Feature.

#7 ; :

A student’ 5 guide to
_touri ing Seattle

By Stephanie Trembath

inter break usually
consists of two parts:
rushing around preparing

for the holiday prior to December 25,

and rushing around trying to cram
as many festivities and events into
the last week of December—which
is why so many people need to take
a few days off for a holiday after the
holidays.

Personally, after school fees,
textbooks, and Christmas presents,
I’m usually left in a financial
wasteland until mid-May, which
often makes vacationing a bit
difficult. However, after a bit of
resourceful planning and research,

I treated myself to a short winter
break vacay that was both affordable
and entertaining. Since I didn’t have
time to travel far, I chose to visit
Seattle—it’s just across the border
and easy to get to.

Transportation
I recommend taking a Greyhound
bus to Seattle rather than driving

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because it is cheaper (considering
gas prices), and you don’t have to
worry about your vehicle. On the
Greyhound, a round trip to Seattle
costs $43 plus tax, and is just over
four hours each way travel time.

Unlike our buses here in
Vancouver, Seattle Metro Transit
is free downtown during the day
and is easy to navigate. Also, many
hotels in downtown Seattle offer
daytime shuttle buses with various
pickup and drop-off locations
throughout the city free of charge.

During my stay in Seattle, | was
as bus savvy as I am in Vancouver—
meaning I missed every bus by three
minutes and wound up walking
pretty much everywhere in a pair
of high-heeled shoes. This usually
annoys me, but since I didn’t have a
schedule to follow and didn’t know
the area well, it was one of the best
ways to get acquainted with a new
city.

After missing the bus on the
second night in town, instead of
busing down Fremont Street to
get to our location, we walked for

   

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two hours and discovered various
boutiques, restaurants, parks, and
shops along the way. Now, my feet
probably wouldn’t have made the
voyage without the help of a few
glasses of wine and a plate of funeral
fries (fries covered in mozzarella
cheese sauce and mini mushrooms),
so [recommend starting your
journey with your beverage of
choice if you plan on taking the heel-
toe express while you’re away. Or
just be on time for the bus.

Accommodation

I recommend the University Inn

to any student visiting Seattle. A
room with two double beds, free
Wi-Fi, microwave, and mini fridge
(you have to call ahead and request
the fridge) only costs $84. Split
between four people, and with the
free breakfast (plus, if you try what
I always do and load up your purse
with fresh fruit and bagels to eat for
lunch), this hotel was inexpensive.

Attractions
Before I went to Seattle, I wanted to

 

 

plan a few activities and places to
see, and the Internet led me to the
typical tourist traps everyone sees:
the outlet malls, the Space Needle,
the Seattle Zoo, and Pike Place
Market—which is where the very
first Starbucks is located. Usually I
would jump at the chance to visit
a Starbucks, but since our hotel
offered free breakfast until 11 a.m.
and served fresh Starbucks coffee
for free ALL DAY, I had no need to
spend money on hot beverages.

University District

Rather than frequent the regular
tourist locations, I recommend
visiting the University of
Washington, which is a short walk
from the University Inn. University
Way in Seattle is comparable to
Vancouver’s Granville Street area,
only there are more parks and
residential areas as the University is
close by. This area of Seattle caters to
students, with tons of places to shop,
cheap places to eat, and bars that
line the boulevard.