Touchdowns with a Lake View!

A visit to Seattle, Washington, can be a great short vacation. A beautiful urban mere, Lake Washington and surrounding waterways are a unique experience for travelers. I have previously written on how to take a car up to Anacortes for the day trip by ferry to Friday Harbor, transiting en route through the scenic San Juan Islands. I lived in Seattle and attended University of Washington, but now only visit from the desert of California.

Game Day at Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA (photo by Mary Levin, UW Columns magazine)

One thing to do is enjoy a game of college football. Husky Stadium in Seattle, home of the Washington Huskies, is one of the best locations for football in the fall season. When a home game is televised expect a camera pan and sportscaster comment because of the breathtaking view of the lake.  The television sportscasters never fail to show and talk about the moored boats having pre-game parties, and people coming ashore to attend the game. No parking hassles, walking with your seat cushion, etc. Just step on the dock and enter the stadium. I learned how to weave this special experience into a Seattle trip. It doesn’t matter the alma matter, just enjoy something new.

• 9/3 - UW vs E. Washington  huskycruiseeasternwa.eventbrite.com
• 9/10 - UW vs Hawaii  huskycruisehawaii.eventbrite.com
• 9/24 - UW vs Cal  huskycruisecal.eventbrite.com
• 10/15 - UW vs Colorado  huskycruisecolorado.eventbrite.com
• 10/29 - UW vs Arizona  huskycruisearizona.eventbrite.com 
• 11/5 - UW vs Oregon  huskycruiseoregon.eventbrite.com

 The cruise to the game is aboard the M/V Champagne Lady. The boat leaves from the marina across the lake in Kirkland, Washington. There at the marina is the Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa offering scenic view rooms and evening dining on the lakefront at the Beach Café. Currently, the Woodmark offers a 20% discount on package participants.

I stayed at the Woodmark Hotel on a recent trip to Seattle and enjoyed petting their hotel mascot dog, Woody. To see the sights, I chartered the Woody II cabin cruiser, a 1950’s era luxury boat (captain included). Cruise the lake shorefront to see notable estates (yes, Bill Gates lives nearby) and take the cut past UW to Lake Union for reservations at famous Ivar’s Salmon House.

From Sea-Tac airport either rent a car (as I have in the past) or take the EastSide Town Car & Limousine to the hotel. This town car service to the hotel is about the same price as the group shuttle bus. When downtown, I once again toured the Pike Place Market (ship home a fresh salmon) and had a great lunch at Mama’s Mexican Kitchen. Nearby are the cruise ships and ferry service to Victoria, B.C, and Puget Sound stops (Port Townsend and Bainbridge Island, to name a few).