The Seattle Traveler

Now that Christmas is behind us, have you made your plans for New Year’s Eve?  The options narrow with each passing day, but even if you’ve waited till the last minute, here are some ideas to help you ring in 2009.

Make reservations for dinner out.  Ok, all the really great spots may be booked up (or maybe not given the economy right now).  I’d suggest taking a look at Open Table and see what is available.  (This is a great site for reservations any time of year.)
Fireworks at the Space Needle.  You may still be able to get …read more

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Details:  A fall day on the deck outside the Edgewater Hotel.  It was too cold to be sitting outside (at least it wasn’t snowing, though), but I found the starkness of the landscape appealing.
 
Image credit:  personal collection
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Details:  The Fairmont Olympic Hotel (411 University Street, downtown) is one of my favorite places during the holiday season.  They have lots of holiday events for all ages, and the hotel is beautifully decorated.
It’s also a great place to introduce a child to a little dress up holiday fun.  Even though this is a very formal hotel, they are quite welcoming to kids, with lots of options for them to enjoy.
Last weekend, after a busy day in the city, I stopped off for a little holiday cheer in the hotel lobby.  Among the beautifully decorated trees, gingerbread displays, and …read more

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When it comes to Holiday decorating, the elves at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel are some of the most creative around town.  With events like the Festival of Trees, the Teddy Bear Suite, and the gingerbread display, it you aren’t in the holiday spirit – well, you may just be related to Scrooge!
It seems like each year the displays are bigger and better, so here’s a peek at what you can expect this year:

Teddy Bear Suite – November 26th – December 26th, 10 am – 7 pm.  A popular holiday stop off for thousands of visitors every holiday season, the …read more

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After a two year closure for renovations on its main building, the Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park is now open!
Paradise Inn first opened in 1917 and is listed on the National Historic Register.  If this renovation was successful, you won’t even know what’s been done.  The goal was to maintain the historic charm of the Inn, while shoring up some of failings of the nearly 100-year old building.
Some of the improvements include:  replacing the previously sagging floor, adding acessible rooms, reinforcing the foundation and some of the other structural components, earthquake-proofing, and a general facelift.
The annex and …read more

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I love being able to support local business owners, buy local products, and do business, whenever I can, in the greater Seattle area.  Sometimes it takes a little more effort, or costs a few cents more, but we have some GREAT companies in the area that deliver quality products and fair prices.
Samish Bay Cheese is one of those businesses.
Samish Bay Cheese is located in Skagit County, just a bit east of Chuckanut Drive (Highway 11), in Bow.  They started producing cheese in 1999, and owned and operated by Suzanne and Roger Wechsler.  The farm, Rootabaga Country Farm, is certified …read more

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While there are still some people who don’t realize that we have electricity and running water on the western side of the Mississippi, those who live in Seattle, or visit regularly, know that we are finally carving out a reputation for a little bit of class and luxury.
Washington State has nine hotels listed in this year’s Gold Standard, Conde Nast Traveler’s listing of top hotel’s and resorts around the world.
Here’s the list, along with the rating (out of a possible 100) for those nine:

Fairmont Olympic Hotel (93.1), Seattle
Inn at Langley (88.8), Whidbey Island
Inn at the Market (87.1), Seattle
Salish Lodge …read more

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What do you get when you cross an architect and a pastry chef?
"Holidays Around the World," the 15th annual Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel.
Local architects and the hotel’s culinary department combine efforts and vision to create this popular holiday display.  Over 300,000 visitors stop by each year to check out the detailed gingerbread architecture.
Location:  Lobby of the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 6th Avenue, downtown (map it)
Hours:  Daily
Admission:  FREE, although donations are welcome, and benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research

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Technorati Tags: b5media, The Seattle Traveler, travel, vacation, Seattle Traveler, Seattle, Washington, Washington State, Seattle tourism, travel information, city blogs, destination blogs, …read more

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Hotels aren’t just for sleeping anymore!
And proving that point is the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, our city’s only AAA Five Diamond Hotel.  This luxury hotel has long been a part of the Seattle landscape, and I’d wager that there are not many in town, especially of that baby boomer age, who haven’t been to the hotel at one time or another.  (It was the location of my high school senior prom — a very, VERY long time ago!)
During the holiday season, Santa’s elves are busy decorating and entertaining visitors of all ages for a variety of festivities at the hotel:
Gingerbread …read more

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I’m not sure if these motels were rent-by-the-hour establishments, or just places that are well past their prime, but there’s a slew of motels set for destruction around the city, making way for new and beautiful things.
To mourn the passing of the venerable institutions (or celebrate progress — it all depends on your point of view), you can take one last trip down memory lane with Motel, a performance art based group conducting one last hurrah before the walls come tumbling down.
The current performance can be seen at the Ambassador Motel through Friday, September 28th.   
What’s to see?
These are endurance performances …read more

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