Explore Seattle While at BurlyCon!

Explore Seattle While at BurlyCon!

So this is your first time to Seattle? First thing’s first. The rumors are true and it does rain here a lot! If you want to try and fit in like a Seattle-ite leave your umbrella at home and pack a jacket with a hood instead. Seattle-ites don’t bother with the hassle of an umbrella because of how frequently the weather can change. This means having good shoes to wear too! But don’t forget your swimsuit, there is always time to get in the hot tub at the hotel no matter how chilly it may be outside!

Speaking of rain, make sure to bring your warm clothes! Sure, we’ll be toasty in the hotel (except when walking from the hotel to the convention space) but once you venture outside it’ll be chilly. Now would be a great time for you to dust off your rain boots and pack your gloves, scarves, hats, and layers. We also appreciate unique looks so don’t be afraid of strutting around town in your outrageous prints or bright colors!

  • Travel Around Seattle

And if you would like to strut downtown it’s easy to get there from the airport via the Light Rail which will set you back a few dollars each way. The Light Rail stop is directly across the street from the hotel, but make sure you know how late it’s running if you’re out at night. Some of the stops and points of interest along the rail line are:

International District/Chinatown Station

Some fun attractions at this stop: Seattle Pinball Museum, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Hing Hay Park. Not to mention all of the AMAZING food that you can find in the International District plus a Dasio and the Uwajimaya.

Pioneer Square Station

Perfect for the history buff; you’ll find: Smith Tower, Underground Tour, Waterfall Garden Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park near this stop.

University Street Station

Like art? Then don’t miss the Seattle Art Museum – Currently there is an Andrew Wyeth exhibit.

Westlake Center

This has some of the most iconic Seattle spots, including: Westlake Park, Pike Place Market, the infamously gross but intriguing Gum Wall, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle waterfront, and the Great Wheel. Go for a boat ride around The Sound and enjoy a sunset if you have the time!

Get more info on the Light Rail HERE.

  • Eat like a Seattle-ite

If you’d like to try a few local favorites there are a couple of things that I recommend:

Salmon. While we are out of peak salmon season, Seattle is known for the different types of Salmon that you can find here; Chinook or King, Coho, or Sockeye. If you are looking to splurge try cedar plank salmon where the salmon is smoked on a cedar plank.
Geoduck clam – Ah, the geoduck. It’s a delightfully phallic looking clam that is found in Puget Sound. If you’re feeling brave give it a try while you are here!
Tarter sauce is our condiment of choice and it’s likelier that we’ll order tarter sauce to dip our fries into than anything else.
You’ll also find an amazing variety of Asian food. From Dim Sum to Pho. Korean, Chinese, Thai, or Japanese- the influence from these cultures are intertwined into the Seattle experience. The International District is one place to find a variety of these foods in one walkable area.
Seattle is especially friendly to vegetarians and vegans. Restaurants typically have options on the menu to accommodate different diets as well as restaurants dedicated to plant based diets.

  • Near the Hotel

We haven’t vetted all these places, but many are within walking distance or a cheap Lyft ride away! As always, be safe about walking alone and make sure if you take a Lyft or Uber you account plenty of time- traffic can make seemingly short trips take forever. Google Maps is very accurate and if you sign up for the free Hilton Honors you can get free wifi within your room. Even if you’re from out of country and have no data- you can still access the wifi to search out options.
Food:
Plenty of options within a 15 min walk including:
13 Coins – Open 24hrs!
Mango Thai Cuisine & Bar  – Several other restaurants are in the same spot
Gregory’s Bar & Grill – Typical eats but they also do karaoke
Groceries & Such:
Safeway on S 164th St – 5 min by car
Trader Joes on 1st Ave S – 10 min by car
CVS on Strander Blvd – 10 min by car
7-Eleven – 5 min walk behind the hotel
Banks:
We suggest having some cash on you as some vendors prefer it and it makes keeping to a budget easier.
Chase Bank – 13 min walk
BoA – 15 min walk
U.S. Bank – inside Airport
You’ll also find Wells Fargo, Umpqua, and Key Bank branches as well as Citibank ATMs throughout Seattle.

 

  • The Famous Goodwill Glitter Sale!

The 34th annual Glitter Sale is happening during BurlyCon weekend. What is the Glitter Sale you asked? “On Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12 Seattle Goodwill will host our annual Glitter Sale featuring all things sparkly, shiny and otherwise glamorous. We have designer, vintage, and unique one-of-a-kind clothing items and accessories for sale. Designer pieces include names such as Burberry, Prada, DVF, Kate Spade, Dooney & Bourke, Marc Jacobs, Betsy Johnson, Coach, Michael Kors and more. Racks will be restocked throughout the weekend.”

In short, Goodwill hordes the good stuff during the year and over 1 weekend they sell everything that has been donated that they deem super shiny. If you’d like to try your luck at the Glitter Sale here is what you need to know and how to get there:

Goodwill
1400 S Lane St
Seattle, WA

9:00a.m. – 6:00p.m.

Saturday, November 11 & Sunday, November 12

https://seattlegoodwill.org/sales-and-events/glitter-sale

16 minutes by car

50-60 minutes via public transportation:

From the airport take the light rail to the International District stop
Once you exit the tunnel you’ll be on 5th Ave S
Head South bound towards Uwajimaya
You’ll pass S King St, S Weller St, S Lane St
On South Dearborn St take a left and walk eastbound to 13 Ave S
Take a left on 13th Ave S
Walk 1 block to S Lane St and take a right
The Goodwill will be on your left.


This is just the tip of the iceberg of course and by no means an extensive list of things to explore in Seattle. However, it should help you get started and welcome to the Emerald City!