William (Rock Hardy) in Seattle, Sept. 9th-16th

Also, we have found the City Pass for Seattle to be fairly worth it, especially if you are into old planes and want to do the Space Needle. For a cheap but scenic boat ride, walk on to the Bainbridge Island ferry. When you get off on Bainbridge, take a short walk to the Streamliner Diner for a bite, then ride the ferry back to Seattle.

...fooey, Mariners are on the road then.

Hmm.

I'll be gone the weekend of the 10th and 11th unfortunately (I'll be in SF), but if you're into "pfreaky noise pfestivals", there's the Wooden Octopus Skull happening the 8th through 11th. Noggin, etc. Caroliner etc., Steve Stapleton of Nurse With Wound DJing, etc. I might be back in town by Sunday night to catch Steve Stapleton.. hmmmmm

If I weren't to go on any trips out of the city, would I need to rent a car, or is Seattle a good city for the carless?

That said, by the time you get here, all the stuff I said about bus tunnels in my loooong post to gygax! will be obsolete, as they're closing the bus tunnels starting Sept 4th. What this means is: your buses will just end up on downtown surface streets instead.. there might be more traffic and a few more delays, but you won't have to take elevators or anything to get up to the street surface level... if you take the 194 or 1974 to downtown, you'll be on 3rd street. Depending on where you're staying, get off wherever is closest for you on 3rd.

Retrofitting, light rail projects.. it'll be a while.

Granted, the only good thing about the bus tunnels were "oh cool! Bus tunnels". The only real function they served (IMHO) was to help relieve bus traffic on the surface streets, but on the flip, they usually just confused people who had to take buses down there.. especially visitors. The weirdly restricted bus tunnel hours didn't make things easier. ("Oh, we have bus tunnels, except after 7pm... and not on Sunday.. Sorry you missed your bus. Try 3rd st. next time! Good day!")

That said, I'm going to take a bus in the tunnels one last time in August before they are closed, because they just won't be the same once they're back up.. and who knows when that day will come.

Sorry, "if you take the 194 or 174".. oops

Also:

http://seattle.wifimug.org - free wifi coffeeshops around seattle

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/ - ferries

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/traveloutdoors/links/citywalks/ - Seattle Times City Walks (they list bus lines that go to the neighborhoods and give you good walking routes)

I'm looking at the Executive Pacific Plaza Hotel, 400 Spring St., but the book says the rooms aren't air conditioned. Will this be a problem mid-September? I may just book at the Days Inn Downtown at I-5, cheapish and a known quantity.

For the ultra-budget minded, there's always the Green Tortoise Hostel or Hostelling International.

(OH, I forgot to tell you. I picked up Charlotte-Douglas airport cards for you, and, well, a certain ex roommate of yours, for very obvious reasons... Charlotte NC was my transfer point between Seattle and Raleigh/Durham.. RDU has no airport cards of their own, sadly.)

This is the most unplanned trip I've ever taken, I think. I'm really just going to be flying in and figuring out things from there, although I am planning to show up for the Stapleton DJ set on Sunday. Most of my brain cells are given over to trying to decide whether I want to buy an iPod in time to take with me.

Are you for or against sushi?

I'm excited about going somewhere cool for a week. If it's down into the 50s, I may go streaking. (Not.)

I don't know where the milk shakes and cows thing came from. That sounds boring even for me.

I plan to be at the Baltic Room Sunday night.

Donut's got a bunch of stuff up on 43Places.com - it's a good resource.

July 1 kicks off Seafair

Oooo! Seafair! Blue Angels and PIRATES!

jaq i'm game for a fap in april. i've only ever met one other seattle ilxor (donut) and that was a while ago.

I bought Buddenbrooks!

C. - oh! do!

Late April weekend = EMP Pop Conference weekend = BILLIUNS AND BILLIUMS AND BILLIUNS of ILXors are going to be in Seattle that weekend, including Matos (coming back after moving to NYC the other day), Geeta, Michael Daddino, Joseph McCombs, Strongo (I think), Twan (I think), Heavens! Someone I forgot! ;-), and many many more people...

late June/early July = Me in Vancouver for major NoMeansNo CD Release party FAP in combination with possible road-tripping CaliLXorz FAP in Vancouver *and* Seattle.. and fuck yeah, Canada Day (July 1st) *and* July 4th at Lake Union off Westlake Ave. = parteeeeeeeeeee!

I'll be reposting the How To Get Around In Seattle FAQ in a few days, for the EMP Pop Conference peeps anyway... things have changed a little since last year, what with the bus tunnel closing, although the net effect on public transit is nothing worse than just the Monorail not working.. although who knows if it will be running by late April or late June, even. *shrug*

I don't know if anything happens yet! I only ordered it a few hours ago, hopefully nothing will. I'll try and fit it in before RPG Challenge...

xpost
I am touched by your research! Genuinely! Particularly if I end up being too tired to take advantage of it.

Jeez, the baseball con basics are more expensive than last year ... I may stay downtown just for convenience, and hike it to the DoubleHeader, Eagle etc. (yes I'm in NYC, and I hike the hills of SF fairly easily when I go.

Not a Seattle-centric revive, but -- I'm going to get in my truck and wander the country for a few days next week. Anybody east of the Mississippi want to meet up?

Thinking about Portland and/or Seattle in September. Anybody interested in meetups?

in Portland, sure! maybe more ilxors in Seattle though...

Seattlx0rs are the meet-uppiest ilxors.

This is still possible, though the window is closing.

Definitely around for a September meet up - I head back to AL on 9/27 though and might have a weekend free for possible MS or Atlanta shenanigans.

One insane idea I had was going to Seattle for one of the King Crimson shows. Trip could involve going to the San Jose (Morgan Hill) area to meet up with my boss (travel expense writeoff!) -- she has a ton of small office chores and workflow issues due to being a semi-Luddite with a 12-year-old laptop.

I'm gonna be in Seattle on and off for a few weeks leading up to then, I guarantee drink-uppening getting organised if you do go

Welp, looks like this may be off. The work trip is pushed back to next Feb. or March, at least, and my relaxed September is getting busier every hour.

Ah well. Spring is nice and maybe you could be here for the EMP pop conference.