Is there a reason for a tourist to visit Tacoma? (Seattle: rentals, neighborhoods)

[Losfrisco]

Hello,

Coming to Seattle in a few weeks for three days. I'm sure Tacoma is great, but I was seeking specific input on whether it would be worthwhile for a tourist visiting Seattle for 3.5 days to go down there on the Link.

I'm only asking because the first time I went to Seattle, an Uber driver suggested checking out Bellevue. I went, and immediately regretted it. Again, I'm sure Bellevue is a great place, but for a tourist with a tight timeline...come on.

So, are there any excursions outside of Seattle (doesn't have to be Tacoma, could be any of the surrounding cities like Kent), close enough to get there on public transit and back pretty quickly? Examples would be night spots, art galleries, scenic parks, etc.

Thank you.

[Diana Holbrook]

Chihuly glass museum maybe. Check it out.

Point defiance Park, zoo and aquarium… It’s not a big huge zoo but it’s a quaint small one. And I really like the way the aquarium is laid out.

The old fort Nisqually is there.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

Chihuly glass museum maybe. Check it out.

Point defiance Park, zoo and aquarium… It’s not a big huge zoo but it’s a quaint small one.

The old fort Nisqually is there.

Ok thanks, did some googling and point defiance park seems like a candidate so far.

[Bluefox]

Nah, not much to see in Tacoma that you can’t in Seattle. If you want a fun and cheap excursion take the ferry to Bainbridge and hang out in its lovely, quaint downtown and enjoy the waterfront parks. There are bike rentals literally a couple hundred feet from the ferry terminal if you want to explore a little further out. No car needed. Or, take the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston and have a similar experience. Caveat emptor: the Edmonds-Kingston ferry is notorious for getting backed up, and Bainbridge is usually a better bet. Think Coronado, PNW style

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

Nah, not much to see in Tacoma that you can’t in Seattle. If you want a fun and cheap excursion take the ferry to Bainbridge and hang out in its lovely, quaint downtown and enjoy the waterfront parks. There are bike rentals literally a couple hundred feet from the ferry terminal if you want to explore a little further out. No car needed. Or, take the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston and have a similar experience. Caveat emptor: the Edmonds-Kingston ferry is notorious for getting backed up, and Bainbridge is usually a better bet.

I took the ferry to Bainbridge on my first Seattle trip, very much worth the time. It looks like a Link trip from Seattle to Tacoma is over an hour. I just wanted to feel like I"m exploring the region a bit without burning up too much time, I think I hit all the big tourist spots in Seattle last time. Another thing is that when I went in 2016, it was sunny mid 80's the whole time. I wanted to see Seattle as it is presented in popular culture, rain and overcast. Hopefully I'll get that in October.

[Bluefox]

Also, the Link doesn’t go to Tacoma. Link’s southernmost terminal is Angle Lake and trust me, there is nothing to see there. You have to take the Sounder to Tacoma and they don’t currently have weekend service except for special events, so you would have to do it on a weekday.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

Also, the Link doesn’t go to Tacoma. Link’s southernmost terminal is Angle Lake and trust me, there is nothing to see there. You have to take the Sounder to Tacoma and they don’t currently have weekend service except for special events, so you would have to do it on a weekday.

Ok...this idea is dying fast.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

I took the ferry to Bainbridge on my first Seattle trip, very much worth the time. It looks like a Link trip from Seattle to Tacoma is over an hour. I just wanted to feel like I"m exploring the region a bit without burning up too much time, I think I hit all the big tourist spots in Seattle last time. Another thing is that when I went in 2016, it was sunny mid 80's the whole time. I wanted to see Seattle as it is presented in popular culture, rain and overcast. Hopefully I'll get that in October.

You should get that in October.

Besides Bainbridge, there’s not much else on the OP that is a quick trip to/from Seattle. There are some unique neighborhoods along the Link like Beacon Hill. You can also take a bus to Alki Beach in West Seattle from downtown, it’s pretty quick. Have you been to the botanical gardens/Japanese garden in Washington Park? It’d be nice in October. Also Discovery Park near Ballard/Magnolia if you haven’t been. You can also get to Bremerton from downtown but I haven’t been to Bremerton on the ferry before so I don’t know if it’s walkable from the ferry terminal.

[leastprime]

You can take a Sounder train but there limited service hours limited morning and evening commutes.
You can take the Amtrak trains, 12 bucks one way. About 1hr. Runs daily.
You can take a express bus. I forgot the number. About 1 hr. Runs daily. Less so on weekends and holidays. I forget the card because I am a senior and use an Orca card.
Bus and trains use the same location in Seattle and Tacoma. Bus and Trains you may have to walk a 1-3 blocks, pretty much terminal. Tacoma has a shortline street-car that runs from bus/train to downtown Tacoma. Free.

Recommend that you buy an Orca card by mail, at SeaTac, or at International District stop at vending machines or at Soundtransit HQ,

[leastprime]

So what have you already seen in Seattle area?

You can take the ferry to Bremerton.
You can take a fast ferry to Victoria.
You can take a Boltbus(3.5 hrs) or Amtrak (3.5-4.0 hrs depending if you do amtrak bus or amtrak train) to Vancouver BC.
You can do Portland by BoltBus@ $15-25, 5-8 buses daily, Amtrak train @ $25-40, 4-5 trains. Advance purchase for best pricing. 3 hours.