Postcard from Seattle

Cristina's Seattle Adventure

Crisparate = Cristina + disparate: Spanish for a wonderfully absurd idea.
Two days of walking, eating and wandering around Seattle

Capitol Hill → South Lake Union → Seattle Center → Pike Place → Capitol Hill

10:00 start · 6:00 PM dinner
~7.1 km walking
Uber, Monorail, bus 49 · ~25 min riding
Forecast ~53°F, low rain chance
Sunset ~5:50 PM

Walk Monorail Bus 49 Uber O8 Spheres option Tea stop

10:00
S

Start: Cecil Bacon Manor

959 Broadway E. Walk south on Broadway to E Roy St, then west on Roy. Roy doesn't run straight through past Bellevue Ave E, so take Bellevue Ave E → Lakeview Blvd E, pass under I-5 at Roy, then continue to Eastlake and Lake Union.
Walk 2.5 km · ~35 min, mostly downhill
10:35(85 min)
1

Lake Union Park & Center for Wooden Boats

Wooden Boats museum is free, open Wed–Sun 10–4 (no rentals until March). Seaplanes take off right there. MOHAI, the Seattle history museum, is in the same park if you want time indoors.
12:00
Uber ~10 min, 1.8 km to Chihuly, 305 Harrison St
12:30(75 min)
2

Chihuly Garden and Glass Tickets 12:30

Arrive by 12:20. Glasshouse, garden, then the exhibition halls.
13:45(20 min)
3

Walk around Seattle Center

International Fountain, the Space Needle from below, and MoPOP's Frank Gehry building, which the Monorail runs straight through. Finish at the Monorail station.
14:05
M

Monorail: Seattle Center → Westlake

$4 one way, 2 min ride, trains about every 10 min. Station is next to MoPOP.
Monorail 2 min, then walk 0.8 km · ~10 min down Pike St
option
O8

Option: backtrack to the Spheres

From Westlake, walk 0.6 km · ~8 min north to the Spheres (7th & Lenora). The Spheres interior is open to the public only on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays, so see them from outside; the Understory visitor center below is free, Tue–Sat 10–6. Then walk 1 km · ~14 min to Market Grill. Adds about 30 min: lunch around 2:50, so trim time at the Market or the bookstore.
optional
A1

Tea: Nana's Green Tea

1007 Stewart St, 0.5 km from the Spheres, on the O8 side trip. Japanese matcha café with food and seating. Sources disagree slightly on the location.
14:20(40 min)
4

Late lunch: Market Grill

Blackened salmon sandwich, Main Arcade, 1509 Pike Place. Few seats, expect a short line. Backup: Beecher's grilled cheese, 1600 Pike Place.
15:00(40 min)
5

Pike Place Market, Post Alley & Gum Wall

Fish throwing at Pike Place Fish, the original Starbucks storefront (1912 Pike Place), Post Alley, the Gum Wall. Halloween Saturday will be crowded.
optional
A2

Tea: Perennial Tea Room

1910 Post Alley. Loose-leaf tea shop that brews any tea by the cup. Small seating area. Daily 9:30–6.
15:40(15 min)
6

Overlook Walk

Elevated park from the Market down to the waterfront. Views of Elliott Bay and the Olympics.
Walk 0.6 km · ~8 min up the Pike Street Hillclimb and Pike St to 4th Ave
16:05
B

Bus 49: Pike St & 4th Ave → E Pine St & Harvard Ave

Eastbound toward the U District, up Pike and Pine. Get off at E Pine St & Harvard Ave, 1 block from Broadway & Pike. About 12 min; Halloween traffic may slow it. Tap ORCA.
Bus ~12 min, then walk 0.3 km · ~4 min to 10th Ave & Pike
16:25(45 min)
7

Elliott Bay Book Company

1521 10th Ave. Large independent bookstore with a café inside for a tea and a rest.
optional
A3

Tea: Elliott Bay Book Company café

Inside the bookstore. The easiest rest stop of the day.
optional
A4

Tea: Atulea

1715 12th Ave, 2 blocks away. Matcha, milk tea, soft serve. Hours unconfirmed.
17:15(20 min)
8

Cal Anderson Park

Two blocks north. Sunset is around 5:50, so be here before dark.
Walk 1.2 km · ~17 min north on Broadway. Halloween costumes start filling the street
18:00
9

Dinner at Aoki

621 Broadway E, 0.4 km south of the manor.

Before Saturday

Chihuly timed entry, 12:30 (booked)
Aoki reserved, 6:00 PM
ORCA cards loaded
Rain gear and layers

Walking routes from OpenStreetMap routing. Times include short buffers. Clocks go back 1 hour overnight into Sunday, Nov 1.

Harvard Ave E → Volunteer Park → Interlaken → Arboretum → Madison Park → Macrina → Monsoon

10:00 start · 5:00 PM dinner
~5.8 km walking, mostly downhill
Bus 11 to the water · Uber back
Clocks go back 1 hour overnight
Sunset ~4:50 PM

Walk Bus 11 Uber Tea / rest stop

10:00
S

Start: Cecil Bacon Manor

959 Broadway E. Pack the sandwiches and water.
Walk 0.2 km · ~3 min
10:05(40 min)
1

Visit: 1178 Harvard Ave E

40 min.
Walk 0.8 km · ~11 min into Volunteer Park
10:55(25 min)
2

Volunteer Park Water Tower

Free, opens at 10. Stairs to an observation deck with views of the Needle, the Sound and the Olympics. The Conservatory is next door if you want it (+30 min, about $6).
Walk 3.4 km · ~50 min, downhill: north through Volunteer Park, then Interlaken Dr E and E Interlaken Blvd all the way down through the woods to the Arboretum. The lower part of the boulevard is closed to cars.
12:10(40 min)
3

Picnic lunch on Azalea Way

South end of Azalea Way, where Interlaken Blvd meets the Arboretum. Eat your sandwiches on a bench or the lawn, then stroll a bit north on Azalea Way through the fall color if you like. If it rains hard, skip the picnic and eat at Cactus in Madison Park (4220 E Madison St, Sun 10–10) at the end of the walk.
Walk 0.4 km · ~6 min
12:55(45 min)
4

Seattle Japanese Garden

$10 adults. November Sundays 10–4, last entry 3:15. Restrooms here. The city listed the north section as under construction through November.
Walk 0.6 km · ~9 min south on Lake Washington Blvd E to E Madison St
13:50
T

Bus 11 toward Madison Park

From E Madison St & Lake Washington Blvd E, eastbound, to the end of the line at Madison Park. About 8 min. Tap ORCA. Check the next departure in the Transit GO or OneBusAway app; Sunday frequency unconfirmed.
Bus ~8 min, 1.6 km, then 1 block to the beach
14:10(45 min)
5

Madison Park Beach

End of E Madison St on Lake Washington. Views across to the Eastside and, on a clear day, Mt. Rainier. Lawn, benches and a dock if the weather holds; places to sit indoors are listed below.
Places to rest in Madison Park
rest
B1

Madison Park Bakery

4214 E Madison St, 1 block from the beach. Tea and pastries. Sun 9–4. Little seating.
rest
B2

Starbucks Madison Park

4000 E Madison St, 2 blocks up from the beach. Fireplace and seating; the most comfortable place to rest. Sun until about 9 PM.
rest
B3

Cactus

4220 E Madison St, 1 block from the beach. Sit-down restaurant, Sun 10–10. Also the rain backup for lunch.
14:55
Uber ~10–15 min, 3.2 km to Macrina on 19th Ave E
15:10(100 min)
6

Rest at Macrina Bakery

746 19th Ave E, at E Aloha St. Café with pastries, tea and seating; about 1.5 hours to rest before dinner. Open Sun 7–6.
Walk 0.3 km · ~4 min south on 19th Ave E
17:00
7

Dinner at Monsoon

615 19th Ave E. Reserved.

Before Sunday

Monsoon reserved, 5:00 PM
Rain gear and layers
Uber app set up
ORCA cards loaded
Make sandwiches; bring water

Optional evening: Compline at St. Mark's, Sundays 9:30 PM, a candlelit sung service about 1.6 km from Monsoon. Walking routes from OpenStreetMap routing; bus and Uber lines are approximate.