out the Snoqualmie Falls. If you want to venture into the outdoors for intermediate day hikes, Rattlesnake Ledge and Little Si are some of the popular ones in the area. If you want even more challenges, you could check out Mount Si. There's a shuttle bus that takes you to most of these trails from downtown Seattle at a low price: Trailhead Direct.
With even more time in Seattle, it will be an excellent time to visit Olympic National Parks and Mount Rainier National Park. You can also drive down to Portland, Oregon (a 3-hour drive) and explore the famous beaches along the Oregon Coast.