There is an excellent Indian restaurant called the Saffron Grill

Is that the place we went a couple of years ago? Nom, nom, nom. I'm not sure if I can make it out for the F2F, any extra money goes to my college kid these days.

it is right next door to I-5 (oh, and a gas station, yuck)

And across from another gas station....but in that gas station is a Starbucks (which, granted is SOOOO not anything like the best coffee Seattle has, but will help some of you) AND the yummy yummy taco truck, mmmm, the taco truck....

Oh yeah, the taco truck. I've heard good things, but since I live near Gorditos, I don't really go for Mexican anywhere else.

Suzi, I don't remember which Indian you went to. I can tell you it wasn't the Saffron Grill as it has only been open for 8 months or so. However, the Saffron Grill is run by the people who used to run Cedars in the U District.

To give a little sense of where it is, it is right next door to I-5 (oh, and a gas station, yuck). if I-5 traffic is light you're looking at 15 to 20 minutes to downtown Seattle. If traffic is bad, anything up to an hour.

If it's light, more like 5-10 to Downtown. It's only five miles north. 15-20 to SoDo, where the baseball lives, but 5-10 to the Downtown exits.

I mena, when we lived in Beacon Hill, it was generally only a 10-15 minute drive to the Northgate Target (due east of the Hotel), and we were five miles south of Downtown.

If traffic is bad, you zip to 99, and you're Downtown in 15-20.

That hotel looks really, really nice. But I am hopeful that we can find something right in Seattle. As much as I loved our Madison F2F (and I plan to stay in the same hotel as everyone else this time, ftr), it was a revelation on the last day (before heading out of town) to actually get to see Madison. It was adorable! But the F2F was pretty far away from downtown. I hope to be able to experience Buffistas and Seattle if at all possible.

But seriously? That hotel is way cute with damned fine amenities.

But the F2F was pretty far away from downtown. I hope to be able to experience Buffistas and Seattle if at all possible.

Eh, Seattle != Downtown.

We have a seriously boring Downtown*. That you can walk to from one end to another in about half an hour. But do not worry! I have several variations on "AWESOME STUFF IN SEATTLE WHAT IS AWESOME!" tours. Sometimes, it involves climbing stairs. I think I make everyone who can walk up the water tower of awesome views.

One way to look at Seattle is this: many of our 'hoods were once their own city, but were eaten by the Seattle beast. So we're patchwork and random, and Downtown is basically a giant shopping mall that clears out after 5pm.

* Except for the Underground Tour. That's awesome.

Oh, okay. I was just thinking walkable parts? The gas stations and the taco truck though charming, didn't seem so walkable.

Your tours sound good!

It's within walking distance of a Transit Center! Which can get you to more walkable places. It's not a roll-out-of-bed-and-explore kind of place, but it's not remote or out of the way (that would be SeaTac, aka, the hotels by the airport). You're about 5-10 minutes from one of the coolest parks in Seattle (Carkeek), too.

I think I make everyone who can walk up the water tower of awesome views.

Awesome views. Yes.

If I make it to Seattle I have to go up in the Space Needle at some point.