CenturyLink Field and Our Love for the Seahawks

While the Rain or Shine Guides team was technically born and raised in the Midwest, we consider ourselves Seattleites, and that means our love for the Seahawks runs deep. Having held season tickets for the last 10 years, we have been with the team for many highs, a few lows and that time Marshawn Lynch ran so hard and far he caused a minor earthquake. With the season in full swing, we thought we would give you all the information you need to make a day at Century Link Field a success. Face paint optional.

Know Before You Go

Century Link Field is located in south downtown and is easily accessible by public transportation. The light rail and multiple bus options stops at Stadium Station Tunnel and the Sounder train heads up from Tacoma stopping at the stadium as well. If you want to park, there are plenty of options, but expect to pay anywhere from $35 - $50.

You’ll be required to go through security and bags are not allowed in the stadium unless they are 100% clear. You can buy clear bags online here, but we like to travel light! Stick your cell phone and wallet in your pocket, and now you can have a beer in one hand and a hot dog in the other!

On game day, Utah Avenue becomes “Hawk Alley” and is filled with fans tailgating. If you are visiting (or just don’t want the hassle), it’s still fun to walk down and see all the crazy costumes, feel the spirit, and hope that someone throws a burger your way.

Inside The Stadium

Come hungry because there are some amazing food options! We recommend Rain Shadow Meats, Stadium Signature Nachos, Beecher’s, or Kraken Congee. You might be lured in by Ezel’s chicken and waffles, but we tried it and the waffles were hard as rock. You’ve been warned.

Nachos!

Looks pretty, tastes bad

It’s best to come a half hour before the game because the pre-game show is awesome! The Sea Gals perform, a Seattle celebrity raises the 12th Man flag, an actual seahawk flies through the stadium, the starting defense or offense runs through a tunnel lit up by fireworks, and there is enthusiasm, excitement, and heckling of the other team.

The pre-game spectacle

Seattle is known for rain and chances are there will be games where it is, in fact, raining. Only part of the stadium is covered (the 300 section mostly), so make sure you check your seat location and the weather beforehand and dress appropriately.

All hail Richard Sherman!

Century Link Field is the second loudest stadium in the NFL (darn you Kansas City for taking the title from us), but we DO hold the record for causing the most number of false starts! Come prepared to YELL and CHEER, but never, ever while the Seahawks offense is on the field at the beginning of a play. This is cheering 101. If you are under the age of 5, might we recommend investing in these.

We’ll be at the stadium cheering the team on all year, and hopefully we’ll see you there! GO HAWKS!

Sips in the City: Seattle’s Urban Wineries

Woodinville may boast more than 90 wineries a short distance from the city, but did you know that Seattle has more than 20 urban wineries right here? It’s true. With production facilities and tasting rooms within the metropolis you can try a variety of wine styles while even using public transit.

Deconstructed barrels are repurposed at Kerloo Cellars’ tasting room in SoDo.

The collective of wineries known as Seattle Urban Wineries often throws open the doors for joint events, such as the recent SoDo Block Party. Celebrating a group of wineries jointly located at SoDo Urban Works on First Ave. So., the Saturday event was packed as visitors and tasters flocked to tastings by Full Pull Wines, Kerloo Cellars, and Waters Winery, among others.

A concrete fermentation vessel in an urban winery’s production facility

Not far away you can jet into Georgetown to try wines at Laurelhurst Cellars or Charles Smith Wines. Feel like staying over in West Seattle? You’re covered there too with four urban wineries including the Northwest Wine Academy, a division of South Seattle Community College. Here students can earn certificates in food and wine pairing, wine sales and marketing, or wine production. With a full tasting room on site you can try several vintages made right in house.

Nearly open: The upstairs tasting room at Almquist Family Vintners

Even north Seattle has more than a half dozen wineries, including the award-winning Almquist Family Vintners. A joint family effort by cousins Mike and Ben Almquist, the winery prides itself on its first-rate facilities, replete with a full bottling line and barrel storage. Producing more than 45 varietals in a gorgeous space adjacent to the Fremont Cut at 198 Nickerson St., Almquist Family Vintners also offers up event space utilizing the entrancing now-vacant space once occupied by the restaurant Hommage. (Don’t worry – a new restaurant called Branded is in the works and I fully intend to give it a whirl.)

I chatted with Ben as he took me around the facilities and he explained they often work with other wine makers to produce, age, and bottle wines in their facility. Anything from a single barrel to commercial production can be done without leaving the city. They even have a full distillery in operation and a wine garden, open daily, with room for more than a hundred guests.

Ben Almquist showcasing the bar in the lovely greenhouse at 198 Nickerson St.

Full bottling line at Almquist Family Vintners

While there may only be about 25 urban wineries in Seattle today, Ben projects that number will be closer to 100 in just three to four years. After all, he explained, with wines being all about a sense of place and style, why would you move the production to Woodinville when the bulk of the wine drinking population is right here in Seattle?

Barrel storage and aging at the Almquist Family Vintners facilities

To learn more about locations, tasting room hours, and special events, I encourage you to visit Seattle Urban Wineries. Let us know which urban winery becomes your next favorite. Salud!

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75.

Seattle Secrets: Waterfall Garden Park

When you think of UPS, what comes to mind? Brown uniforms. Legally Blonde. Mail Delivery. What doesn't come to mind? Waterfalls. 

Except for the people of Seattle. If you live in Seattle you associate UPS with a tranquil waterfall garden. 

Say What?! 

Ok, fun little history lesson starts now. UPS was founded in a Seattle basement in 1907 by Jim Casey and Claude Ryan. Then (spoiler) UPS became kind of a big deal. Today more than 407,000 people work for UPS, and we would bet quite a few of them don't know they have a beautiful waterfall park dedicated to them in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Seattle.

That's right, Jim Casey built a tiny, but amazing park in Seattle in 1978 to honor all of the people who have worked for UPS. It is maintained by the Annie E Casey Foundation (named in remembrance of Jim Casey's mother. Is anyone else thinking how good of a guy Jim must have been?) and is a true hidden gem of Seattle. You can find it on the corner of 2nd Avenue South and South Main Street in Pioneer Square. 

Right in the middle of everything for all the city folks to enjoy!

You will hear the rushing water from the 22-foot waterfall before you see the park. When you find the entrance you will be guided into a small garden with two-tiers. There is usually plenty of seating available so feel free to come with your coffee or lunch and sit with a friend enjoying the peaceful sound of the water instead of the normal construction sounds we are all so used to. 

3 Specialty Book Shops We Love

Book Larder

Book Larder

Whether you love cooking or your fridge is full of take-out containers, you won't be able to resist the warm, inviting atmosphere of Book Larder. This specialty bookstore carries hundreds of cookbooks in their north Fremont location. It is completely normal to walk in and smell baked goods from one of their books cooking in the test kitchen or see a local author having a book signing. It is a place that will make you feel like you can conquer the world one recipe at a time. 

Metsker Maps

Metsker Maps 

While they don't only sell books, they do sell a lot of them. Metsker Maps in Pike Place Market has been drawing in travel enthusiasts since the 1950s, and we can never resist popping in to get inspired for our next trip. They have travel books for every destination under the sun and tons of additional books like travel memoirs, nautical exploration guides, and travel stories for kids. We guarantee you will get lost in this store as the maps and books transport you across the globe. 

Seattle Mystery Bookshop

Seattle Mystery Bookshop

The Seattle Mystery Bookshop lives in the perfect location in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood on the first floor of an old stone building that is crammed full of mystery books and makes you feel a bit like Sherlock Holmes (or Watson, whichever suits you more). You can tell the staff love their jobs and love the genre. They have a large selection of signed copies, which we have found make for great gifts (even if they are for your own bookshelf).