And a word about Days Inn Sea-Tac Airport
Before I start talking about Seattle, I want to do a few quick reviews… We’ll start with the Days Inn Sea-Tac. We stayed there three nights during the course of our trip. The first stay before the cruise was okay. We were on the side of the hotel away from the airport so it wasn’t as noisy and the beds were okay. But, it did have tiny ants in the bathroom. The shuttle to and from the airport was acceptable. Breakfast was terrible, with a lot of sugar, and not even sugar substitute packages for the coffee.
However…We stayed two nights after our cruise and it was different, and not for the better. We called for a shuttle when the bus brought us back from Vancouver, and told them we were waiting on the curb. Almost half an hour went by and it hadn’t come, even though we had been told it was on its way. We called back and were told that he had been there and we weren’t there. Not true because I had watched every single shuttle drive by. He finally came and no apologies, and no tip. The room was on the airport side and very noisy with plane and car sounds. And more tiny ants, this time I got bit up by them. We didn’t even try their breakfast again, but went to Denny’s down the street. The shuttle back to the airport at 4:30 am was on time and more pleasant than the ride to the hotel, and he got a tip.
I would not recommend this hotel. Or take bug spray and earplugs if you go.
QuickShuttle
I had already talked a bit about QuickShuttle from Vancouver to Seattle in my day one blog. Since that one we have also taken QuickShuttle back to Seattle after the cruise. Both times the bus went between Canada Place, where the Pan Pacific and port of Vancouver are, and Sea-Tac airport in Seattle.
QuickShuttle To Vancouver
Our bus ride from Sea-Tac to Vancouver went well at first. They sent us an email that morning telling us where to meet the bus at the airport, the bus number and driver, and a GPS map giving us the location of the bus. We were just outside the International terminal towards where the city busses stop. The bus came on time before 2 pm, and our driver took our checked in bags and stowed them under the bus. You do have to pay more with checked bags, we had a fare that included one checked bag each. You can also take your carry-on bags with you, there is storage overhead like in a plane.
The bus was comfortable and had actual plugs but not USB plugs to charge our items, but we had to make a number of stops in Seattle to pick up more passengers. It was fun to get a little look at Seattle for the first time. We also picked up passengers at an Outlet Mall and a gas station later in the trip. We finally got going, and all was well. The driver said he would make no stops unless he needed to stop himself, there is a restroom in the bus. After that the driver pulled the bus into a rest stop. We couldn’t get out, but he got out and disappeared for a while. We started again, but once we got to the Bellingham, WA area, the traffic stopped. There were two accidents on Highway 5, according to Waze, and it took quite a while to get to Canada after that.
Once in Canada he had to stop at the Immigration/Customs office in the bus area. He went into the building for a while, then came out and told us to get off the bus, take all of our possessions, and go into the Customs office. He also told us to hurry up because he was getting close to his time limit for the day for driving. This is about when he started getting cranky.
It didn’t take us long to get through Customs with our passport, although the Canadian Customs officers seemed a bit cranky too. We gave them the Customs form which we had gotten when we got on the bus and filled out on the way. They asked a couple of questions about how long we’d be in Canada, and we were on our way. We told them we’d be one day then off on a cruise to Alaska.
It didn’t take long to get to Vancouver after that. There is a lot of pretty scenery on the way. We dropped people off but the bus driver was being antsy. It was getting late, almost 8 pm. He asked where we were going and we told him Pan Pacific. He told us they don’t go to Pan Pacific but he’d drop us off anyway. Well, our ticket said Canada Place, which is where Pan Pacific is, so he was doing us no favor we didn’t pay for. I was really glad to get off that bus. His time showed that he still had an hour left on his timer at that point. Take snacks and drinks with you, because if you don’t he won’t stop for you.
QuickShuttle To Seattle after the cruise
The trip back to Seattle was a bit better than on the way to Vancouver. It was a different bus and driver, but it arrived in time and stopped in front of the Canada Place area. This bus had no plugs at all to charge with, but it did have a bathroom.
We picked up a number of people in the downtown area of Vancouver, then headed out towards Sea-Tac. This time we had no traffic jams or accidents, so it went smoother. The driver did make a quick stop at a hotel to use the bathroom, but at least he wasn’t grumpy. The bus isn’t uncomfortable, but after that amount of time, I was tired of sitting down. I did smell some marijuana, not sure exactly who had it. It may even be legal in Canada, I’m not sure. I just don’t like the smell.
He had to get onto a back road to go through US Customs. It was a little different here. We still had to get off the bus with everything and fill out a Customs form on the bus. The Customs was a little more intensive, but we didn’t have a problem since we’re US Citizens and had US Passports. Then we had to put all of our luggage through an X-Ray screener. The agents were friendlier and more pleasant than the Canada Customs had been though, and asked about our trip. It didn’t take very long, and the driver wasn’t hurrying us along like the first one.
We got back on the bus. It took less time to get to Seattle than the last trip, and I was glad to get off the ship and into Sea-Tac to catch a shuttle to our hotel. Again, be sure to bring drinks and snacks, you’ll have no opportunity to get them once you start your trip.
Alaska Airlines: Sea-Tac and Charleston International Airports (+ TSA experiences)
Charleston International
We had not flown in over 35 years, and had never had to do a TSA screening, so I was pretty nervous about this trip. But, I found out that I worried for nothing. I would definitely fly Alaska Airlines again.
We started out at Charleston International Airport in Charleston, SC. It’s a small airport, and easy to navigate. We went to check in and an Alaska Air employee came to help us out and print out our luggage tag. She then took our bag for us and told us what gate to go to. Easy peasy.
TSA was so much quicker and easier than I thought it would be. We showed them our passport, then got in line to put our stuff through the X-Ray machine. We took off our shoes and belt, but we didn’t have to take anything out of our bag. Just put the bags on the rollers and go through the body scanning machine. Then we picked up our bags and we were done, after we put our shoes back on.
We were early, so we went to our gate and found a seat. There are lots of shops and restaurants around, and places to buy drinks. We got a couple of Diet Cokes and waited.
Coming home, baggage claim was very easy and well marked. Then just out the door are the courtesy shuttle waiting area and parking lot/shuttles.
Sea-Tac
I was a bit nervous about leaving from Sea-Tac after our cruise because it’s such a big airport. I did my homework and found that I could make an appointment with TSA agents for a specific time, so I set one up for 6:00 am, since our plane left at 7:20 am. I didn’t get much sleep that night, so we left for the airport at 4:30 am to be sure we had enough time. I didn’t have to worry though. We were checked in and at the TSA line by 5 am. Since we were an hour early, we just decided to get in the line, instead of waiting for the appointment time.
We are seniors, but seniors aren’t supposed to have TSA special privileges till they are age 75. I’m no where near that, but we were given special privileges. We didn’t have to take our shoes off or take anything out of our carry-ons, plus we just went through the regular metal detector. It was fast and easy. It’s pretty cool at Sea-Tac. You have to put everything into a separate bin that you find below the rollers, then the bins go down into a dispenser that dispenses them where they are needed. As far as I can tell you can’t take a bin with you with your possessions in it. I had wondered about that. So all my worry about TSA was unnecessary.
We then got on the train to take us to the N Terminal building, found our terminal, and sat down to wait for our flight. There are restaurants and places to buy drinks at all the terminals. Boarding the plane was easy. Alaska asked for anyone who would check their carry-on to come to the front. We checked one bag, and that got us an earlier boarding time.
I would say that Sea-Tac wasn’t nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. Just watch a couple of vlogs on YouTube showing you how to get around, and you won’t have a problem. Take a picture of the airport map on your phone and keep it with you. There are trains coming every couple of minutes to get you where you need to go, and it wasn’t confusing at all.
Baggage claim was a bit huge, but there are screens telling you which baggage claim area you needed to be in for your flight. There are plenty of bathrooms everywhere also. To get to the courtesy shuttles, you need to go up one floor, cross the pedestrian bridge, and then down one floor. There are elevators.
Alaska Airlines
We switched to Alaska Airlines on the advice of a friend. We had originally scheduled flights with Air Canada to Vancouver with one layover, but they had changed our flights four times in one month. We cancelled them after it got too inconvenient to our cruise. Alaska Airlines had a non-stop from Charleston International to Sea-Tac so we booked it. The flight was never changed in the many months since we booked it.
We were able to choose our seats, which was nice. We flew economy, but it wasn’t too bad, even with apparently sold out flights. Well, except for our flight home. A man smelling like beer and other things sat down beside me, put his hoodie over his face, and went to sleep. Not a lot of fun when you need bathroom breaks, trying to get him to move. But, you can’t help that.
Alaska Airlines does have free entertainment, but not screens. You need to use your own device, I had a tablet. You can log into their wifi on a special website (find directions on the brochure on the back of the seat ahead of you). There are quite a number of on-demand movies and shows. You can also see where the plane is at that moment. You can also buy wifi for $8 if you want to do more than that.
We had ordered meals ahead of time on the app. On the way to Seattle I had a Chicken Shawarma, which was very good. On the way back I had a breakfast sandwich on a bagel. It was a bit dry but better than nothing. They will also service you small snacks, and drinks. I had Diet Coke each time. You get a cup of ice and a can of soda. They had coffee and water also. You can purchase alcohol too. Food can be carried onto the plane, I saw someone with a pizza box. We took snacks and gum.
The flights were smooth enough, we did have a bit of turbulence each way. That’s to be expected though. On the way home we had a medical emergency on the plane. An announcement came over the PA for any medical professionals who could help. A woman, not sure whether a doctor or a nurse, went up to help. They had oxygen cannisters on the plane and the Stewardess took oxygen to the patient. I’m not sure what happened, but we did not land before Charleston like I thought we might. In Charleston, paramedics were waiting. We got off the plane after the patient.
I would fly on Alaska Airlines again. It was a really good experience for someone who hadn’t flown in so long. Definitely recomended.
And Finally…Seattle
Not sure what to say about Seattle, except that it was hot. Exceptionally hot for the season. We took the light rail from Sea-Tac into downtown Seattle. I did like riding the train, and it was easy. There was an employee at the airport helping people get their tickets from the machine. We wanted to go to Pike Market, so we got a round trip ticket to Westlake Station. Plus, since we’re seniors, it only cost us $2 total.
Pike Place
Once you get to Westlake Station, go towards the waterfront on Pine Street and you’re at Pike, yes, it’s Pike, Market. We went on a hot Saturday, and it was very crowded, you could hardly move. We didn’t stay long, just long enough to see them throw the fish at the fish market. You can see the crowds in the video below.
After that we wanted to get some lunch, but around the downtown and Pike Place area, there were lines at every restaurant we could find. It seemed that all there were was coffee shops and breweries wherever we looked. We had a Free Tours by Foot tour at 1 pm, so we wanted to get something to eat first. We finally found a World Market and went in and managed to get a snack and some bottled water.
Free Tours by Foot
After that it took us awhile to find our meeting spot for our tour, Anchorhead Coffee, near the back of Pike Place but it was hard to find. When we finally found it we sat on the ground in the shade and waited for our guide. Now, with Free Tours by Foot, the tour is totally free, you just tip the guide whatever you think he’s worth after the tour. Our guide was Joe, and he was really interesting and good. We started out with our group at Anchorhead Coffee on a two hour tour. It was mostly downhill, but there was a bit of uphill walking and steps. We learned a lot about Seattle and it’s history, I didn’t realize that Seattle had burnt and they had decided to bring in dirt and raise up the new buildings. That’s where the Underground comes from, I guess. The tour finally ended up at the waterfront near the aquarium. I would recommend Free Tours by Foot, they actually do these tours in a number of countries and cities. Check out the website for a list.
Waterfront area
As we walked through the Waterfront area we finally found a place to get some food that was not overly crowded. By then it was 3 pm and the lunch crowd was gone. We stopped at Great State Burger and got burgers, fries, and especially drinks. You can get refills, thank goodness. It was so hot outside. The food was delicious, and just what we needed. We got a refill to go, and then explored some of the shops.
I’ve been collecting ornaments and magnets this entire trip, so I went looking for that. There are a lot of shops and merchandise, plus a number of restaurants on the waterfront. I liked it much better than the downtown area. Plus it has an aquarium, a huge ferris wheel, and a ferry ride. But it was so hot and we were so tired that we decided to call it a day. At least we’d been to Seattle.
You have to climb a lot of steps to get back to the Pike Place Market area, just be warned. Then we got back on the train and back to the airport. We walked back to our motel from the airport so we didn’t have to wait for the shuttle, and picked up some Jack in the Box food on the way. We had to get up early the next morning for the flight home, so it was time to call it a day.
The Quiet Cruiser 