http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28024 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28024 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27913 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27913 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25629 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25629 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25623 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25623 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25245 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/25245 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/24250 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/24250 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/23890
Admission is usually $15 but they hold an 'all access' evening every month which is free and also features local live bands.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/23890 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22098
Close to Golden Gardens beach, the hostel is 30 minutes from downtown, but is a great spot to soak up Washington's outstanding natural beauty before heading into the city, and a restful retreat after a hard day's sightseeing.

Housed in a modern beach house, there's a rooftop deck for watching the sunset, and the rooms smack of urban cool, with steel bunkbeds, a huge lounge and kitchen with funky sofas and fairy lights, and a glowing fireplace with floor cushions.

The rooms are clean, comfortable and there's a whole host of free extras, from wi-fi and breakfast to bikes for cycling around the local area.

If you're on foot, the surrounding area is artistic and quirky, full of boutiquey shops, cool taverns showing live music, independent cafes and a local Farmer's Market.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22098 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22097
As the city surrounds a great lake, a boat tour is a great way to explore Seattle, with many of its most arresting sights reachable by water.

The 90 minute tour goes across land and water, and the 'duck' is a Second World War 'amphibious vehicle' - basically a truck that floats!

Popular with kids, the 'Captain' plays music and gets the passengers to join in with games and spotting sights - expect alot of quacking and duck noises to be made.

But the tour itself will please the more mature 'sailors'- the tour kicks off at the Space Needle, and rides past Pike Place Market, downtown, Pioneer Square and Fremont, until you hit Lake Union.

Across the lake, you get a fantastic view of the city skyline, and get to see the cute houseboats in the canals (made famous by 'Sleepless in Seattle'). Highlights of the trip also include a voyage past the GasWorks park - on a hill overlooking the lake, this is the first industrial site in the world to be made into a public park. The grassy hill (popular with kite-flyers)is dotted with groups of rusting machinary and pipes - almost like red sculptures against the blue sky.

The best part of the tour for big kids everywhere? You get to ride a truck into the water.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22097 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22094
The tour kicks off in an old saloon bar, before heading beneath the city's oldest streets for an eerie tour around abandoned underground shops, cafes and homes. After a great fire, tidal patterns and poor sewage caused houses to sink, the residents of Seattle were forced to build homes above the old city streets and abandon the first floors of every building, leading to the bizzare subterranean world you'll find today.

The tour guides have a great sense of humour and have loads of interesting anecdotes about the city you won't find on your average bus tour. If you go in the summer you might get a Senator or Councilman on holiday taking you around, which only adds to the amusing stories!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22094 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22093
For cheap eats in Seattle, you can't go better than this blast from the past - the mock up fifties diner is surprisingly well done, with bright red booths, a jukebox you can request rock-n'roll tunes from, and perky staff who break into jive routines in the middle of a shift.

Kooky touches include old Coca-Cola ads on the walls, ketchup splodged into a smiley face on your plate, and a long bar for sipping shakes and malts, and watching the behatted chefs flip burgers.

Of course the main draw here is the food - all of it highly calorific but delicious fare. Oreo milkshakes so thick you're straw will get stuck (use a spoon, and don't be ashamed to drain the last dregs from the metal 'shaker' that comes with your glass), mountainous BLT's and oozing chili dogs. The burgers are even better; thick and juicy and come in all shapes and sizes, from the gut-busting Bacon Cheddar Double, to the 'Route 66' - complete with mushrooms, grilled onions and mozzarella cheese.

These burger's separate the men from the boys - don't even think about ordering a salad. After eating here, you'll never be able to face a McDonalds again.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22093 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22091
America's oldest Farmer's Market hasn't lost any of its buzz, with an underground maze of mezzanines filled with weird and wacky shops, the overflowing blossoms of the Hmong flower market, and stalls laden with fresh fruit, vegetables and an international sweep of gourmet treats.

The entertaining fishmongers put on a good show, hurling fish over customer's heads, whilst street performers and musicians add to the chaos - look out for the kazoo and spoons player!

During the Spring and Fall harvests, the market hosts 'Organic Wednesdays', where you can scoop the best local produce for a cheap picnic.
You could spend hours browsing the stalls, but there are a few that really stand out - 'Read All ABout It' sells unusual newspapers and magazines from all over the world, Three Girls Bakery does the BEST garlic rosemary bread and peanut butter cookies in Seattle, and you can visit the very first Starbucks (quaint and nothing like the cookie-cutter chains across the country) for the original Tall Skinny Latte.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22091