Seattle tourism starter pack: Walk off the cruise ship and see city landmarks in 90 minutes

One foot in front of the other

You couldn’t capture everything that makes the Pacific Northwest so special in a month, let alone in an afternoon. In Seattle it would take you a week to scratch the surface.

But sometimes you only have one afternoon. Or maybe your travel-weary family just has a long walk to go and you need to make them count.

If you’re fresh off one of those big Alaska cruise lines in Elliott Bay and want to get off your sea legs and get a feel for Seattle, this 90-minute loop from the boardwalk to the Space Needle at Seattle Center is the Amazon Spheres, Pike Place Market and back offer parks, dramatic views, and many Seattle landmarks.

Seattle landmark

A round-trip ticket: 4.2 miles

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For this story, we’ll start at Pier 66, the home of Oceania Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Follow the waterfront northwest – turn to port, sailors – to the Edgewater Hotel, which hosted the Beatles and Son in 1964, showered with fountain water, and Jaume Plensa’s wonderful “Echo” whose stoic face is worth a 360-degree view is.

Keep the water, Bainbridge Island, and the Olympic Mountains on your left as the Elliott Bay Trail leads to Myrtle Edwards Park and Pocket Beach. You can stay on the paved path or walk down to the rocky beach, where you’ll find driftwood and maybe a dog or two braving the refreshing waters of Puget Sound for a frisbee.

The trail splits around the meadow at Myrtle Edwards – watch out for walkers / joggers / cyclists as usual – and continues into Centennial Park, then Elliott Bay Park and The Beach at Expedia Group. They all have breathtaking views of the water, mountains, Alki Point and more … but our route goes inland from Myrtle Edwards over the West Thomas Street Overpass.

The pedestrian overpass is right behind the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Globe. Go up the sidewalk and across the train tracks using the Space Needle as a compass. As you walk down the sidewalk on the other side of the tracks, keep an eye out for the new mural in Queen Anne Beerhall showing Bigfoot adjusting for the Sonics, wielding a trident to fight an octopus. That is where we are heading.

Thomas Street leads uphill to Seattle Center, where on your left you will find the Climate Pledge Arena and the International Fountain, which are still under construction. The fountain is a great place for dog / people watching and legs resting if needed. You can also join the kids surrounding the spouts of the fountain on a hot day for a cool mist. nobody will judge you. (You could.)

Make your way to the Space Needle, where there are sure to be droves of tourists and street musicians, “Star Wars” characters, and old-fashioned copper mime statues to accompany them.

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You don’t have to spend a penny to have fun at the Seattle Center – check out the Artists At Play Playground behind MoPOP or Dan Corson’s giant “Sonic Bloom” flowers and Alexander Liberman’s big red top hat “Olympic Iliad”. My visiting sister said the latter “looks like Penne”; I was pleased to find out that the sculpture is also known as the “Pasta Tube”.

With the Space Needle behind you, cross Broad Street at one of several intersections and you will arrive at Denny Way. Stay on the sidewalk on the right side of the street as our route is half a mile back downtown, at Denny Park.

Dexter Avenue turns into Seventh Avenue and places us on the outskirts of Amazonia. A quarter of a mile down the street are the Company Spheres, those bulbous, see-through villains full of plants.

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In the Understory on the ground floor there are changing works by local artists that are accessible to the public free of charge. (Also the bathrooms.) On a visit this month my family found art by Shabazz Larkin: several oil-painted canvases with bits of cotton, flowers, twigs, and other organic ornaments resting on their pedestals, mirrors with phrases like “say a little prayer on.” the God in you ”, as well as notes about the creative process of the artist.

Go down Seventh towards Westlake Avenue which ends in Westlake Square and Stewart Street. At this point in the walk, the Hungry Relative will get on your nerves with repeated questions about lunchtime and you can officially tell them that you are near Pike Place Market.

Stewart gradually ascends to Second Avenue, overlooks Elliott Bay, and then heads downhill to the Market. You’ll get wedged between Beecher’s and Le Panier, in the middle of the craziness of the market. (The Starbucks floor is one block down the cobblestone street; mom wants a picture, but no, you shouldn’t wait in that line.)

Stroll around a little or take a left at Pike Place towards the iconic Public Market Center sign to find Gum Wall if you are apprehensive of the prospect of wading through the crowds at Pike Place.

As for the Gum Wall, I really don’t know what to say. It’s unfathomably gross and worth a laugh, but no one I’ve ever taken there has felt the urge to stay here, let alone take a picture. Also hard to imagine is the pre-COVID reminder of a visitor who actually licks the thing. I recommend taking a look, then down Post Alley and back towards the Water.

Union Street is your gateway to the Seattle Waterfront, where the Great Wheel fixes its spinning neon eye on Elliott Bay. Make your way to the Seattle Aquarium and Pier 62 beyond for a public Zumba class or unobstructed sunset with Puget Sound in pinks and oranges.

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Less than a quarter of a mile walk down the waterfront and you are back on your ship, tired and hopefully more familiar with the Emerald City. Of course, there is so much more to do in Seattle and Washington state – on foot, by ferry, or otherwise – but that will have to wait for your next visit.