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May 7 to May 15, 2006
by Ted
& Sylvia Blishak
THE WESTIN SEATTLE
Day 2. Monday, May 8, 2006. – Sleeping in Seattle.
TRAVEL TIP: Reserve two overnights in Seattle .
Although Amtrak provides a connecting Thruway bus from the Coast Starlight's termination in Seattle to Vancouver BC , we have never exercised that option and never recommend it to our clients, for many reasons.
1. It is a downer to get off the comfortable Coast Starlight and change to a cramped bus seat.
2. The four hour bus ride gets you into Vancouver after midnight, when the Starlight arrives on time. When the Starlight is late, which is now predictable, you might not get into Vancouver until the next morning.
3. When the bus stops at the border, the passengers must manhandle their own baggage through customs and immigration, and back out to the bus again. There are no Redcaps, bellmen, or federal agents to assist you.
Ted and Sylvia were married in 1971 and took their first long distance vacation in the summer of 1973, flying on Western Airlines from San Francisco to Seattle. They stayed at the vintage Benjamin Franklin Hotel, operated by Western International Hotels. The Ben Franklin was later torn down and replaced by 40-story twin circular towers and the property was renamed The Westin Seattle. The service has remained outstanding, and the facilities have improved greatly with the addition of Heavenly Beds and Heavenly Baths.
But some things remain the same, and we encounter the same bellman, dining room hostess, and waitress we've known for years.
View from the window of our room on the 14th floor
of The Westin Seattle. Monorail tracks are no longer in use.
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Westin Hotels are now under the management of Starwood, which also operates Sheraton and W Hotels, and maintains a high standard excellence in all of their chains. We stay at The Westin whenever possible on our trips to the Pacific Northwest. There is no longer a Western Airlines, which was merged into the now bankrupt Delta Airlines. And we no longer fly, so every trip begins with Amtrak's Coast Starlight, which terminates in Seattle .
Years ago, we would stay over one night in Seattle and take the Mt. Baker International to Vancouver or the steamer Princess Margarite to Victoria, both leaving at about 8:00 am. But with the Coast Starlight arriving into Seattle later and later (on our last trip in November 2005, we arrived at 3:30 am) this cuts into your relaxing time in Seattle drastically. Now we always plan a two night layover in Seattle. This has given us the opportunity to enjoy the amenities of The Westin, such as the Heavenly Beds, the super efficient air-conditioning, and the wonderful Coldwater Bar and Restaurant.
To us, The Westin has become an urban resort, so comfortable that we have little desire to wander around town. Our room has an efficient work station, with high speed internet access, and is well supplied with Starbucks coffee. High above the busy streets, the sounds of the city are muffled. The Heavenly Bath is stocked with a generous supply of fluffy towels, and the twin shower heads flood you with hot water.
Back to the Coldwater Restaurant: We have enjoyed the best meals anywhere here in this compact lobby restaurant. Every entrée is exquisitely prepared and served with by waiters who remember us from our last visit. For breakfast, oatmeal with brown sugar, honey, raisins, and fresh blackberries. On the side, a slab of Salmon Plank Steak, and a carafe of Starbucks coffee left at the table. For lunch, a seafood Cobb Salad, with fresh shrimp, crab, and smoked salmon. For dinner, the best broiled scallops that I have had anywhere, with a side of spinach sautéed with garlic, and an ice bucket containing a bottle of outstanding Gewürztraminer from Zillah, Washington.
We retire to our Heavenly Beds, refreshed and rested, to await our 5:00 am wakeup call, and tomorrow's journey on the Mt. Baker International.
NEXT: Day 3. Tuesday, May 9: Seattle to Vancouver
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