Seattle. The Emerald City. Home of Starbucks, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Storm, and the reigning Super Bowl Champions Seattle Seahawks. People come to Seattle from all over to check out the sights of the rainy city; whether it is because of Grey’s Anatomy, Twilight, Dungeon Crawler Carl, or for sports, it is a travel destination. I have gone to Seattle plenty of times, and still find out new things to do.
Seattle is a great sports city. It has basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, rugby, and most
importantly for this article, football. If you are looking to plan a trip to the Emerald City to watch the reigning Super Bowl Champions play a home game in one the toughest and loudest stadiums in the NFL, I am going to do my best to help you out in that endeavor. Looking at places to stay, things to do, places to grab something to eat, transportation, tailgating, and what it is like to be at the game! I will give three options per section to cover various budgets and experiences people are looking for. Let’s dive into it!
Places to stay in Seattle
Seattle is a major city, and there are plenty of places to stay. For those with families, I would recommend Lower Queen Anne/Seattle Center. It is a fairly quiet and safe area, with plenty of family-centric activities to experience, such as the Pacific Science Center, the Space Needle, and the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the Entertainment Music Project aka EMP). The Mediterranean Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites are quite affordable for families, with prices ranging from $104 per night to $200 per night. You are also about 15 minutes from Lumen Field in this spot.
For those who are visiting Seattle for the first time and price is not as much of a concern, Downtown & the Waterfront are the places to stay. You are near the Link light rail so it is easy to go straight from SeaTac Airport to where you will be staying and then back to SeaTac. You will have a lovely view of the waterfront and be near Pike Place Market. Lumen Field is about 10 minutes from where you will be staying so it is convenient. The Mayflower Park Hotel and the Inn at the Market are both highly recommended places to stay, with prices ranging from $160 to $350 per night.
Now for those who like the night life and local vibes, Belltown and Capitol Hill are your choices. Belltown has plenty of coffee shops, bars, and restaurants for you to try out, while Capitol Hill has indie boutiques, historic parks, and a night life of its own. The Belltown Inn has prices starting at $93 per night and is about 20 minutes from Lumen Field. Meanwhile, the Seattle Gaslight Inn is a nice B&B with prices starting at $138 per night and is about 18 minutes from Lumen Field.
Things to do in Seattle
Like mentioned previously, there are plenty of things to do in Seattle, and it is hard to narrow it down to three things, but I will do my best. Starting off, the Museum of Pop Culture is near the top of my list. Whether you love music, fantasy, science fiction, horror, gaming, it has a bit of something for everyone. It regularly has traveling exhibits go through there. In past years it has had a Van Gogh exhibit, a Disney exhibit, and it currently has a History of Hip-Hop exhibit. General Admission will run you around $40 per person, and is located at the Seattle Center.
The Seattle Waterfront is another great place to visit, and it has something for everyone, especially families. Miners Landing at Pier 57 has the Great Wheel, an arcade, the historic Ferris Wheel, and the underrated Wings Over Washington. Families will for sure find something interesting to do there. At Pier 59 there is the Seattle Aquarium, which has lots of Pacific sea life to learn about and see, and now has a behind-the-scenes tour to experience. Prices for the aquarium start around $55.
Most people will recommend the Space Needle or Pike Place Market, or Chihuly Garden, which are great and I highly recommend. One thing to do in Seattle that is not talked about a lot and I definitely have recommended to people is the Underground Tours. Seattle is a city built upon a city, and you can take tours of underground old Seattle that the current city was built upon after the Great Fire of 1889. It is a fascinating experience. It’s about a 75-minute tour and tickets are about $10 for children and $30 for adults.
CityPass offers some combined tickets at a discount if you’d like to check out multiple spots!
Best places to eat in Seattle
Seattle is a great food city. To start, if you love Asian cuisine, The Wild Ginger is one I personally recommend. With food inspired by eastern Pacific Rim, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, you will find something you like. I personally recommend their Sri Lankan Lamb Curry. It can be a bit more expensive, with prices for meals ranging from $17 to $52 per person, but it is well worth the price in my opinion.
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is a staple in Downtown Seattle right on Pike Place Market. When they say they have the best mac n’ cheese, they are not lying. I still dream about their mac n’ cheese some nights. They make their grilled cheese with their Flagship Cheddar Cheese, and it melts perfectly in your mouth. For those with young kids who love those staple comfort foods, and for those adults who live by the motto “what’s the point in being an adult if you cannot be a child at times” (it’s me, I am one of those adults), Beecher’s is a must. Prices range from between $3.12 and $27 depending on the item.
A personal favorite of mine, and one that I take family and friends to when they visit Seattle, is the Athenian Seafood Restaurant. Seattle is known for its seafood, and the Athenian is a staple in that area. With a beautiful view of the water, nestled in Pike’s Place Market, it feels as though you are in the heart and soul of Seattle. Established in 1909 by the three Pappadakis brothers, it has been serving up local seafood for over one-hundred years. Their grilled salmon and halibut are some of the best that I have had, and their Dungeness crab fettuccine will haunt your dreams (in a good way) after you have had it. Prices typically range from $20 to $30 per person.
Lumen Field parking, rideshare, and transit options
Parking at Lumen Field will cost you. It is not very cheap. I parked a few blocks away on opening night against the New England Patriots this season and it cost me $80. Now, you can park at Lumen Field and get tickets for it through Ticketmaster. Prices vary, ranging from $50 to over $150, with an average price of around $75.
My recommendation would be to use the Link light rail. Parking at the stations is free, and round trip tickets are $6. I used it with a friend of mine when we went to the Los Angeles Chargers game. It is clean, easy, and the light rail is about five minutes between stations, and they have four running so you can be sure to get to the station well in time. The downside is that you will need to walk to the stadium from the station, but it is not too far.
You can also, of course, use Uber and Lyft or other ride share options to get to the stadium. You can also use MetroFlex or the King County Bus system to get to the stadium. The bus fare and MetroFlex fares are $3, which is very reasonable. It may take longer than Uber or Lyft, but it is more reasonably priced.
Tailgating at Lumen Field
There is no tailgating in the parking lot or garages at Lumen Field. There is an official tailgate at the WAMU Theater which is fun. Blue Thunder plays, it is connected to the stadium, and you can buy gear. Very convenient. Fun Seahawks museum, great food, and you can get some free gifts, like a Devon Witherspoon poster that I received at the Chargers game.
Hawk Alley is also a popular tailgating area. Hawk Alley is a historic Seattle Seahawks pregame tailgating spot located along Utah Avenue South. Lots of fans, great atmosphere. It is a bit of a walk to the stadium, but it is definitely worth it to do at least once. I have attended it a few times, and always have a blast.
8th and Holgate is another one that you can attend and it is recommended by the Seahawks website. Like at the other tailgating venues, there is some good food, loud fans with chanting, and conveniently enough it is only a 10 minute walk from the stadium.
The 12th Man game-day Experience
The gameday experience is one that I cannot recommend enough. I have been to several games, have sat at every level at the stadium, and have been to both preseason games and regular season games. The stadium is great. There are no bad seats. Even in the upper levels in the nosebleeds you get a great view of the stadium and you can feel the energy and cheers of the fans. When Fox Sports put out during the playoffs that Lumen Field is one of the toughest stadiums to play at, they mean it. It gets loud, and when you are sitting in the 100 and 200 level seats near the field, it is almost deafening. You see several people with earplugs or headsets to block out the sounds.
The food there is also good. It can get pricey depending on what you want but not extremely, around $15 to $35 for the average meal, so if you want to save some money I recommend eating prior at one of the locations I mentioned above or hitting up one of the vendors just outside the stadium and grabbing a Seattle Dog and some fries. If you do grab some food and drinks, Seattle Dogs and Garlic Fries are a Seattle staple and worth trying once if you like. They also have several Grab N’ Go stations where you can get budget and value items which will run you six to 10 dollars depending on what you want.
During the game, my best suggestion would be to enjoy yourself. Feel the energy of the crowd. Participate in the chants. The fans there are very willing to chat with fellow fans in my experience and have had some good conversations. The halftime shows are fun, like the corgi races at the Chargers game, Soundgarden playing on opening night, or the Seattle Dancers performing for the fans. Win or lose, it is a worthwhile experience.
I hope that this guide has help you plan out your Seattle Seahawks travel experience. It is a great city with a lot to do, whether you are going at it solo, on a budget, or going with family or friends. Lots of options for food, transportation, and interacting with fellow fans. Enjoy yourselves, and Go Hawks!
