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URBAN ADVENTURE
by John Lund & Marianne van Toor
Bell Harbor and Seattle’s big-city hot spots await
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Northwest boating is not always about "boating as wilderness experience" with its abundance of peaceful anchorages and harbors tucked away next to nature. There are times when even the most ardent escapists among us like to head downtown for some urban action.
When Northwest boaters answer the call of the big city, they head to the Port of Seattle’s Bell Harbor Marina. Located in the heart of Seattle on Pier 66, this full-service marina is surrounded by world-class dining, shopping, sightseeing, entertainment and sports venues.
Bell Harbor’s downtown Elliott Bay location makes it a natural destination for boaters wishing to experience one of the Northwest’s most exciting cities from the inside.
Getting to Bell Harbor
If you transit Elliott Bay on a clear summer’s evening, you may find yourself totally distracted by Seattle’s stunning skyline of heritage buildings mixed with modern glass skyscrapers as they reflect golden in the setting sun. However, be sure of your immediate surroundings — Elliott Bay is the center of Seattle’s shipping industry and an exceedingly busy seaport.
Between gawking at the skyline with the Space Needle to the north and Mt. Rainier to the south, dodging freighters, cruise ships, ferries and recreational craft of all sizes, you will have a busy time of it as you search for the marina entrance beside Bell Street Pier/Pier 66. NOAA Charts 18441, 18445 and 18450 will guide you from Puget Sound to Elliott Bay.
Bell Harbor Marina is positioned behind a 1,900-foot steel panel breakwater, which accommodates large vessels and cruise ships on the outside. If you need assistance while entering the marina, call staff on VHF Channel 66A.
The breakwater entry is narrow to shield the marina from the rough waters of Elliott Bay. Vessels larger than 70 feet will find the entrance and turning basin on the tight side. We didn’t notice it, but we have heard that waves coming off the bay can cause the breakwater’s steel panels to squeak and groan.
The marina can accommodate as many as 80 visiting yachts, with slips ranging from 25 to 120 feet. During the busy summer months reservations are recommended. To reserve a slip, call (206) 615-3952 or book online at www.portseattle.org. Bell Harbor’s first-class facilities offer wheelchair-accessible docks with 30-, 50- and 100-amp power hookups, lighting pedestals, free wireless Internet access and, something new, free Seattle newspapers on weekends.
Washrooms, showers, garbage disposal areas, a recycling drop and a pumpout are nearby. We were very impressed with Bell Harbor’s security systems and friendly staff. Security is the best we have seen in the Northwest with locked gates, security cameras and staff who monitor the docks 24/7.
Going Downtown
Once you have settled into your slip and paid a visit to the harbormaster’s office, the adventure begins. We headed straight to Anthony’s Pier 66 restaurant (one of three) above the marina for lunch as we were famished, but there are literally hundreds of dining choices along the waterfront, and more if you hop aboard one of Seattle’s free downtown buses.
The popular Waterfront Streetcar was temporarily out of service during our visit and was replaced by free buses that serve the downtown waterfront, Pioneer Square Historic District and Chinatown/International District. It is a great service, one we used often during our visit. According to the King County Department of Transportation, the Waterfront Streetcar was to be out of service until this year’s summer tourism season.
The first boaters we met at Bell Harbor were Bob and Monica Balance, of Crescent Beach, British Columbia, on their Meridian 411 KallaLane III. The couple, who have returned to the marina for the second year in a row, said, "This is a great spot. The marina is kid-friendly, dog-friendly and there is so much to do and see within walking distance — it’s amazing. And there are some fabulous restaurants nearby."
If you are not shy, Bell Harbor is a great place to have an evening drink on deck and to relax while doing some serious people-watching. Never mind the fact that Seattleites love to walk and that the waterfront walkway makes an excellent vantage point to watch you in return. Just pretend you’re a goldfish.
Exploring Seattle
We wish we had space to tell you about all of Seattle’s attractions, but here is a list of our favorites in no particular order.
Pike Place Market: Located across the street and up some stairs (there is an elevator) from the marina, the market starts our list of things to do in Seattle. Opened in 1907, it is the country’s oldest continuously operated open-air market with 120 farmer’s booths, 190 artisans, 200 businesses, street performers and musicians.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers by the bucketful, handmade cheeses, meats and poultry, Dungeness crab, oysters, fresh pastries, roasted nuts, local wines, craft beers and ales, imported goods, antiques and collectibles all combine in a medley of colors, sights, sounds and controlled but friendly chaos. Don’t be surprised if you see a salmon fly by on its way to some lucky family’s dinner table. One of our favorite stops is the very French bakery, Le Panier, across the street from the market’s main arcade. Here we savor our daily fresh croissant and coffee while others imbibe scrumptious French pastries. Ooh-la-la ... so good! Pike Place Market is open year-round. See www.pikeplacemarket.org" target="_new">www.pikeplacemarket.org for further details.
Downtown Shopping: A visit to Seattle is not complete without an excursion to the downtown shopping district, which begins two blocks up from Pike Place Market and where you find yourself in shoppers’ heaven with every major brand represented in fine department stores, upscale specialty shops and quaint boutiques, plus espresso bars galore. Bring your credit card, go to town, have a ball.
Pioneer Square: This is the neighborhood where Seattle was founded in 1853. From here, Seattle, named for Chief Seattle (also Sealth, Seathl or See-ahth), a leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes, built outward into a city of 40,000 until The Great Fire of 1889 turned 29 downtown blocks into ash.
Pioneer Square was rebuilt in a 19th century Romanesque Revival brick and stone style. Today, this National Historic District with its cobblestoned streets, waterfall garden and historic King Street Station is a center for art galleries, boutiques, cafés, restaurants and offices.
The outdoor observation deck of the stately 42-story Smith Tower, one of the world’s first skyscrapers, is worth a visit. Once the tallest building in the world outside Manhattan, construction of the tower was started in 1909 by New York tycoon Lyman Cornelius Smith of Smith typewriter fame. History buffs will love the Klondike Gold Rush visitor center (www.nps.gov/klse) and Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour with its subterranean view of Seattle’s beginnings. See www.undergroundtour.com for more details.
Space Needle/Seattle Center: For the best 360-degree panorama of the city, ride the elevator for 41 seconds up 520 feet to the observation deck of the Space Needle, which was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. The Space Needle is the main attraction at the Seattle Center, which also houses the Pacific Science Center (www.pacsci.org), the Children’s Museum (www.thechildrensmuseum.org), the Experience Music Project (www. emplive.org), the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (www. sfhomeworld. org) and the Fun Forest Amusement Park (www.funforest.com). We walked to the Seattle Center, but you can also get there via a free bus or catch the monorail at Pine and 5th Avenue.
Seattle Aquarium: Kids will love the Seattle Aquarium, south of the marina on Pier 59, where they can explore the region’s underwater world by getting face to fur, fin or feather with such creatures as the giant Pacific octopus, ever-playful otters, colorful fish, sea diving birds, sea stars, urchins and more (www.seattleaquarium.org" target="_new">www. seattleaquarium.org).
Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center: On Pier 65 next to the marina, Odyssey features more than 40 exhibits of everything maritime, including an up-to-date look at Puget Sound. The interactive displays are excellent (www.ody.org" target="_new">www.ody.org).Safeco and Qwest Fields: South of Pioneer Square, the playing fields are home to Seattle’s Mariners, Seahawks and Sounders. Try to time your Seattle visit with a pro ballgame by visiting www.qwestfield.com" target="_new">www. qwestfield.com or www.seattle.mariners.mlb.com" target="_new">www.seattle.mariners.mlb.com.Seattle Art Museum and Benaroya Hall: Located south of Pike Place Market, SAM and Benaroya Hall should be the first stops for art and music aficionados. SAM’s newly expanded downtown gallery was scheduled to reopen in May (www.seattleartmuseum.org" target="_new">www.seattleartmuseum.org; www.seattlesymphony.org" target="_new">www.seattlesymphony.org).Summer Nights at the Pier: If you are lucky, you can rock the night away at a concert at the AT&T Wireless Summer Nights at the Pier in the amazing 4,000-seat outdoor theater at Pier 62/63 adjacent to the marina. Steve Winwood, Melissa Ethridge, Joe Cocker, Lyle Lovett, the Beach Boys, John Hiatt and Earth Wind & Fire have appeared here in the past. Check www.summernights.org" target="_new">www.summernights.org for a calendar of events.
Dining Out: Chasing down Seattle’s fun activities can make you pretty hungry. The good news is you don’t have to go far to find award-winning fine dining. In our minds "if it’s Seattle it’s got to be seafood." One of our favorite places is Cutter’s Bayhouse located above Bell Harbor. They have a great sushi bar and the halibut is out of this world. Our window seat gave us a panoramic view of Elliott Bay and to make it extra special, 60 sailboats flew bright spinnakers in the setting sun in front of us. It was one of our most memorable meals of the year.
Seattle’s Own: During our stay we met boaters from all over the Northwest, but it was particularly interesting to meet Seattleites Mark and Sarah Hike. They park their Carver 59 Marquis Balance at Bell Harbor for a week or two to use as a downtown summer home. "We love it down here and try to get here as much as we can," said Mark as they headed off to their favorite restaurant.
It is fun to know that local boaters also like to head to Bell Harbor Marina for their own downtown Seattle experience.
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This article first appeared in the August 1, 2007 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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