Looking Back: 360 Rant Rave’s Seattle Guide For PAX ’08

Seattle Sky

The 2008 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is just over three months away. For many attendees, this will be their first trip to PAX and their first trip to Seattle, WA.

Well, to help all you Seattle newbies out there, 360 Rant Rave has put together a Seattle city guide, to help you find the best of hotels, transporation, food & drink, entertainment and other attractions around the city. There’s more to Seattle than just PAX. Find out where to go and what to do outside the convention center.

Hotels:

As prior PAX attendees know, Penny Arcade always secures a few hotel deals, which you can get by booking your accomocations through Penny Arcade. This years prices range from $149/Night to $179/Night, depending on the hotel and room selected. You can find a full listing of PAX’s hotel deals HERE.

The PAX deals are great, but I know that some of you out there are on an even tighter budget. There are just a couple of hotels in the downtown area that beat the prices of the PAX deals above. (All hotel prices listed are as of May 1, 2008.)

Downtown:

Seattle Pacific Hotel - $132/Night
325 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle
206-441-0400

Seattle Pacific Hotel is a quarter-mile from the Space Needle and Seattle Center and approximately 14 miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. This location is also a quarter-mile from the Experience Music Project, less than two miles from Pike Place Market and the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, three miles from Safeco Field, and four miles from Woodland Park Zoo and the University of Washington.

Ramada Inn Downtown – $149/Night
International Boulevard & South 1st Street, Seattle
206-244-8800

The Ramada Inn Seattle City Center is located in the heart of downtown and approximately 16 miles from the Seattle-Tacoma airport. Guests will be able to walk to many attractions, including Pike Place Market and the famous Space Needle.

Sixth Avenue Inn – $149/Night
2000 6th Avenue, Seattle
206-441-8300

The Sixth Avenue Inn is located in the heart of downtown Seattle near shopping and major Seattle attractions like the Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, the waterfront, and the Seattle Center.

Also, if you’re willing to stay outside of downtown and take public transporation to get downtown, you can save a lot. There are several inexpensive hotels near the Seattle airport, and a bus that will take you from the airport right to downtown about every 30 minutes, all day. Here are just a few.

Near The Airport:

Travelodge Seattle – $69/Night
14845 Tukwila International Boulevard, Tukwila
206-242-1777

This hotel is located only about a mile from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and 14 miles to Downtown Seattle. Local attractions include Chinatown, the Seattle Space Needle, Enchanted Park, Underground City, and Tellicum Village, all within ten miles of the property.

Ramada Limited Seattle Airport – $89/Night
International Boulevard & South 139th Street, Seattle
206-244-8800

Ramada Limited Seattle Airport is located at the airport hub and shopping hub for the state of Washington. Free shuttle service is available to and from Sea-Tac International Airport. Easy freeway access offers quick trips to nearby skiing resorts, and beautiful mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The convenient airport location also offers 20 minutes access to downtown Seattle without the downtown price.

Days Inn – $96/Night
19015 International Boulevard, Seatac
206-244-3600

The Days Inn Seatac is located 3 blocks from the Seattle-Tacoma International airport and about 15 miles south of downtown Seattle. Angel Lake Park is within walking distance. The hotel operates a complimentary 24-hour shuttle to/from the airport.

Transportation:

Seattle is a pretty easy city to get around in. In fact, the busses in the downtown area are all completely free (the bus drivers will warn you when you are leaving the ‘free ride’ area). That means getting from place to place, especially in the downtown area, is pretty easy, even if you don’t feel like walking much.

Busses:
Most of the bus drivers are very friendly and will gladly answer your questions to help you reach your desination.

Outside of the downtown free ride area, Metro bus rates range from $1.50 to $2.25 depending on the route and time of day (commute hour trips on Friday will cost you a bit more).

The most imporant bus route to know for those saying in hotels near the Seattle airport is route 194. Route 194 is the fastest and most direct route to travel between downtown Seattle and the Seattle airport. It runs every 30 minutes between the airport and downtown – from about 5:00AM until about 10:00PM daily (7:00PM on Sunday).

Taxis:
Taxi cabs are abundant in downtown Seattle, so if you prefer to take a taxi to get from place to place that’s an easy option as well. Rates are standard.

Other:
The Seattle Monorail is more of a tourist attraction than a useful means of transportation around the city. It will take you from the Westlake Center Mall, not far from the Seattle Convention Center, to the Seattle Center (where you will find the Space Needle, the Experience Music Project, the Pacific Science Center & a lot more), but that’s it. Don’t plan on using it to get around the city.

Rent a scooter! It’s an option many people never consider, but it can be a great way to get around and see some of the city. Scoot About, a short walk from the Convention Center, rents Vespa, TGA, Schwinn and Buddy scooters at prices ranging from $30/hour to $75 for an all-day rental (or $85 for a 24 hour rental).

Food & Drink:

Gamers get hungry (and thirsty)! While you can find some pretty decent food and drink at the Seattle Convention Center (such as Subway, CyberDogs and Taco Del Mar), it can really pay to be a bit adventerous and take the time to walk a few blocks and discover something special. Here are some great dining & drinking options that are all within walking distance from the Convention Center.

GameWorks
1511 7th Avenue, Seattle
206-521-0952

Keep right on gaming while you grab a bite. GameWorks is kitty-corner from the Convention Center and is a popular gathering place during PAX.

The Cheesecake Factory
700 Pike Street, Seattle
206-652-5400

Ooooh, dangerous! Got a sweet tooth? Stop in and indulge. Just don’t go into a cheesecake coma!

Gordon Biersch
600 Pine Street, Suite 401, Seattle
206-405-4205

Good food and good beer – located in one of Seattle’s premiere shopping locations, Pacific Place, just a few blocks from the convention center.

Rock Bottom
1333 Fifth Avenue, Seattle
206-623-3070

Rock Bottom features a reasonably prices menu, and local, handcrafted ales. It’s just a few blocks walk from the convention center.

Tap House Grill
1506 Sixth Avenue, Seattle
206-816-3314

Seaks, seafood, sush and over 160 beers on tap! Thirsty? (Official Location for The Blue Skittle pre-PAX party.)

Pike Brewing
1415 1st Avenue, Seattle
206-622-6044

Launched as Liberty Brewing in 1921, The Pike Brewing company is located in the famous Seattle Pike Place Market. Serving great local fare and excellent handcrafted ales, Pike Brewing is definitely worth the walk from the Convention Center.

Westlake Center
400 Pine Street, Seattle
206-467-1600

Westlake Center is a shopping mall in downtown Seattle, just a few blocks from the Convention Center. While not a restaurant itself, it has an extensive food court for those who either can’t make up their minds or are looking for a more economical place to eat. With choices like Bombay Wala Indian Cuisine, Cajun & Grill, Sabarro, Teriyaki Temple, McDonalds, World Wraps & more, everyone can find something they’ll like.

Entertainment & Seattle Attractions:

There’s a lot to see in Seattle. Here are some Seattle attractions you might find fun:

Pike Place Market

Winter, spring, summer and fall, the Pike Place Market is open seven days a week, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and NewYear’s Day. Our merchants set their own hours, so it’s a good idea to check the shopping and dining guides before coming to visit a specific shop or stall. Generally, restaurants stay open later and during the peak farm season, farmers are frequently set up and ready to sell by 8:00 a.m. or earlier.

Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame

At Experience Music Project, you can learn to pay the guitar, jam to a crowd of screaming virtual fans, and be inspired by our amazing rotating exhibits of popular music legends.

Exploring and celebrating musical diversity is what Experience Music Project is all about. Whether your preference is blues, jazz, hip-hop, funk, punk, country or rock ‘n’ roll, you’ll find something here that strikes a chord. Explore musical milestones and movements, and meet the music makers-on stage and behind the scenes-who all share one sonic language.

At Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, you’ll marvel at state-of-the art interactives and famous artifacts like Captain Kirk’s command chair, the giant Alien queen, E.T.-and much more.

Science fiction opens wide our imagination, inviting us to consider other worlds, new creatures and different ways of being. At its heart, science fiction is about humanity itself-viewed through the lens of possibility. At Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, you’ll not only explore the icons and memorabilia that showcase science fictions popular appeal; you’ll take a deeper journey into the genre’s past, while you ponder its significance for tomorrow!

The Museum of Flight

Let your dreams and imagination soar as the wonder of flight comes to life at the largest air and space museum in the West – The Museum of Flight. A self-guided tour takes you through more than 85 historic air and spacecraft, interactive exhibits, personal stories and educational activities.

Ride The Ducks of Seattle - Amphibious Land/Sea Tour

You haven’t seen Seattle until you’ve seen it from a Duck! Travelers of all ages love Ride the Ducks! Our hilarious, Coast Guard-certified maritime Captains will take you on a fun-filled, musical tour of the Emerald City. Amphibious World War II vehicles will show you Seattle from both land and water!

The Seattle Aquarium

Visit the Seattle Aquarium & See playful otters, incredible octopus, flashy fish, and other amazing sea creatures in award-winning exhibits.Touch live sea stars, urchins and more in the Life on the Edge exhibit where you experience Washington’s wild outer coast and Seattle’s inland seas.

Explore the aquatic world of the Pacific Northwest at the 120,000 gallon Window on Washington Waters exhibit full of Northwest sea life and three dive shows each day. Delight in the antics of the sea otters and go nose to nose with the colorful inhabitants of a tropical Pacific Coral Reef.

The Space Needle

Your adventure begins with a 41-second journey skyward in one of three glass elevators. At the newly remodeled 520-foot Observation Deck, you will discover indoor and outdoor viewing and scenery that is absolutely breathtaking.I do NOT reccommend you eat at the Space Needle restaurant, however. It’s quite overpriced.

Seattle Underground Tour

History with humor. Walk below Pioneer Square sidewalks, past abandoned 1890′s storefronts, with exceptional tour guides telling tales of Seattle’s frontier past. Learn how our Founding Fathers’ squabbling let to Seattle’s complicated street system, and how the solutions to our plumbing problems affected the town’s elevation. You’ll hear the first part of the tour seated in Doc Maynard’s, a restored 1890′s public house.